Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11
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I'm cool with B Barrett at FB, Bridge, Ioane at 13, Mo'unga, Smith, Cane, Frizzel and the tight five.
It's fucking laughable that they haven't given Sotutu the start at 8. Savea is a stud at openside but only a stop-gap at 8 for mine. If they're going to select Cane at 7 then Savea is a bench player until we exhaust other squad 8 options.
Goodhue is a centre, not a second-five-eighths. He's useful there in SR and might offer cover in tests but that's the extent of it. ALB should be starting in his best position. What happens if Ioane goes off? Complete midfield re-shuffle or do we have a straight swap and the weird combo of ALB at 13 and Goodhue at 12??
I'd have much preferred Jordan for J Barrett. Barrett is a FB (who should probably be tried out at 12, IMHO). If anything, in this squad he starts ahead of his older brother, at 15.
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@Nepia said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Crucial said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
The wing selections beggar belief.
I was about to say that they’ve gone all SWB on the wing, but saying that about Jordie seems wrong. Yes he was in great form this year but he’s still a known brain farter which rules out SWB.
I guess in form he should have been selected at fullback, but I still believe BB is the better Barrett so I’m fine with him at 15. And I’m all for putting the boot into Fozzie but every AB coach in the pro era has selected guys who aren’t the top performing in their position but have experience.
Fluffer !
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Are you picking a team on form or are you picking a team that best suits your game plan? If test rugby was played like SR we would be unstoppable, we have undeniable attacking talent. And this is probably why we have dominated OZ in the past, both teams playing SR and we are simply better at that style.
But when we have played SA, ENG, IRE etc they have been very tight structured affairs where they minimise mistakes, rush defence and are just dominant physical packs. Our attacking skills and player talent occasionally have not been enough.
I suspect Rennie will be bringing a more structured NH approach to the Wallabies and Foster etc must have been building a game plan to counter the rush defence, box kicking, field position style.
The back three are all excellent at defusing bombs, will all no doubt be chasing our kicks hard and RM will no doubt be doing plenty of cross kicks to JB wing. If we can play tight up front, run hard through 12 and 13 and limit mistakes I think we will just be too strong.
I guess we will all see on Sunday exactly how the team will play under Foster. I expect the biggest changes to come up front tbh, I am hoping our forward pack as a unit is a step up on previous years.
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@chimoaus said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
I am hoping our forward pack as a unit is a step up on previous years.
with the same players?
last time we dipped out of the semis of the world cup because our forwards were shit, we rissoled 6 of the pack.
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the whole JG at 12 thing is a bit beyond me, surely not all 12 are the same...so isn't it more a case of finding the right 13 to play with him...maybe im missing something
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@Toddy said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@NTA @barbarian are you guys happy with the Wallaby team selected? Any big omissions?
Meh. Hard to know until the rubber hits the road. I've moved on from trying to jam all the stars onto the field at once. I'm down with the Ben Darwin theory of promoting combinations and using the experience of togetherness - hence my nervousness of White instead of McDermott.
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A couple of things have crossed my mind as possible selection explanations.
Goodhue has possibly become Mounga's tackling proxy and Foster has followed Razor's lead.
BB is at 15 to move up to 10 in defensive sequences. Expect to see RM dropping to 15 a lot instead of shuffling out.
It was that shuffling out that Eddie Jones identified and targeted to great effect.
That explains Goodhue at 12, BB at 15 and JB being too good to leave out. Bridge is still a mystery.
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@Crucial said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
A couple of things have crossed my mind as possible selection explanations.
Goodhue has possibly become Mounga's tackling proxy and Foster has followed Razor's lead.
BB is at 15 to move up to 10 in defensive sequences. Expect to see RM dropping to 15 a lot instead of shuffling out.
It was that shuffling out that Eddie Jones identified and targeted to great effect.
That explains Goodhue at 12, BB at 15 and JB being too good to leave out. Bridge is still a mystery.
great, we are the Wallabies and Quade Cooper.
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@mariner4life said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@chimoaus said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
I am hoping our forward pack as a unit is a step up on previous years.
with the same players?
last time we dipped out of the semis of the world cup because our forwards were shit, we rissoled 6 of the pack.
I don't think those players are shit, they just played shit. Ofa, PT, and Friz were all very impressive this year and I can only hope with the new coaches the forward unit will be better as a group.
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@mariner4life said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Crucial said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
A couple of things have crossed my mind as possible selection explanations.
Goodhue has possibly become Mounga's tackling proxy and Foster has followed Razor's lead.
BB is at 15 to move up to 10 in defensive sequences. Expect to see RM dropping to 15 a lot instead of shuffling out.
It was that shuffling out that Eddie Jones identified and targeted to great effect.
That explains Goodhue at 12, BB at 15 and JB being too good to leave out. Bridge is still a mystery.
great, we are the Wallabies and Quade Cooper.
Yep.
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@mariner4life said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
great, we are the Wallabies and Quade Cooper.
Beaugan has been dropping back from 10 since at least the last RWC cycle
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@chimoaus said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@mariner4life said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@chimoaus said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
I am hoping our forward pack as a unit is a step up on previous years.
with the same players?
last time we dipped out of the semis of the world cup because our forwards were shit, we rissoled 6 of the pack.
I don't think those players are shit, they just played shit. Ofa, PT, and Friz were all very impressive this year and I can only hope with the new coaches the forward unit will be better as a group.
Agreed, I would of had Hodgman ahead of Karl T, he is athletic and gives you exactly what the Coaches are asking for at the collision. Karl is dead after the first 20 minutes.
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@Crucial said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
A couple of things have crossed my mind as possible selection explanations.
Goodhue has possibly become Mounga's tackling proxy and Foster has followed Razor's lead.
BB is at 15 to move up to 10 in defensive sequences. Expect to see RM dropping to 15 a lot instead of shuffling out.
It was that shuffling out that Eddie Jones identified and targeted to great effect.
That explains Goodhue at 12, BB at 15 and JB being too good to leave out. Bridge is still a mystery.
Bridge is less of a mystery if we are going to kick a bit. Also he is good running off the shoulder of Mo’unga who is attacking the line from 1st 5 far more than Beaudie is these days.
I’m hopeful that a fired up Cane and Tuipoluto and a better outing from our front collectively will have us in better shape than the RWC semi.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Crucial said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
A couple of things have crossed my mind as possible selection explanations.
Goodhue has possibly become Mounga's tackling proxy and Foster has followed Razor's lead.
BB is at 15 to move up to 10 in defensive sequences. Expect to see RM dropping to 15 a lot instead of shuffling out.
It was that shuffling out that Eddie Jones identified and targeted to great effect.
That explains Goodhue at 12, BB at 15 and JB being too good to leave out. Bridge is still a mystery.
Bridge is less of a mystery if we are going to kick a bit. Also he is good running off the shoulder of Mo’unga who is attacking the line from 1st 5 far more than Beaudie is these days.
I’m hopeful that a fired up Cane and Tuipoluto and a better outing from our front collectively will have us in better shape than the RWC semi.
He runs off RMs shoulder but makes as much ground as Owen Franks.
Those little half gaps don't appear as much in test footy for him to exploit. -
@Crucial said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@ACT-Crusader said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Crucial said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
A couple of things have crossed my mind as possible selection explanations.
Goodhue has possibly become Mounga's tackling proxy and Foster has followed Razor's lead.
BB is at 15 to move up to 10 in defensive sequences. Expect to see RM dropping to 15 a lot instead of shuffling out.
It was that shuffling out that Eddie Jones identified and targeted to great effect.
That explains Goodhue at 12, BB at 15 and JB being too good to leave out. Bridge is still a mystery.
Bridge is less of a mystery if we are going to kick a bit. Also he is good running off the shoulder of Mo’unga who is attacking the line from 1st 5 far more than Beaudie is these days.
I’m hopeful that a fired up Cane and Tuipoluto and a better outing from our front collectively will have us in better shape than the RWC semi.
He runs off RMs shoulder but makes as much ground as Owen Franks.
Those little half gaps don't appear as much in test footy for him to exploit.He’s scored tries at test level in the middle of the park and through traffic.
Plus the cross field kick combo with Richie is good also.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Crucial said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@ACT-Crusader said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
@Crucial said in Bledisloe One: Wellington, October 11:
A couple of things have crossed my mind as possible selection explanations.
Goodhue has possibly become Mounga's tackling proxy and Foster has followed Razor's lead.
BB is at 15 to move up to 10 in defensive sequences. Expect to see RM dropping to 15 a lot instead of shuffling out.
It was that shuffling out that Eddie Jones identified and targeted to great effect.
That explains Goodhue at 12, BB at 15 and JB being too good to leave out. Bridge is still a mystery.
Bridge is less of a mystery if we are going to kick a bit. Also he is good running off the shoulder of Mo’unga who is attacking the line from 1st 5 far more than Beaudie is these days.
I’m hopeful that a fired up Cane and Tuipoluto and a better outing from our front collectively will have us in better shape than the RWC semi.
He runs off RMs shoulder but makes as much ground as Owen Franks.
Those little half gaps don't appear as much in test footy for him to exploit.He’s scored tries at test level in the middle of the park and through traffic.
Plus the cross field kick combo with Richie is good also.
But....but...he's just so 'Ralph'
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- James Slipper (96 Tests)
- Folau Fainga’a (12 Tests)
- Taniela Tupou (19 Tests)
- Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (21 Tests)
- Matt Philip (3 Tests)
- Harry Wilson*
- Michael Hooper (c) (99 Tests)
- Pete Samu (9 Tests)
- Nic White (31 Tests)
- James O’Connor (52 Tests)
- Marika Koroibete (28 Tests)
- Matt To’omua (52 Tests)
- Hunter Paisami*
- Filipo Daugunu*
- Tom Banks (6 Tests)
Replacements
16. Jordan Uelese (9 Tests)
17. Scott Sio (63 Tests)
18. Allan Alaalatoa (35 Tests)
19. Rob Simmons (100 Tests)
20. Rob Valetini (1 Test)
21. Jake Gordon (1 Test)
22. Noah Lolesio*
23. Reece Hodge (39 Tests)3 debutants in the XV and another on the bench. Gotta say the lack of McDermott surprises me.
Hooper's 100th Test at the ripe old age of 28.
