Wallaby EOYT 2016
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@NTA yea, that's probably a pretty fair summary. A grand slam would resonate better at home, and is a great target. France don't often get up for you guys anyway, so even rotating through some players you could still be golden.
Smashing everyone will be a lot harder if your best players are trying to play 5 tests in 5 weeks away from home. Isn't it England last? I reckon Cheika will be gunning hard for that one.
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It is probably the most important Test on tour.
I'm kind of glad it is last because it gives the maximum opportunity for acclimatisaion.
Smashing everyone will be a lot harder if your best players are trying to play 5 tests in 5 weeks away from home. Isn't it England last? I reckon Cheika will be gunning hard for that one.
Which is kind of why I think, if we manage to put a gap on Scotland, guys like Hooper and Moore will get a longer rest than they otherwise would.
Don't think Hooper has missed many minutes of Test rugby this year. If any. Though he's one of those guys who is far better playing than he is sitting down.
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Another point on the resting thing: with both Simmons and Skelton on the bench, Coleman and Arnold will probably get a decent rest.
The latter has had a couple of head knocks recently, and though they're not serious, having those two fire against Ireland and England will be extremely important.
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@Stargazer said in Wallaby EOYT 2016:
WALLABIES squad to play Scotland
IN: Will Genia, Dean Mumm, Will Skelton, Tom Robertson,
OUT: Nick Frisby, Sefa Naivalu, Scott Fardy, James Slipper
1.Scott Sio (26 Tests)
2.Stephen Moore (c) (113 Tests)
3.Sekope Kepu (74 Tests)
4.Rory Arnold (7 Tests)
5.Adam Coleman (8 Tests)
6.David Pocock (62 Tests)
7.Michael Hooper (62 Tests)
8.Lopeti Timani (4 Tests)
9.Will Genia (72 Tests)
10.Bernard Foley (38 Tests)
11.Henry Speight (7 Tests)
12.Reece Hodge (7 Tests)
13.Tevita Kuridrani (41 Tests)
14.Dane Haylett-Petty (11 Tests)
15.Israel Folau (49 Tests)Reserves
16.Tolu Latu (1 Test)
17.Tom Robertson (4 Tests)
18.Allan Alaalatoa (6 Tests)
19.Rob Simmons (67 Tests)
20.Will Skelton (16 Tests)
21.Dean Mumm (53 Tests)
22.Nick Phipps (49 Tests)
23.Quade Cooper (65 Tests)That's only 23. There's a player missing.
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Funny man
In a way, that 6/2 bench is Cheika telling Scotland that he knows conditions might not favour our backs, so we're just going to pack a little extra forward power in there. Skelton has lost about 10kg after being told he wasn't fit enough earlier in the year, and he'll be raring to put in a big 20 minutes.
Simmons is going to... uh... be Simmons
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@reprobate said in Wallaby EOYT 2016:
@NTA simmons is poop. you guys throw in a brand new guy, he plays better than simmons has, pretty much ever - then you throw in another new guy, and he does the fucking same. just drop him already.
Oh yeah I'll bring it up with Cheika next time we're having a team meeting
Not like I've been a fan of Simmons pretty much EVER. Can scrum well but just poor everywhere else
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@Frye said in Wallaby EOYT 2016:
5 tough games at the end of the season with no rotation seems like a bad idea.
Definitely see a couple of losses coming up somewhere.
Given how the rest of the season has gone I think Cheika has no choice really. They don't have great depth at the moment and the first choice XV seem to be still getting to know each other.
It's an interesting bench with two reserve locks plus a 6/lock.
It's quite astounding the fall from grace that Slipper has taken. Yes he's had fitness issues, but when fit he has been a shadow of the player he was 12-18 months ago.
Will Quade even get a run if there are no injuries?
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@ACT-Crusader said in Wallaby EOYT 2016:
@Frye said in Wallaby EOYT 2016:
It's quite astounding the fall from grace that Slipper has taken. Yes he's had fitness issues, but when fit he has been a shadow of the player he was 12-18 months ago.
absolutely. he was the best prop in the rugby championship that season, and just hasn't come back the same. bit like kuridrani though that was longer ago.
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Good game. Scotland organised and disruptive, and never panicked. Aus too good in the last quarter, kept probing. Foley and Folau prominent.
I thought Hooper was the wallabies best
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