Australia - World Cup 2015 Discussion Thread

[Irish boy]

Spot on Canuck, the selection of Dennis and Mumm over Jones and Adam Coleman are baffling. Horwill should also count his lucky stars.

To be fair Mumm has been awesome with Exeter. Don't know about Dennis. And I agree with horwill he is massively overrated.

 

[Jaguares]

To be fair Mumm has been awesome with Exeter. Don't know about Dennis. And I agree with horwill he is massively overrated.

He isn't overrated. I think he's out of shape

 

[Jaguares]

The Wallabies squad for the Springbok test:

Rory Arnold (Brumbies)*
Adam Ashley-Cooper (Waratahs)
Kurtley Beale (Waratahs)
Quade Cooper (Reds)
Scott Fardy (Brumbies)
Israel Folau (Waratahs)
Bernard Foley (Waratahs)
Will Genia (Reds)
Matt Giteau (Toulon)
Scott Higginbotham (Rebels)
Greg Holmes (Reds)
Michael Hooper (Waratahs)
Rob Horne (Waratahs)
James Horwill (Reds)
Sekope Kepu (Waratahs)
Tevita Kuridrani (Brumbies)
Stephen Moore - Captain (Brumbies)
Drew Mitchell (Toulon)
Ben McCalman (Force)
Sean McMahon (Rebels)
Dean Mumm (Waratahs)
Taqele Naiyaravoro (Waratahs)*
Nick Phipps (Waratahs)
David Pocock (Brumbies)
Tatafu Polota-Nau (Waratahs)
Scott Sio (Brumbies)
Rob Simmons (Reds)
Will Skelton (Waratahs)
James Slipper (Reds)
Matt Toomua (Brumbies)
Joe Tomane (Brumbies)

 

[Kiwi_]

The Wallabies squad for the Springbok test:

Rory Arnold (Brumbies)*
Adam Ashley-Cooper (Waratahs)
Kurtley Beale (Waratahs)
Quade Cooper (Reds)
Scott Fardy (Brumbies)
Israel Folau (Waratahs)
Bernard Foley (Waratahs)
Will Genia (Reds)
Matt Giteau (Toulon)
Scott Higginbotham (Rebels)
Greg Holmes (Reds)
Michael Hooper (Waratahs)
Rob Horne (Waratahs)
James Horwill (Reds)
Sekope Kepu (Waratahs)
Tevita Kuridrani (Brumbies)
Stephen Moore - Captain (Brumbies)
Drew Mitchell (Toulon)
Ben McCalman (Force)
Sean McMahon (Rebels)
Dean Mumm (Waratahs)
Taqele Naiyaravoro (Waratahs)*
Nick Phipps (Waratahs)
David Pocock (Brumbies)
Tatafu Polota-Nau (Waratahs)
Scott Sio (Brumbies)
Rob Simmons (Reds)
Will Skelton (Waratahs)
James Slipper (Reds)
Matt Toomua (Brumbies)
Joe Tomane (Brumbies)

Pretty good squad. Called me daft, but I think the Aussie have a chance of finishing top in group A and a huge chance of finishing 2nd. Which I hope they do.

 

[Jaguares]

Rumors from the Wallabies training camp. Apparently this would be the starting backline for the Springbok test:

9 Genia
10 Cooper
11 AAC
12 Toomua
13 Kuridrani
14 Tomane
15 Folau

Some names for the starting forwards pack

1 ???
2 Stephen Moore
3 ???
4 Rob Simmons
5 Will Skelton
6 Scott Fardy
7 Michael Hooper
8 McCalman

Arnold the back-up for the second row and Mumm for the backrow

Are just rumors, take it or leave

 

[InsaneAsylum]

1 Will be Slipper and 3 will be Kepu with Sio and Holmes on the bench

 

[Jaguares]

1 Will be Slipper and 3 will be Kepu with Sio and Holmes on the bench

Yeah but should be Sio because Slipper need a rest

 

[squirrel]

I hope Speight is unavailable and not being overlooked.

 

[goodNumber10]

I hope Speight is unavailable and not being overlooked.

he withdrew on compassionate grounds as his grandfather died...

 

[squirrel]

He has a little suspension I forgot about as well.

 

[Jaguares]

I hope Speight is unavailable and not being overlooked.

Tomane is on fire ATM. I think Speight could lose his spot at the starting XV by him.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I can't see that the Wallabies have been playing any warm-up game in preperation for the RC? Risky move if they havn't IMO but they are probably relying on being fresher and at home.

 

[Dale91]

I wrote a post on possibles v probables For the Wallabies. A few contentious decisions, but what Wallabies squad wouldnt have that?
http://daleyrugby.com/2015/07/11/wallabies-possiblies-v-probables/

 

[InsaneAsylum]

I wrote a post on possibles v probables For the Wallabies. A few contentious decisions, but what Wallabies squad wouldnt have that?
http://daleyrugby.com/2015/07/11/wallabies-possiblies-v-probables/

Not bad Dale - the only issue is if you have Skelton and Hooper and Pocock in the same pack then your only lineout options are Simmons and Higginbotham. Any good team will take us apart - you need Fardy at 6 to give 3 lineout options. Perhaps later in the game you could sub Skelton for Arnold or Horwill - then replace Fardy with Hooper and Bring McCalman on for Higginbotham which still gives you 3 lineout options and allows Hooper and Pocock to run rampant at the breakdown.

 

[Jaguares]

I wrote a post on possibles v probables For the Wallabies. A few contentious decisions, but what Wallabies squad wouldnt have that?
http://daleyrugby.com/2015/07/11/wallabies-possiblies-v-probables/

Hooper is too short to play at blindside flanker at test level.

About Kepu:

"3- Sekope Kepu (52 tests), NSW’s and Australia’s incumbent tighthead will be looking to claim 8 more caps throughout 2015, allowing him to continue to play for the Wallabies after leaving for Bordeaux after the RWC"

Sorry Dale but Kepu said he will resign to the Wallaby jersey even if he reaches 60 tests. He wants to spend more time with his young family in France

 

[Dale91]

I actually strongly agree with the lineout woes insane asylum. I think even with fardy we Will struggle at lineout time if skelton is a starter.
We need pocock to start for his ball fetching qualities. Hooper isn't close to his level in that area and that is something we need to beat the likes of the All Blacks.
Maybe Fardy, Pocock and Higginbotham are our back three until those subs come on that you mentioned.

And 'Conrad Smith', there you go. That's something I must have missed, but good on him.

Cheers guys

 

[austingtir]

Rumors from the Wallabies training camp. Apparently this would be the starting backline for the Springbok test:

9 Genia
10 Cooper
11 AAC
12 Toomua
13 Kuridrani
14 Tomane
15 Folau

Some names for the starting forwards pack

1 ???
2 Stephen Moore
3 ???
4 Rob Simmons
5 Will Skelton
6 Scott Fardy
7 Michael Hooper
8 McCalman

Arnold the back-up for the second row and Mumm for the backrow

Are just rumors, take it or leave

Genia starting against the boks... really?? And cooper.... These Aussie coaches are gluttons for punishment.

 

[SomeOke]

Genia starting against the boks... really?? And cooper.... These Aussie coaches are gluttons for punishment.

Agreed that it's not there best combination. Foley is better than Cooper in most areas it just makes no sense; Cooper can't tackle, can't kick and his much vaunted attacking distribution is extremely hit and miss. Also what has Genia done better than Nic White over the past three seasons?

For my part Hooper and Pocock can definitely be in the same team, Hooper is also a very effective ball carrier which people tend to forget. Fardy can play 5, instead of Skelton who is still a bit raw IMO.

 

[Canuck]

Agreed that it's not there best combination. Foley is better than Cooper in most areas it just makes no sense; Cooper can't tackle, can't kick and his much vaunted attacking distribution is extremely hit and miss. Also what has Genia done better than Nic White over the past three seasons?

For my part Hooper and Pocock can definitely be in the same team, Hooper is also a very effective ball carrier which people tend to forget. Fardy can play 5, instead of Skelton who is still a bit raw IMO.

While I agree with the Foley/Cooper assessment I disagree with the opinion on Genia/White. White doesn't bring the X-Factor, the ability to make things happen out of nothing, to the half-back position. Genia's been playing behind a terrible pack for the Reds which has forced him to constantly play off the back foot. I still think the Wallabies #9 shirt should be between him and Phipps.

I would also like to see Hooper/Pocock on the field at the same time, they both provide too much of an impact to be leaving one on the bench. I also think Skelton would best be served being an impact sub. Honestly given the Wallabies issues in the second row I can't get over the baffling decision to leave out Luke Jones. I also feel like they should have locked up Hugh Pyle before he left for France. Maybe I don't see the same things that Wallabies evaluators see but Pyle always looked like a future star to me, I remember him having some great back and forth battles with Rettalick in SR.

If Sam Carter gets fit by the World Cup he almost gets a starting spot by default. Then they just need to pair him with another second row that is a good lineout option, Fardy would work for sure but Arnold and Mumm would work as well.

 

[goodNumber10]

Sorry for the spam (I posted this in the Analysis thread also) but I did this analysis article for Green And Gold Rugby looking at Matt Giteau and what he might bring to the Wallabies set up. The video is up over 1600 views since last night and the article has been shared over 100 times, it's also provoked some good discussion on GAGR.

http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/video-matt-giteau-player-analysis/