Will Australia be 'Informed in 2014/15'

[Folau Tank]

After looking at the latest proformances by the Wallabies at the 2013 Spring Tour of Europe, To me the team has found it ways back with their 4 game winning streak and I personally think that AUstralia will be an inform and dangerous team to look out for in 2014/15 along with the All Blacks , Springboks and the POMS. Next year, My predicitons are that the Wallabies will come 2nd in the Rugby Championships(ABs being 1st as usual), Winning the Bledisloe Cup 2-1, Beating France in the French Tour 2-1, Having a record in next years SPring Tour 5/5 and winning 75% of friendly test matches. The team should be according to me:

Loosehead Prop-James Slipper
Hooker- Stephen Moore
Tighthead Prop- Sekope Kepu
Second Row- Scott Fardy
Second Row- Rob Simmons
Blindside Flanker- David Pocock(c)
Openside Flanker- Michael Hooper
Number 8- Ben Mowen
Scrum Half- Will Genia
Fly Half- Quade Cooper (vc)
Left Wing- Joe Tomane
Inside Centre- Matt Toomua
Outside Centre- Adam Ashely Cooper
Right Wing- Nick Cummins
FULLBACK- ISRAEL FOLAU


And I dont know the reserves

Good Luck to Australia next year and i hope that they start winning some silver wear

 

[HemiBro]

They will be pleased with their form on the EOYT. Ewen Mckenzie obviously has some new ideas and it seems they needed them. I still wonder about the culture within the team but it seems they are heading in the right direction(the way they dealt with the drinking incident highlights the fact that rubbish is no longer accepted). When is Poccock due back? Seems like ages ago he last played. And what has happened to Kurtley Beale?

 

[InsaneAsylum]

I won't make any predictions but I'm excited about what lies ahead. The way the Wallabies are playing now reminds me of 2010 when we beat the ABs in Hong Kong. Plus our players are becoming test players through experience. Kepu, Simmons, Tomane, Cummins I've criticised before because I thought they weren't up to the task are now showing they've got what it takes.

pocock should be back for the brumbies as well as higginbotham. If we can get through withno major injuries, and if you assume Beale and o'connor make the squad, there's enough depth for injuries to not affect our strength. Pencil in Henry speight too.

 

[Larksea]

what happens when pocock comes back though? hooper has basically been the aussies best forward, they are both out and out open sides.

 

[Big Ewis]

well if Pocock returns and on form, for sure the Wallabies need to play him alongside Hooper simultaneously. There's no way either one gets benched. They'll just make the adjustments themselves. And, so, there's a chance O'Connor returns in GnG btw ? I thought he was out for good, until he redeemed himself in some heroic act or wtvr.

I really miss those old Wallabies from 2008-2010, and it's too bad some of them couldn't play a bit longer. But they seem to have pretty good depth again now but with all the athletic young strong men there are in Australia, it's a shame Australia ever had to struggle with depth. The nation is swarming with grass-type running sportsmen. The Wallabies should be rampant always.

Anyways, great back-line and beautiful combinations. With French Rugby atm, our guys make fantastic individual moves, get through, but then there's a handling error, no support...
Anyways. France is coming down undah next, ya cocks. Prepare for some real scrummaging, serious defense and maybe at that time, some actual attacking power.
It'll all depend on our 6N. If it's good, we'll suck in Australia. If we get the Wooden Soon again, we'll win the series in June.

 

[Kapa O Pango]

Just hope that Pocock doesn't get injured.

 

[Larksea]

IMO the wallabies are going to really miss Timani going forward. thinking back over recent Wallabies v AB's games he has constantly been the best player and depth at lock has not been so good behind him.

Wallabies do lack at 6 & 8 but hooper and pocock are all out opensides. Pocock is pretty short for a modern 6 or 8. Wallabies would come under huge lineout pressure against some teams like the boks or England not to mention the AB's.

 

[Zed]

We've now got players that would actually make (or be considered) for a World XV, whereas 2 years ago there wouldn't be a single Wallaby! I think they will be a threat come 2015, but I think being in the pool of death will harm their chances (as well as Wales & Englands chances) of going the whole way. 2 very tough games, other opponents could be Fiji, who won't be a walkover. Then a qf against potentially Samoa and SA for the top 2 - I would imagine they'd have a pretty high injury count!

 

[InsaneAsylum]

I think our back row stocks have improved greatly over the past 12 months, especially if kimlin comes back. fardy has been an absolute beast, there's kimlin and mcmeniman. pocock, hooper and gill at 7 and mowen, higginbotham, mccalman. i didn't even have to mention dennis or palu. colby faingaa and lopeti timani are the "could be's" come 2015.

we have horwill, simmons, douglas in the locks, then add up and commers like skelton,pyle, neville and luke jones who could develop into test standard in the next 2 years.

What happens in the world cup if we beat wales, wales beat england and england beat us? i would imagine bonus points for smashing minnows would be worth their weight in gold.

I just hope the Boks meet the ABs in the semi and that's totally being selfish!!

 

[Folau Tank]

When is Poccock due back? Seems like ages ago he last played. And what has happened to Kurtley Beale?

Pocock is coming to the the ACT Brumbies next year and from rumors i heard that he'll captain the Brumbies

KURTLY BEALE IS KNOW OFFICALLY BAD IN MY BOOKS. his been dropped to the NSW shute shield cup

he plays for Randwick University

I play for the southern districts

http://www.southerndistricts.com.au/

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Aus certainly have improved since the start of the McKenzie reign and have looked more and more like coping with a stationary start to the scrum. That said I think they have some work still to do and might struggle mid year next year in both June against France and the RC against SA and NZ. I do have a habit of underestimating them though.

 

[Folau Tank]

Aus certainly have improved since the start of the McKenzie reign and have looked more and more like coping with a stationary start to the scrum. That said I think they have some work still to do and might struggle mid year next year in both June against France and the RC against SA and NZ. I do have a habit of underestimating them though.

Thats right I forgot a but them with the new scrum engagement laws no wonder the Abs and Boks dominated them in the RC but I think Australia had really proven themselves. As I observed, Australia beat Ireland 32-15 and NZ beat Ireland with a conterversal win 24-22. I think next year Australia and NZ will have close in counters with the scores being like 28-24, 32-20,20-17

 

[alexrugby]

-it doesn't really matter what match have you won and what not, Australians are all time favorites of any tournament they are in..
this is not good wording for good feelings, this is fact
-fact like New Zealand dominees every mind entering rugby arena or stadium, player or supporter
-fact that Springboks bring their damn cool players on a field and what we think is that they're gonna win the match
-fact that French will poure out their champaigne rugby heading to top results
-fact that England fights for every square inch of arena and win their titles
and etc
If you go through the tests played this autumn many things look gloomy for the teams, but believe me, these results won't be the same on championships

 

[Zed]

-it doesn't really matter what match have you won and what not, Australians are all time favorites of any tournament they are in..
this is not good wording for good feelings, this is fact
-fact like New Zealand dominees every mind entering rugby arena or stadium, player or supporter
-fact that Springboks bring their damn cool players on a field and what we think is that they're gonna win the match
-fact that French will poure out their champaigne rugby heading to top results
-fact that England fights for every square inch of arena and win their titles
and etc
If you go through the tests played this autumn many things look gloomy for the teams, but believe me, these results won't be the same on championships

eh?

 

[Jaguares]

What about Henry Speight, bud??? Remember that he has more caps and more tries in Brumbies than Joe Tomane.

The team for me:

1- James Slipper
2- Stephen Moore
3- Sekope Kepu
4- Rob Simmons
5- James Horwill
6- David Pocock (c)
7- Michael Hooper
8- Scott Higginbotham/Ben Mowen
9- Will Genia
10- Quade Cooper
11- Nick Cummins/Joe Tomane
12- Matt Toomua/Christian Leali'ifano
13- Adam Ashley-Cooper/Tevita Kuridrani
14- Henry Speight
15- Israel Folau

I also think Wallabies have improved a lot, and may even win the next Rugby Championship. I hope so, it's very boring ABs win every year. For the sake of Rugby Championship ABs need a team that can overcome them and I think Wallabies could do.

IMO the wallabies are going to really miss Timani going forward. thinking back over recent Wallabies v AB's games he has constantly been the best player and depth at lock has not been so good behind him.

I also think like u, Timani is a major player. Technically not the best, but he's too strong and is required for hard games. It's a shame for Aussies not have him next year, I hope he returns for next RWC.

Wallabies do lack at 6 & 8 but hooper and pocock are all out opensides. Pocock is pretty short for a modern 6 or 8. Wallabies would come under huge lineout pressure against some teams like the boks or England not to mention the AB's.

Yeah, Pocock is too short to play at 6 in the International Level, with Pocock and Hooper playing together, Wallabies lost a jumper on the line but they will have two hunting dogs, ready to win many turnovers.

The Wallaby's line-out will be less competitive, but turnovers will be in favor of them. It will be difficult for any team to recover the ball if front are playing Pocock and Hooper together.

Cheers

 

[Draggs]

Could be a very heavy Brumbies influence in the backline:
11 Tomane
12 Toomua
13 Kuridrani
14 Speight

That is quite possible, but Cummins must be involved based on recent form, and I wouldn't cast out AAC yet. Could have Leali'ifano on the bench as well.

 

[Packman]

After looking at the latest proformances by the Wallabies at the 2013 Spring Tour of Europe, To me the team has found it ways back with their 4 game winning streak and I personally think that AUstralia will be an inform and dangerous team to look out for in 2014/15 along with the All Blacks , Springboks and the POMS. Next year, My predicitons are that the Wallabies will come 2nd in the Rugby Championships(ABs being 1st as usual), Winning the Bledisloe Cup 2-1, Beating France in the French Tour 2-1, Having a record in next years SPring Tour 5/5 and winning 75% of friendly test matches. The team should be according to me:

Loosehead Prop-James Slipper
Hooker- Stephen Moore
Tighthead Prop- Sekope Kepu
Second Row- Scott Fardy
Second Row- Rob Simmons
Blindside Flanker- David Pocock(c)
Openside Flanker- Michael Hooper
Number 8- Ben Mowen
Scrum Half- Will Genia
Fly Half- Quade Cooper (vc)
Left Wing- Joe Tomane
Inside Centre- Matt Toomua
Outside Centre- Adam Ashely Cooper
Right Wing- Nick Cummins
FULLBACK- ISRAEL FOLAU


And I dont know the reserves

Good Luck to Australia next year and i hope that they start winning some silver wear

I found this peice from the aussie herald, I don't agree with all of it. but it does sumarise just how bad this season was for the wallabies. Lets face it things couldn't get any worse and if Henry Seight does become available then it certainly won't hurt the wallabies' fortunes.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/r...ian-rugby-season/story-fnibc972-1226772161216

Oz won the 1999 world cup playing very solid rugby and whether the Campo lovin' Deans haters like it or not, the scrum is hear to stay and the days of the Ella brothers running around fatties are long gone. Steve Larkham was no Carlos spencer or Quade Cooper, he did everything well and knew how to boss a game. The ARU have a template for exciting but powerful rugby sitting a few hundred miles SE of their coastline but they are making the same mistakes John Mitchell's All Blacks made and becoming rugby extremists.

The big progress story for southern hempisphere rugby is SA. We've seen The Boks embrace the new scrummaging laws and really look to use it as a weapon this season and they haven't just kicked every bit of posession away and chased after it, they actually took the ball forwards, using their runners as destructive bowling balls. Sure, their game managment is still not perfect. the lack of a fourth try vs Oz in SA doomed them to an impossible task of out-all-blacking the all blacks in the so called winner takes all match at the end of the championship. I say that the game was lost along with that bonus point against Australia. but if I had to pick one side to give NZ a bloody nose next season it would be SA. Australia struggle with a deluded public and negative ignorant media that are stuck in the 80's where Backs ran rings around beer bellied amatuer forwards. Forward play has moved on and must be taken seriously. I just don't see that in the australian newspapers or the "insights" from aussie super rugby commentators.

 

[TRF_heineken]

While the Australians have shown some great improvement in this EOYT, they have shown a side that every team will try to exploit.

They have shown their kryptonite: Alcohol!

Now If I was a coniving asshole working for the Springbok management or any other team basically, I would look at ways to use the booze to my advantage and to get them into trouble. 3 years in a row where this issue has been synonymous with the team, warrants that they have a problem. Getting a few girls to invite the guys out for a party at a private location sounds to me like a good plan...

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

The big progress story for southern hempisphere rugby is SA. We've seen The Boks embrace the new scrummaging laws and really look to use it as a weapon this season and they haven't just kicked every bit of posession away and chased after it, they actually took the ball forwards, using their runners as destructive bowling balls. Sure, their game managment is still not perfect. the lack of a fourth try vs Oz in SA doomed them to an impossible task of out-all-blacking the all blacks in the so called winner takes all match at the end of the championship. I say that the game was lost along with that bonus point against Australia. but if I had to pick one side to give NZ a bloody nose next season it would be SA. Australia struggle with a deluded public and negative ignorant media that are stuck in the 80's where Backs ran rings around beer bellied amatuer forwards. Forward play has moved on and must be taken seriously. I just don't see that in the australian newspapers or the "insights" from aussie super rugby commentators.

I appreciate the sentiment of the post but disagree here somewhat; not that not getting the bonus point against Aus wasn't our '2nd chance' but we lost the tournament when we lost against NZ at Eden Park with the log points earned in that game reading 5-0 for NZ. I am not going to go into the BS we had to deal with in that game but had it been a more realistic 4-0 or 5-1 all we would have needed to do at Ellis Park was win since we got 1 more bonus point against Aus and Argentina than NZ and had a superior points difference. We'll except this year as a learning curve and try again next year.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I appreciate the sentiment of the post but disagree here somewhat; not that not getting the bonus point against Aus wasn't our '2nd chance' but we lost the tournament when we lost against NZ at Eden Park with the log points earned in that game reading 5-0 for NZ. I am not going to go into the BS we had to deal with in that game but had it been a more realistic 4-0 or 5-1 all we would have needed to do at Ellis Park was win since we got 1 more bonus point against Aus and Argentina than NZ and had a superior points difference. We'll except this year as a learning curve and try again next year.

This! Like Supersport described this year for South African rugby as "Drama"! With it all starting with the Bulls captain Dewald Potgieter refusing to take the points on offer and rather go for touch and then end up losing the game in the Semi's vs. the Brumbies. Then narrowly beating a Scottish team which we severely underestimated. Then smashing the Argies in Soweto. Then Winning convincingly for the first time in Brisbane against the Aussies. AND THEN, the dreaded Eden Park spectacle, followed by the Ellis Park game... Drama, drama, drama!!

I think while this thread has just been hijacked by myself and Stormer, if all the praise goes to Oz, then there surely has to be some for SA too...