Australia player ratings vs England - RWC QFs
The scoreboard doesn’t do justice to this Australia performance, with two England tries against the run of play doing a disservice to the Wallabies on-field performance.
Cheika made five changes to the team that beat Uruguay 45-10 in their last pool stage match: Allan Ala’alatoa, Michael Hooper, Will Genia, Christian Lealiifano and Reece Hodge return to the starting XV to take on England.
Jordan Petaia moved from the right-wing to the 13 shirt, to start at outside-centre.
Here’s our Australia player ratings vs England:
1. SCOTT SIO
Started against Fiji, Wales and Georgia but got a break last weekend. Traded penalties with Sinckler early doors, though the Englishman increasingly had the whip hand as the match wore on. Saved by a few ‘whatever-you’re-having-yourself’ Garces scrum calls.
5.5
(Continue reading below…)
2. TOLU LATU
Defensively excellent, making two telling tackles on Slade and then Billy Vunipola, although there was whiff of a ‘daisy cutter’ about the latter. Will be the Wallabies hooker for years we expect.
7.5
3. ALLAN ALAALATOA
Has kept Tongan Thor out of the starting XV for most of the tournament. All the action appeared to be on Sio’s side of the scrum. Started to creak in the secondhalf before being taken off.
5.5
https://twitter.com/RugbyPass/status/1185477450349850624
4. IZACK RODDA
For a lock he sure knows how to pick an angle. The athletic Red carries for days, belying his 6’7.5, 119kg frame. Was one of the Wallabies’ primary battering rams at first receiver.
6.5
5. RORY ARNOLD
At 208cm, he is the tallest player at Rugby World Cup 2019. Doesn’t have the utility in the loose that elite modern second rows have these days. Didn’t get into England faces in the way neautrals might have expected or the Wallabies will have wanted.
5
6. DAVID POCOCK
Clutch turnover in the 16th minute with England camped in their 22. Minutes later forced a pass that led to Jonny May’s second try. It hasn’t been a tournament for poachers.
5.5
7. MICHAEL HOOPER (CAPT.)
A thorn in England’s side all evening. Spent most of evening tackling and talking to Jerome Garces.
5
8. ISI NAISARANI
A willing and effective carrier, he made a crucial turnover hit on Slade that led a Kurtley Beale’s 30-metre break up-field. A solid if not game changing shift.
7
Massive numbers. #RWC2019 #ENGvAUS https://t.co/rUbGRIhqTs
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 19, 2019
9. WILL GENIA
A tad over-ambitious in the first quarter, over a throwing a pass to give away possession in the 9th minute. His usual, world-class service, but can’t help but feel slightly short-changed from a player we may have seen for the last time at a RWC.
6
10. CHRISTIAN LEALIIFANO
Kicked well and kept England defence honest with ball in hand. Sinckler’s try will have hurt.
6
11. MARIKA KOROIBETE
He struggled to contain Anthony Watson in the first half. Cheika must have had a word at halftime because he came out like a scalded cat, destroying Elliot Daly (I know) for pace with one of the individual tries of the Rugby World Cup. Four for his first half performance, nine for the second half: equals 6.5.
6.5
12. SAMU KEREVI
The ‘battle bus’ made significant yards early, beating Slade twice within the first two minutes alone. Made metres all night, and outshone Manu Tuilagi.
8
13. JORDAN PETAIA
Hard to believe he’s 19. Came immediately into the game with his first touch of the ball, beating Tom Curry with his inaugural quarter-final carry. Fell away in the secondhalf with the men in green and gold starved of ball.
6
14. REECE HODGE
Shared kick off duty with Lealifano. The victim of a Curry-Underhill turnover hit and steal in the 32nd minute. Struggled to play his way into the game after a three-match layoff.
4
15. KURTLEY BEALE
Buzzing. The Waratah showed his ambition with a 30-metre break upfield that lead to Australia’s opening points. Threw a late intercept but it was an act of desperation and he had little choice but to try and make something happen.
7.5
16. JORDAN UELESE
The game was over when he came on.
NA
17. JAMES SLIPPER
Scrums didn’t get any more solid with his arrival.
5
18. TANIELA TUPOU
The AUD$2.5 million investment (over four year) into Tongan Thor shows the regard the 23-year-old is held in by Rugby Australia. Assisted in a trysaving seconds within minutes of coming on.
6.5
19. ADAM COLEMAN
The first post-World War II Tasmanian-born Wallaby came on too late to really make an impact.
6
20. LUKHAN SALAKAIA-LOTO
Came on in the 68th minute. Not on long enough to rate.
NA
21. NICHOLAS WHITE
Made a crucial try-saver on Ben Youngs that saved the match for Australia.
7
22. MATT TO’OMUA
Has enjoyed a great tournament, albeit from the bench. Looked lively when he came on for Lealiafano but Wallabies already had a foot out the door at that stage.
7
23. JAMES O’CONNOR
Should he have started? The pre-tournament hype around him never really materialised.
NA
Comments on RugbyPass
Except for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
33 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
33 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
33 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
33 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
33 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
33 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments