Blues make two changes for Drua challenge in Fiji

Six selection questions for Joe Schmidt as Lions loom large

NH 8 minutes ago

I think its more likely we would see white and donno than tate and lynagh tbh. Remember donno has played with gordon at the tahs also.

Six selection questions for Joe Schmidt as Lions loom large

NH 9 minutes ago

Couldn’t agree more. Despite all his critics, the fact is depth is thin at 10 and I’d argue the drop from Noah to next best is almost as large as any spot in the wallabies squad short of maybe AAA at 3. Guys like Bobby and Ikitau are indispensable and top shelf, but even still we know wilson/gleeson can do a job as could paisami/daugunu at centre. I really do hope Joe considers brining in JOC as he at least has played with a number of the wbs in the recent past and could slot between tate and hunter quite seamlessly for eg (not that I think that will happen). The only hope I have is that Joe’s plug and play systems work and its a case of ‘next in line’ and donno/lynagh can do a job. Chances of a wallabies win have gone from thin to wafer….

Six selection questions for Joe Schmidt as Lions loom large

BA 12 minutes ago

I think if he is fit?? U start Lynagh with Tate for familiarity and maybe get Hunter in play Ikitau at 13 put Joseph at 14 ( big risk ) Wright at 15, Jorg 11,Tate will really need to step up and they should continue mix up kicking with Ikitau left foot and Wrights right take some of the heat off young fella,on the bench Jake Donaldson and Daugunu but with Joseph on wing you could have another winger like Toole with real speed bench impact instead as Joseph covers midfield .

Six selection questions for Joe Schmidt as Lions loom large

AllyOz 23 minutes ago

Would it be possible to use Skelton as a replacement and bracket him with Seru Uru (or Tom Hooper) as a replacement 6. This would allow you to replace either Wilson or Valetini at the 50- 60 minute mark? That would cover the potential loss of a lineout jumper. But does the coach want to use Skelton from the start, in which case, he might start Valetini at 8 with one of those others and use Wilson as his 6/8 replacement forward?

All eyes on the Brumbies' power as Racing-bound Taniela Tupou's Lion dream fades

AllyOz 37 minutes ago

It is a fair call but he is only 29. I thought his best years could still be ahead of him?? But it is hard to know. I have personally ruptured an achilles tendon while playing in my early thirties. It is a tough injury to overcome. I don’t mean to compare myself to Taniela - the gap in ability is even more enormous than his calves.

All eyes on the Brumbies' power as Racing-bound Taniela Tupou's Lion dream fades

BA 46 minutes ago

Yea he might flourish …think Big Ben T on Aotearoa rugby pod said basically that he struggled with what was required of him by rugby downunder in terms of getting round the field same story for Skelton I think same story for Antonio and even Jordan Mailata snd there are others does maybe indicate that teans these ways don’t know how to get best out of the big boys and to much square peg round hole they have to be like this where maybe over in France they play them to their strengths ? could be best thing for his career let him find his game and bring it home for a 27 WC

All eyes on the Brumbies' power as Racing-bound Taniela Tupou's Lion dream fades

BA 56 minutes ago

What was up with that?…had bad vibes around it for me

All eyes on the Brumbies' power as Racing-bound Taniela Tupou's Lion dream fades

BA 58 minutes ago

The Aussie Super games to be played later this year will be a big step forward in keeping pathways players development innovation in positional selections Athletes are still here in these parts of the world visited by Cook in abundance you just need places for them to go it’s a good first step I reckon

Six selection questions for Joe Schmidt as Lions loom large

Brett McKay 1 hour ago

..I think the more experience and game management they can squeeze onto the park the better with the stocks of guys like kellaway, white and even a hunter rising with that injury.

This is a really good point NH, and I could easily have beefed up my ‘what now’ and ‘..how much does this forced change of personnel change the approach?’ questions.

There were only a handful of players Schmidt really couldn’t afford to lose, and I do think Lolesio was among them because he was clearly the one the coach had backed to provide the direction for the side.

Now that he’ll miss the series, I really do think it’s a significant dent to pre-existing plans..

Six selection questions for Joe Schmidt as Lions loom large

NH 1 hour ago

Nice one Brett. I think you can potentially hit 2 brids with one stone as it were with a couple of your conundrums. Having skelton off the bench with hooper/uru would reduce your balance issue, help finish the back end of games strong, and let Wilson captain. And with Noah out (bloke can’t catch a break), I think the more experience and game management they can squeeze onto the park the better with the stocks of guys like kellaway, white and even a hunter rising with that injury. I, for one, liked the varied kicking the WBs employed vs fiji and it be all the more important for each of the likes of wright, the 9, ikitau to help donno/lynagh in this aspect with kicking/game mgmt which is a clear weakness in aus rugby at the moment relative to the lions.

All eyes on the Brumbies' power as Racing-bound Taniela Tupou's Lion dream fades

Neilashford 1 hour ago

Nick, great article. Tupou hasn't looked fit all year. On offense I noticed him tracking the ball but always being a phase or 10m behind so ending up being last at a ruck (and not needed) or running a lazy inside line that clearly wasn't on.

With a shot Tupou, no Skelton and Valetini, no Noah, and more injuries to come (just statistically) it is hard to see the Wallabies winning a game realistically. I'd love to be wrong.

These problems shine a light on RA’s lack of strategy over the years. How many players have they lost to Europe (before and after they become Wallabies)? Why do all the young 10s stall out at the same phase of development? Why all the stop-start with the veteran 10s? Why are there no project players (not just international recruits but also younger Aussies with potential) being clearly groomed for international roles? Why are there no promising back-rowers being moved to hooker around the u20 level?

I have been reading and enjoying your columns for a decade but it is not clear if anyone at RA has spent 20 minutes reviewing the basics.

Just disappointing and frustrating all around

BA 1 hour ago

Play the different comps with no Champions cup breaking it up and at end of URC SA clubs joins with Super for its version of a Champions cup then every 4 the World Cup challenge ?or does the Top 14 need to be the showpiece finish for French rugby? I know that’s very simplistic and fraught with logistical problems but could work?

Six selection questions for Joe Schmidt as Lions loom large

Brett McKay 1 hour ago

Fair to say you’ve offered a very different perspective Am, thanks for taking the time to outline as you have..

BA 1 hour ago

Perhaps moving forward run meters tackles rucks and so on relative to weight height age etc becomes the new metric for guiding player welfare ?

BA 2 hours ago

I was just praising Cam for all the sniping he has done all season and last and that Cortez could follow suit bit more especially considering he is really quick

All Blacks front five power points to brighter times ahead

Cantab 2 hours ago

Absolutely. Need to actually walk the walk before the talk the talk. While there is always optimism existing problems need to be addressed before improvement can be achieved.

7 Go to comments

BA 2 hours ago

5 million watched Top 14 final 8 million ABs test LY how many will watch Boks France at end of year ?10 million?not saying you can compare to games downunder atm with times no French stars etc but def still shows a appetite for international rugby

All Blacks front five power points to brighter times ahead

GP 2 hours ago

I agree with you. I think the “rose tinted glasses” are being worn in this article. Fletcher Newell is a machine in the scrums as the article says. Carrying on from what he did for the Crusaders against the Blues and Chiefs. But we need Tamaiti Williams back down the track and Scott Barrett is going to be missed while he is out. Scott is under appreciated by some.

7 Go to comments

BA 2 hours ago

What if the Lions tour ? What do they do then?And that seems likely at some point but maybe quite far away