Bledisloe II: a pakeha, a Maori, a Fijian and two hookers walk into a bar...

[Lizard]

Crotty, Naholo, Taylor out.

McKenzie (yes!), Tamanivalu, Coltman, Parsons and R. Ioane in.

Who will the midfield pairing be? The induction of fullback cover suggests B Smith may be in the frame. Lienert-Brown is there of course, but Hansen is likely to want someone with a bit of experience to stand alongside Fekitoa.

Presumably, Coles will have to HTFU and start with one of the newbies on the bench.

Savea will obviously replace Naholo, and he looked a bit sharper on Saturday which is good.

Fuck knows what the physical injury situation is amongst the Wallabies. The psychological toll is probably higher.

[Lizard]

The Wallabies have identified their problems. Apparently they didn't want to do any tackling, and didn't understand that tackling was required.

So that's all going to change.

http://bit.ly/2bHypiA

[zer0]

Moving a centre to second-five to accommodate a fullback at centre is ridiculous. Just play Lienert-Brown at second-five and carry on.

[zer0]

Aside from that, I guess the biggest question is which of McKenzie, Tamanivalu or Ioane takes the bench spot. I'd imagine (and hope) that it's McKenzie as he can cover 10, 15 and 11/14.

[cashead]

Fuck knows what the physical injury situation is amongst the Wallabies. The psychological toll is probably higher.

Giteau and Horne are definitely out - Giteau's got a broken ankle and Horne's popped his shoulder. Matt Toomua's probably done for a while as well with a concussion (I think 3 weeks was the stand-down period, so we won't see him again at least until mid-September).
Kyle Godwin's probably the likeliest as Cheika seems to prefer having a second play-maker option, and the other viable options are either headed overseas well short of the 60-cap threshold (Lyon-bound Mike Harris) or injured already (Kurtley Beale). Godwin's already been on the fringes of selection already as well, having been called into previous Wallabies squads as injury cover.
He did try a double-centre option during the England series and that sucked a shit, and I think Foley needs to have another playmaker at 12 anyway.

[cashead]

It also looks like Pooper (or my preferred name, Hoopcock) has been worked out, and I'm not sure if it's worth persisting with considering how much it hurts them in the line-outs?

[Doorzetbornandbred]

Pro players can be back within 7 days with concussion subject to scans and no symptoms showing up again.

[cashead]

Pro players can be back within 7 days with concussion subject to scans and no symptoms showing up again.

Sure, but their training will be heavily reduced until they're fit to train as well.

[Spy]

It also looks like Pooper (or my preferred name, Hoopcock) has been worked out, and I'm not sure if it's worth persisting with considering how much it hurts them in the line-outs?

Heh. I'm pretty sure you only posted that in order to introduce Hoopcock to the RR lexicon. Rightly so, I might add.

Pocock was still a menace at the breakdown. Hooper less so, I thought. What's the alternative - drop one of Hooper/Pocock and add Fardy?

[Mr Mwenda]

The Wallabies have identified their problems. Apparently they didn't want to do any tackling, and didn't understand that tackling was required.

So that's all going to change.

http://bit.ly/2bHypiA

That's classic coaching that is, 'players couldn't be arsed'. Reminds me of a couple of trainers I've known who preferred to point the finger rather than reflect.....

[cashead]

It also looks like Pooper (or my preferred name, Hoopcock) has been worked out, and I'm not sure if it's worth persisting with considering how much it hurts them in the line-outs?

Heh. I'm pretty sure you only posted that in order to introduce Hoopcock to the RR lexicon. Rightly so, I might add.

Pocock was still a menace at the breakdown. Hooper less so, I thought. What's the alternative - drop one of Hooper/Pocock and add Fardy?

They definitely need Fardy in there, and a real 8. Fardy is arguably the most important forward in the Wallabies pack, and I genuinely have no idea what Cheika would've been playing at benching him. Either that, or seriously reconsider Hooper's place in the team. Absolutely nothing he's done this year should convince anyone that he's one of the top 2 opensides in Australia. He's 5th in a top 5, at best - behind Pocock, McMahon, Gill and Hodgson. As it stands, picking both Hooper and Pocock is a luxury that I think Cheika can ill afford right now.

[Lizard]

What odds that Cheika will start Quade at 10?

Presumably his Big Data man will point out that in 6 games in NZ, Wallabies teams featuring Cooper have shipped an average of over 30 points per game, while scoring fewer than 14.

[Len]

Cooper will get mullered. Expect to see Savea tearing down his channel all night

[cashead]

What odds that Cheika will start Quade at 10?

Presumably his Big Data man will point out that in 6 games in NZ, Wallabies teams featuring Cooper have shipped an average of over 30 points per game, while scoring fewer than 14.

"Yes, but but but COOOOOPPPPPEEEEEERRRRRRR!!!!!" has been Cheika's response. He seems to have this bizarre obsession with selecting Cooper into every squad no matter what. Remember last year, when he pretty much said that Cooper had a place in the squad already, despite the fact that he was playing like shit all year? How'd that turn out again?

[zer0]

On Cooper, I'm of quite the opposite opinion. Last year they won in Sydney with Foley at first-five. Rather than really testing Foley's abilities, and mettle, by sending him into the cauldron of Eden Park (a ground where Foley has never faced the All Blacks at first-five), he instead sends Cooper out with a makeshift team to be mauled. Foley is then left as the starting first-five for the rest of the year. To me that seems as though he was protecting his preferred choice while simultaneously silencing any Cooper supporters by saying 'well they played the All Blacks once each and Foley won his test whereas Cooper got smashed, so we're running with Foley'.

If that pattern is repeated again this year, then I'd say he's definitely setting Cooper up to fail and/or protecting Foley as much as possible.

[zer0]

Apparently the Accountant will not be starting in Wellington (can't fine a full reference, but it's mentioned on the video caption in this article of Kaino). Seems to be a lot of hype that Ioane will start on the wing, but I'd have thought that McKenzie would be the better like-for-like replacement. Either way, it seems as though there will be at least one back debuting of Saturday.

EDIT: Watching the video it seems as though Foster was actually saying that B.Smith isn't an option to start in the midfield, not the match. Someone at Stuff needs to redo basic comprehension or learn how to write better. Probably both.

[Lizard]

Quade is being considered for 10, 12 or 15.

I think he started at 12 a few times in his early tests (contrary to what NZ Herald says) and has at least filled in at FB domestically.

He might get more time and less rattled at 12 or 15 but surely there are specialists available?

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/arti ... d=11699719

[Eugene Wrayburn]

Has McKenzie played 2nd 5? Might be an idea, albeit a bit weak defensively.

That's some rise for Rieko I. He hasn't even played a full Super season yet has he?

[cashead]

Has McKenzie played 2nd 5? Might be an idea, albeit a bit weak defensively.

That's some rise for Rieko I. He hasn't even played a full Super season yet has he?

He was in the Blues squad named at the start of the year, but with the caveat that he would be unavailable pretty quickly due to Sevens commitments. He actually played quite well in his limited time.

And McKenzie could've played at 12 for Waikato, but he's primarily been a 15 for the Chiefs and a 10 for the Mooloos.

[Lizard]

I would be concerned that D-Mack is a bit small for 2nd 5. He's also got enough on his hands being a fullback and a 1st 5/8. Perhaps he could be used in the last 20 as fullback/2nd pivot, but starting him at 12 would be a mistake.

[Lizard]

I would be concerned that D-Mack is a bit small for 2nd 5. He's also got enough on his hands being a fullback and a 1st 5/8. Perhaps he could be used in the last 20 as fullback/2nd pivot, but starting him at 12 would be a mistake.

[cashead]

All Blacks named.

1. Joe Moody
2. Dane Coles
3. Owen Franks
4. Brodie Retallick
5. Sam Whitelock
6. Jerome Kaino
7. Sam Cane
8. Kieran Read (C)
9. Aaron Smith
10. Beauden Barrett
11. Julian Savea
12. Anton Lienert-Brown
13. Malakai Fekitoa
14. Israel Dagg
15. Ben Smith

16. James Parsons
17. Wyatt Crockett
18. Charlie Faumuina
19. Liam Squire
20. Ardie Savea
21. TJ Perenara
22. Aaron Cruden
23. Seta Tamanivalu

[Lizard]

Pretty hard to argue with that.

Crockett's 50th test. He's not lost one since his 12th.

[Doorzetbornandbred]

Good to see Joe Moody back. I can see this being an even bigger win for the AB's tbh

[Lizard]

Dagg and Ben from Accounts switch positions. I don't think that will make a massive difference.