RugbyRebels

On one hand, it doesn’t look like he’s making progress with either selections or a game plan. On the other hand, with only a handful of tests before the big dance, who could do better?

His tenure to date:
2014 NH tour: 1 from 4
2015 TRC: 3/3, champs
2015 Bledisloe II: lost
2015 warm up: 1/1
2015 RWC: 6/7, 2nd place
2016 Eng tour: 0/3
2016 TRC: 3/6, 2nd
2016 Bledisoe III: lost
2016 NH tour: 3/5
2017 June tour: 2/3
2017 TRC: 2 wins, 2 draws from 6, 2nd place
2017 Bledisloe III: won
2017 NH tour: 2/4
2018 Ireland tour: 1/3
2018 TRC: 1/5 so far, 3rd or last

He's a decent coach as was Link before him, worrying about the coaches does seem to be focusing on the wrong thing and putting too much faith in the possibility of a coach being able to circumvent reality

Perhaps if he just worked on his stuck on whingey face and had a proper shave?

Lizard wrote:On one hand, it doesn’t look like he’s making progress with either selections or a game plan. On the other hand, with only a handful of tests before the big dance, who could do better?

His tenure to date:
2014 NH tour: 1 from 4
2015 TRC: 3/3, champs
2015 Bledisloe II: lost
2015 warm up: 1/1
2015 RWC: 6/7, 2nd place
2016 Eng tour: 0/3
2016 TRC: 3/6, 2nd
2016 Bledisoe III: lost
2016 NH tour: 3/5
2017 June tour: 2/3
2017 TRC: 2 wins, 2 draws from 6, 2nd place
2017 Bledisloe III: won
2017 NH tour: 2/4
2018 Ireland tour: 1/3
2018 TRC: 1/5 so far, 3rd or last

He doesn't have much personnel to work with, IMO. How many actual genuine world class players do they have, not named David Pocock Kurtley Beale or Will Genia? Given time, they might eventually develop into a decent side, but where are the current generation's equivalent of Foley, Eales, Giffin, Cockbain, Finnegan, Kefu, Larkham, Horan, Little, Herbert, Roff or Tune?

I see point about the cattle he’s got to work with, but he’s not even using them in a way likely to get the best from them.

On Super Rugby form, Beale was looking like the best 12 in the Southern Hemisphere but he’s put him at 10. Folau gives me the shits at fullback but on the wing he doesn’t get properly involved.

It all looks a bit “Christian Cullen at centre” doesn’t it?

Mind you I don’t know if Foley is the answer at 10 but who else is there?

Folau has regressed at fullback or wing, and quite frankly, I don't rate him. Honestly, I'd put Liam Williams, Stuart Hogg, Rob Kearney, Ben Smith and Willie le Roux ahead of him.

Aussie have lost 5 of the 6 tests in which Folau started on the wing.

Lizard wrote:I see point about the cattle he’s got to work with, but he’s not even using them in a way likely to get the best from them.

On Super Rugby form, Beale was looking like the best 12 in the Southern Hemisphere but he’s put him at 10. Folau gives me the shits at fullback but on the wing he doesn’t get properly involved.

It's severe selection problems, as Cheika often throws shit at the wall, just to see what'll stick. And quite frankly, if he doesn't have a serious idea of what his team looks like at this point, the Wallabies would do well to even make it out of their pool at the 2019 RWC.

Lizard wrote:Mind you I don’t know if Foley is the answer at 10 but who else is there?

Matt Toomua. Cheika (or McKenzie) should've struck the iron when it was hot with Debreczeni. Either way, it comes back to that "Beale at 10, wtf?" you were on about earlier, which has been a habit of Cheika's predecessors as well when it comes to Toomua and the Wallabies 10. They keep putting him in at 12, with a succession of insipid candidates like Foley, or a succession of part-timers there. A much better Wallabies backline would be:

9. Genia
10. Toomua
12. Beale
13. Hodge
11. Koroibete
14. Banks
15. Haylett-Petty

The backrow, with Hooper and Pocock continues to be unbalanced, with a revolving door of big but slow 6s, or useless fucks like Ned Hanigan. Michael Wells was the top Australian tackler. Why not give him a go? Further, we all can see that Hooper can't captain his way out of a wet paper bag. They also need a hardnosed toughboy somewhere in the forwards, and Dempsey is ideal for the job.

6. Michael Wells
7. David Pocock
8. Jack Dempsey

Second-row is shit as well, because you've got two enforcers who don't know what the fuck they're doing, replaced by a solid grafter who is also severely lacking in physical presence. At least Rory Arnold isn't completely useless, and it's a crime that Sam Carter isn't starting.

4. Rory Arnold
5. Sam Carter

The Wallabies front-row is a tough one, since their two starting props are actually not half bad, but there is no depth there. Sio and Kepu are fine. But the Aussie Alaalatoa is a cheap imitation of his superior brother, and for all the hype that Taniela Tupou gets, one viral youtube video does not a career make. There are also problems with the guy in the middle, with a parade of short-term options who will never cut it long-term, or guys like Polota-Nau, who really doesn't offer anything.

1. Sio
2. Polota-Nau (best of a bad bunch)
3. Kepu


So, you'll get
1. Sio
2. Polota-Nau
3. Kepu
4. Arnold
5. Carter (VC)
6. Wells
7. Pocock (VC)
8. Dempsey
9. Genia (C)
10. Toomua
11. Koroibete
12. Beale
13. Hodge
14. Banks
15. Haylett-Petty

So this week, Beale gets to play at 12, meaning Foley at 10 and Toomua drops to the bench.

1. Scott Sio (50 Tests)
2. Folau Faingaa (4 Tests)
3. Taniela Tupou (7 Tests)
4. Izack Rodda (12 Tests)
5. Adam Coleman (27 Tests)
6. Ned Hanigan (16 Tests)
7. Michael Hooper (c) (86 Tests)
8. David Pocock (73 Tests)
9. Will Genia (95 Tests)
10. Bernard Foley (63 Tests)
11. Marika Koroibete (16 Tests)
12. Kurtley Beale (79 Tests)
13. Reece Hodge (32 Tests)
14. Israel Folau (68 Tests)
15. Dane Haylett-Petty (26 Tests)

Reserves
16. Tolu Latu (8 Tests)
17. Sekope Kepu (98 Tests)
18. Allan Alaalatoa (28 Tests)
19. Rob Simmons (89 Tests)
20. Rory Arnold (18 Tests)
21. Caleb Timu (2 Tests)
22. Nick Phipps (68 Tests)
23. Matt Toomua (38 Tests)
24. Tom Banks (2 Tests)
*one to be omitted

The ARU is apparently considering the position again, but alternatives must be a bit thin on the ground. Scott Johnson has been mentioned, and of course Jake White because Jake White.

Lizard wrote:The ARU is apparently considering the position again, but alternatives must be a bit thin on the ground. Scott Johnson has been mentioned, and of course Jake White because Jake White.

Has John Kirwan now stopped throwing his hat into the ring for every single job?

Puja

He's now got a cushy TV pundit job in the All Blacks old boys club at NZ Sky TV.

Plus he was not a great coach.

Oop, looks like Jake has had a closer look at the Wallabies results and taken his name out of the hat.

I would. They're unbelievably shit.

Perhaps a change in coach would make a difference in their ability to concentrate, defend as a team and actually have a pack.

So who's available that's demonstrably better?

cashead wrote:So who's available that's demonstrably better?

I don't think that's necessarily the right way to look at it. Sometimes just freshening it up a bit will make a big difference.

Although I do understand Aus don't have any money to hire anyone they want.

Let's just say I don't thin Cheika is very good. Demonstrated by how poor this Aus team are.

Lizard wrote:Plus he was not a great coach.

Never stopped him from chucking his name out there and getting his agent to leak that his name was "linked with the X job" every time.

White apparently approached the ARU off his own bat, which is even more presumptuous than usual, and the ARU decided to listen to what he had to say, which has got to make Cheika feel valued and supported. What a mess.

Puja

So Jake tips his hat at the ARU, presumably asks them to keep it quiet, so Cheikhist in the ARU leaks it knowing that publicity will cause White to withdraw?

What’s Sir Graham Henry doing at the mo?

Richie McCaw. Richie McCaw should coach the wobblies. It would double as reality TV. He could arrive in a chopper and everything.

morepork wrote:Richie McCaw. Richie McCaw should coach the wobblies. It would double as reality TV. He could arrive in a chopper and everything.

Reckon he’d recall Quade?

On a serious note, would 10. Cooper 12. Toomua with one of their tonk centres at 13 and Beale at fullback not be quite good?

morepork wrote:Richie McCaw. Richie McCaw should coach the wobblies. It would double as reality TV. He could arrive in a chopper and everything.

Yes. Narrated/hosted by Brad Thorn.

Mikey Brown wrote:

On a serious note, would 10. Cooper 12. Toomua with one of their tonk centres at 13 and Beale at fullback not be quite good?

Does not compute.

Mikey Brown wrote:

morepork wrote:Richie McCaw. Richie McCaw should coach the wobblies. It would double as reality TV. He could arrive in a chopper and everything.

Reckon he’d recall Quade?

On a serious note, would 10. Cooper 12. Toomua with one of their tonk centres at 13 and Beale at fullback not be quite good?

No. Cooper has proven time and time again that he is lacking in BMT. You'd be better off with Foley at 10 and Toomua at 12, with DHP and Beale doing a double-fullback act. Folau can go choke on a dick. That hate-mongering cherrypicking fuckwit can go die in a ditch for all I care.

So who are the 3 gamblors, should be hung drawn and quatered