Wallabies v Wales match day teams and matchday thread

[munkian]

First topic message reminder :

Captain Sam Warburton returns to lead Wales against Australia

Australia coach Deans makes wholesale changes against Wales


TEAMS



Australia: Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW); Cooper Vuna (Melbourne Rebels), Rob Horne (NSW), Pat McCabe (ACT), Digby Ioane (Queensland); Berrick Barnes (NSW), Will Genia (Queensland); Benn Robinson (NSW), Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW), Sekope Kepu (NSW), Rob Simmons (Queensland), Nathan Sharpe (Western Force), Scott Higginbotham (Queensland), David Pocock (Western Force, capt), Wycliff Palu (NSW).

Replacements: Stephen Moore (ACT), Ben Alexander (ACT), Dave Dennis (NSW), Michael Hooper (ACT), Nic White (ACT), Anthony Fainga'a (Queensland), Mike Harris (Queensland).




Wales: Leigh Halfpenny (Blues); Alex Cuthbert (Blues), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Scott Williams (Scarlets), George North (Scarlets); Rhys Priestland (Scarlets), Mike Phillips (Bayonne); Gethin Jenkins (Toulon), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Bradley Davies (Blues), Luke Charteris (Perpignan), Dan Lydiate (Dragons), Sam Warburton (Blues, capt), Toby Faletau (Dragons).

Replacements: Matthew Rees (Scarlets), Paul James (Bath), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Ryan Jones (Ospreys), Lloyd Williams (Blues), James Hook (Perpignan), Ashley Beck (Ospreys).


Scott Williams at 12, ken Owens hooker which is a great call , no Webb on bench though which is a bit gutting, Lloyd was awful against the Baa Baas

Tour Previews
http://www.v2journal.com/wales-summer-tour-preview.html
http://www.v2journal.com/australias-june-tests-preview.html

[Comfort]

FC, im not so much advocating just taking him out willy nilly, but Wales need to hit him hard in the tackle, they need to be dedicated to physically dominating him if they are going to get any change out of him. I mean that they have to up their defensive game and put him in 2 minds, if hes winding up a pass, still go in for the tackle, and go for it like hes running at you and cursing your mother!!

It goes without saying that Wales need to stay at 15 players the entire game against your lot, you can punish teams that show indiscretion.

[Full Credit]

Being down to 14 men can be a painful experience for any side. I'd hate to have this series hinge on something contentious like that.

Genia no doubt thrives on time and space, take those away and you nullify his effectiveness but to focus excessively on one player usually opens up space for others. You can bet the Wallabies will be almost counting on it.

[Comfort]

you're right FC, but atm Genia really is the danger man, something needs to be done to nullify him. I havent mentioned the injuries for both sides, but should a couple of your backline return, that could really open things up if Wales are anywhere near as pedestrian as they were in the first 40 minutes again this series.

I'm really hoping North is going to recover for the 2nd test, we missed him in the 2nd half and he really is becoming integral to Wales' success.

Overall, I can see Oz taking this series 3-0 unless Wales really up their intensity for the 2nd test, that would be a massive disappointment after seeing how wales had developed through the World Cup and 6n.

[mckay1402]

I think Wales need to be more aggressive at the breakdown. Commit a few more of the big lads and disrupt Aus ball. That was the basic difference on Saturday. They made us have slow ball and got in among us. We need to show them that the loss hurt.

[Morgannwg]

Our backline was poor in the first half too. They were stopping to catch the ball then take it onto contact. The Wallabies were doing the opposite and as a result gained a lot more ground. We looked better in the 2nd half, I wonder if it had anything to do with the inclusion of Beck? Nothing against Scott but I think he's been off the pace for a while.

[wales606]

Both centres looked very out of sorts - which was a pity because North, Cuthbert and Halfpenny looked deadly.

[Morgannwg]

I think JD2 look alright, all apart from that silly offload to the floor, he should have held onto it.

[bedfordwelsh]

If North is fit then I just have this horrible feeling that he will put Hook in the centre, which I guess is better than having him at XV if North isn't fit

[Wi11]

Ok, coming from an England supporter...

The current Welsh team has been pretty hyped up, and fair enough in some cases (the back 3 for example.) However if they were all equal to the hype we would be seeing them beat teams like Australia on a regular basis. So maybe someone is being overhyped?

So my suggestion to Welsh supporters is this: Wales are not as good as we have been assuming between 6 and 9.

Why?

When I watch Wales play, they do not seem to make much ground around the fringes. Their opponents do. This happened in the Australia game and the England game in the 6N.

Ground around the fringes is probably worth more than the actual metres because it sucks in defenders and makes chances out wide. See NZ for example. Wales by contrast tend to rely on tiring defences and their own superior fitness to create opportunity.

Warburton is a very good 7, but this should be put in context of a number of other outstanding 7s such as McCaw, Pocock, Brussow, Dusautoir, Rennie and more. It's an easy position to get noticed in. Similarly Lydiate makes lots of tackles and Faletau is a solid carrier but these are basic characteristics shared by all international 6s / 8s.

Phillips does some special things and gets noticed but I'm not convinced he moves the defences around enough close in, or provides quick enough ball afterwards.

Basically, none of these players provide anything to give Wales serious momentum around the breakdown and fringes. Without that it is too easy for defences, hence an outstanding backline are made to look very average, as in the first half on Saturday.

Sorry if this comes across as unconstructive criticism. I really wrote this in response to the people blaming the backline / centres, because I think they might be looking in the wrong place.

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