Hooper is not a fetcher, like Hodgson, Pockock and Smith etc... he is a ball carrier and tackler. McmMahon is a hybrid player like Wood Robshaw but only three caps deep. McCalman is the trump card for them though, he is a good defender and superb in the loose.
That's true, and certainly that's what the selectors have gone for. On turnovers alone Liam Gill would coast into the national side, but having watched Hooper in Super (haha) this year he is definitely a much more rounded player. Seems tough when you put it like that. Pocock and Smith are gigantic benchmarks for the young Hooper to live up to. Especially Pocock before all the injuries, he was just a genetic freak. And Smith one of the greatest flankers of all time imo.
Is anyone else thinking the Aussie team looks a bit small in size? If England get their defence up and working then I dunno how that will turn out for Aus. You're gonna have Phipps, Foley and Horne milling around in the backline? Dunno about that. Cooper, Folaou and Speight the danger men are still there. I'm sure someone will mention with regards to size that Cruden managed a try against England a few weeks back, although that was a team effort to rumble up into that half of the field, not really a ripper-line break for Cruden.
Even in the forwards, I question just how physical or dominant Australia can be. Guys like Hooper, Slipper and Faingaa aren't necessarily small for their position but they are more noted for their athleticism. A more hard nosed team that could handle the tight stuff in desperate times might have ideally included Moore and Horwell? But injuries are unavoidable. I guess we'll see. Not all of the players within the team have the problem I'm talking about, but enough of them do. I call it a lack of mongrel. On paper there just isn't anyone who you would truly fear in that forward pack in a physical sense imo. And no set-piece masters. I think it's one of the major problems for Australian rugby, and actually it has been for a long time, even in the Larkham/Gregan days (although not to this extent). Pace, turnovers, athletism, the loose trio, that's never really been a problem for Aus rugby. It's the set piece dominance and physicality in general. There is no Owen Franks, Brad Thorn, or one of those South African behemoths for them. And there needs to be.
England have had quite a challenging run, facing off against SA and the ABs in a lot of matches this year. But even they've got a few bruisers. In their team. I could be wrong, but I doubt you'd see a mighty rolling maul from Aus. Even Ireland are doing these things well, and look at their results as of late. Until that changes for Aus, the best they will do is 3rd best, and that's assuming they play to their traditional strengths. If they can't even do that then things really go belly up.
