[2014 Mid-Year Test] Australia vs. France 07/06/14

[TheSaffycen]

So comparing the two teams -
Tight five is a big advantage for France scrum wise and the MASS they have will cause Australia problems
Back Row wise Oz have a great balance and Hooper will absoloutely love playing against France, if i was PSA i would have picked a genuine fetcher like Lauret as at ruck time i think australia are going to get so much front foot ball.
Half backs Australia look really dangerous and i believe Foley will do very well here (again no recognised 7 for France) and White can kick well. France Machenaud isn't bad but Michalak hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahah
Centres Australia have some real physicality here but France have the best 12 in the world in Fofana and though Fickou is green i think he ouses international class.
Back three is easily Australia and PSA has made some weird selections here deciding to leave out - Fall, Andreu, Palisson(though he hasn't played much), Malzieu(probably injured again), O'Connor, Nakaitaci

 

[Big Ewis]

man I'm just curious to see what'll happen. I hope France keep it below 40...I think test 2 will be a lot more competitive.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Really? AAC has been carving all year and the Waratahs are in second position on the ladder (and will finish on top if they win their last three games because the Shawks have a bye coming) and are the leading try scoring team in the comp and have conceded the second fewest, and that is in no small thanks to AAC. Make no mistake too, like Horne, he's brilliant on the wing too. As for the Honey Badger, underestimate him at your peril ;-) . Although to be honest I reckon Rob Horne has been playing out of his skin and deserved it more...

As for the team more generally, I may be bias, but I reckon Phipps has been in stellar form for the Tahs - no other Australian half back gets the ball away more quickly and more accurately, and he's a great sniping running with good vision.

From 13. Which is his best position. I have no doubt that he is useful on the wing and indeed he has been in the past but on the wing he is a Savea or a North or a Habana. Surely play your best 13 at 13? Just a feeling I had comparing the 11 and 14 positions from now to previous teams, I'm not saying they won't be able to get teh job done.

 

[Jaguares]

I thinks it going to be good for the wallabies to have a solid 10,12,13 and NOT Flashy backs like Cooper, O'Connor and Beale. Look at the All Blacks for example. Over the years they used Carter, Nonu and Conrad. All solid players but aren't Flashy. Carter Doesn't throw 20 meter serial passes or behind the back passes or even put on a step,However plays a well rounded solid game and is considered the best in the world. Good luck France

Ok, but Kuridrani isn't a solid player is more as a impact player IMO.

10- Foley: Solid
12- Toomua: Solid
13- Kuridrani: Flashy

 

[David Smith]

Ok, but Kuridrani isn't a solid player is more as a impact player IMO.

10- Foley: Solid
12- Toomua: Solid
13- Kuridrani: Flashy

Maybe, However he is solid tackler and ball runner. That is what I want. Leave the Flashy stuff to izzy, Badger(not really) and AAC

 

[Big Ewis]

I've been reading around the web....funny and interesting how some ppl are picking France to win this because absolutely nothing looks like it's going their way. I must say, I do at least understand where they're coming from.
PSA said earlier today that a lot of our guys are "out of form". He says he expects Le Bourhis to come out of his shell and just play like he can (scored 6 tries in the Top14 this year), and understands he's shy but needs to go out and just play. Sounds horribly risky for a side that hasn't had a balanced attack in 1 1/2 year, a center out of position playing his first cap on the wing...

Michalak, who hasn't played in 1 month, says the things that might be lacking are rhythm of those highest level matches, natural flow...that's the guy who's going to be leading our attack on Saturday................ - for 80 minutes.

Smells rotten, all this, going into the game. But who - the fk - knows, with France. Sounds like a blowout in the making to me though.

 

[Darwin]

From 13. Which is his best position. I have no doubt that he is useful on the wing and indeed he has been in the past but on the wing he is a Savea or a North or a Habana. Surely play your best 13 at 13? Just a feeling I had comparing the 11 and 14 positions from now to previous teams, I'm not saying they won't be able to get teh job done.

I tend to agree with you here regarding the Aussie wings. They are solid but I don't think seeing Ashley-Cooper and Cummins named on the wings will cause any of the French players to lose any sleep! I'm a big fan of Ashley-Cooper..... at 13. I think he is very under-rated and has been in superb for the Waratahs this season, but I've never seen him be anywhere near as effective on the wing. Likewise Cummins will bring an incredible amount of enthusiasm and commitment to the side and will keep running all day, but to be honest he is rather limited. He is a big guy who will run straight and hard, but he isn't overly quick for a wing, and isn't very elusive either. He will hit hard in the tackle, but can be a bit overly enthusiastic at times and run out of the line on defense.

Let's be honest though it probably won't mater who the Wallabies put on the wing with Kuridrani at 13, as they are unlikely to see any ball at all apart from on the counter-attack. If there is a 13 on the planet that passes less than Kuridrani I've yet to see him! Looking through his Super Rugby stats this season Kuridrani has passed the ball 22 times in 13 games. No that is not a typo. That's an average of 1.7 passes per game. Ashley-Cooper often gets criticized for not passing the ball, but he has made over twice as many passes as Kuridrani (47 passes in the same number of matches). Though passing no longer seems to be a prime requisite for an international 13, the ability to pass the ball to the wing is still rather necessary (if you want to use your wings). Based on these stats if Kurdrani passes the ball twice this match he will be doing well!

 

[Big Ewis]

I tend to agree with you here regarding the Aussie wings. They are solid but I don't think seeing Ashley-Cooper and Cummins named on the wings will cause any of the French players to lose any sleep! I'm a big fan of Ashley-Cooper..... at 13. I think he is very under-rated and has been in superb for the Waratahs this season, but I've never seen him be anywhere near as effective on the wing. Likewise Cummins will bring an incredible amount of enthusiasm and commitment to the side and will keep running all day, but to be honest he is rather limited. He is a big guy who will run straight and hard, but he isn't overly quick for a wing, and isn't very elusive either. He will hit hard in the tackle, but can be a bit overly enthusiastic at times and run out of the line on defense.

as if the Honey Badger were picked for his Rugby skills...

 

[Darwin]

as if the Honey Badger were picked for his Rugby skills...

He certainly isn't picked for his kicking skills that's for sure

[video]http://giant.gfycat.com/UniqueShimmeringBuckeyebutterfly.webm[/video]

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[Draggs]

Hey, the defensive up and under is a legitimate tactic!

 

[RoosTah]

From 13. Which is his best position. I have no doubt that he is useful on the wing and indeed he has been in the past but on the wing he is a Savea or a North or a Habana. Surely play your best 13 at 13? Just a feeling I had comparing the 11 and 14 positions from now to previous teams, I'm not saying they won't be able to get teh job done.

Funnily enough, a bit like Horne, I reckon AAC will potentially be even better on the wing. This is because he's a brilliant ball runner and has great instincts, but doesn't like to pass much. So in a sense wing may be even more suited.

 

[Jaguares]

I tend to agree with you here regarding the Aussie wings. They are solid but I don't think seeing Ashley-Cooper and Cummins named on the wings will cause any of the French players to lose any sleep! I'm a big fan of Ashley-Cooper..... at 13. I think he is very under-rated and has been in superb for the Waratahs this season, but I've never seen him be anywhere near as effective on the wing. Likewise Cummins will bring an incredible amount of enthusiasm and commitment to the side and will keep running all day, but to be honest he is rather limited. He is a big guy who will run straight and hard, but he isn't overly quick for a wing, and isn't very elusive either. He will hit hard in the tackle, but can be a bit overly enthusiastic at times and run out of the line on defense.

Let's be honest though it probably won't mater who the Wallabies put on the wing with Kuridrani at 13, as they are unlikely to see any ball at all apart from on the counter-attack. If there is a 13 on the planet that passes less than Kuridrani I've yet to see him! Looking through his Super Rugby stats this season Kuridrani has passed the ball 22 times in 13 games. No that is not a typo. That's an average of 1.7 passes per game. Ashley-Cooper often gets criticized for not passing the ball, but he has made over twice as many passes as Kuridrani (47 passes in the same number of matches). Though passing no longer seems to be a prime requisite for an international 13, the ability to pass the ball to the wing is still rather necessary (if you want to use your wings). Based on these stats if Kurdrani passes the ball twice this match he will be doing well!

Based on these statistics, McKenzie should pick AAC at 13 and Kuridrani at winger

 

[Draggs]

AAC is an underrated back. Fourie and Smith have been the focus of SH outside centres, but AAC deserves top billing too. Not known for pace or agility, he can shift when he has to. He is carrying on the Chris Latham 'random bloke who wandered onto the field' look, too. He is took good to leave out of a backline, and will have no problem throughout any of the outside back positions.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I always thought AAC looked best at 15. Remember him absolutely tearing it up there during an End of Year tour of the NH, but then Beale and JOC came along and he got shifted around.

 

[Draggs]

Beale was shifted to FB during 2010 IIRC. Mitchell and OConnor on the wings, quite a back three (some best matches in the SH that year!). Loved his try v NZ in HK, looked like a bullet shot out of a gun. Beale and JOC both were better kickers, so they gave Aus a better all around FB. Thrilled to see Foley starting, the bloke has something about him. Toomua should provide some stability as well, if needed. Love the playmaker 10-12 combination, how Larkham-Giteau.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Funnily enough, a bit like Horne, I reckon AAC will potentially be even better on the wing.This is because he's a brilliant ball runner and has great instincts, but doesn't like to pass much. So in a sense wing may be even more suited.

That is true. TBH I envious of AAC and Folau only in the Aus XV. My point is AAC has proven many times over that he can manage to find the half-break in midfield. He runs intellegently and has that rare ability to the gap that isn't really there like Conrad Smith and Ben Smith. Why not then play him there in mid field. Maybe he doesn't often pass but does he pass less than Kuridrani? I would argue you don't need a 13 that passes overly much for many reasons; can be skipped, the backline isnt always running 10 to 12 to 13 to 14 etc etc. There are other options EM could have on the wing (Horne, Tomane) that could bring at least similar impact o the wing but none (IMO) that bring quite what AAC bring at 13. Kuridrani brings a lot mind you; deceptive acceleration coupled with power meaning you need a solid tackle to bring him down but will struggle to do so coupled with a decent off load game could mean many points if he gets any space. My argument against him would be what if he doesn't get space? AAC would be able to do damage as well given space at 13 but has more soft skills and that ability to ghost through the line which will be handy though if the opposition manage to close down space. But at the end of the day its probably a case of being much over muchness.

 

[Gena_ZA]

If both teams play to their natural flair this could be a great game to watch

 

[Big Ewis]

If both teams play to their natural flair this could be a great game to watch

mmm hmmm, yessssss...

 

[Gena_ZA]

Let's say both play to their natural flair then based on talent and ability the Aussies should win comfortably.
No wait, maybe put 30 up on them
Getting way ahead of myself here, neva

 

[lynam1104]

Until the most recent super rugby game I would have been leaning towards Kuridari at 13 and AAC on win but AAC showed is center class and I though he'd get the nod there, but who else do thy have for the wing Horne?