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Controversy corner
Put your glasses on Ecky. Haven't you got some pedantic penalties to blow in "what makes you smile thread" or something geeky?
Controversy corner
Benny Mac to start, Matty H on bench with Tetera debuting off the bench too, well done on your first cap T
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
Mike Colman in Cardiff
News Corp Australia
November 06, 2014 3:00PM
EXCITING 20-year-old Queenslander Sean McMahon has capped an incredible year with selection in the Wallabies side to face Wales at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Back-rower McMahon, who plays for the Melbourne Rebels in the Super Rugby competition, made such an eye-catching Australian debut when called on a replacement for the injured Scott Higginbotham against the Barbarians at Twickenham, that coach Michael Cheika had no hesitation in handing him his first Test cap.
“Going into the Barbarians match it was made clear that players had an opportunity to push their way into the Test team with a strong performance,” Cheika said.
"Sean made the most of his opportunity and brought great work-rate and physicality to our game.
“This selection also recognises the outstanding year he has had at all levels of the game, and he thoroughly deserves the chance to debut for Australia.”
Australian under-20 captain and a member of the bronze-medal winning sevens side at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, McMahon won the Super Rugby Rookie of the Year, NRC Player of the Year and Under-21 Player of the Year at last month’s John Eales Medal night.
“He did his fitness work by going up and down to collect awards all night,” Cheika joked.
McMahon is one of only two changes to the starting side that was narrowly beaten by the All Blacks at Suncorp Stadium on October 18, with Ben McCalman named at No.8.
Former Wallaby captain James Horwill could consider himself unlucky to have missed out after Cheika singled him out for praise after the Barbarians match.
Horwill’s Reds’ teammate Will Genia was luckier, with Cheika handing him a place on the bench ahead of Nic White as back-up half-back to Nick Phipps.
McMahon is one of two uncapped players named in the squad, with Western Force prop Tetera Faulkner earning a spot on an extended nine-man bench.
Faulkner, 26, is a former Australian Schoolboys, under-19 and under-20 representative who has earned 29 Super Rugby caps since debuting for the Western Force in 2011. He has the advantage of being able to play on both sides of the scrum.
WALLABIES TEAM TO FACE WALES
WALLABIES (1-15): James Slipper, Saia Fainga’a, Sekope Kepu, Sam Carter, Rob Simmons, Sean McMahon, Michael Hooper, Ben McCalman, Nick Phipps, Bernard Foley, Joe Tomane, Christian Leali’ifano, Tevita Kuridrani, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Israel Folau.
Reserves (one to be omitted): James Hanson, Tetera Faulkner, Ben Alexander, James Horwill, Will Skelton, Matt Hodgson, Will Genia, Quade Cooper, Rob Horne.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/wa...-1227114770692
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
Ruck Me, Maul Me, Make Me Scrum!
Education is Important, but Rugby is Importanter!
Go Tets!
He has played well in super rugby, and it is good to see the under performing props losing their spots.
i am still not convinced by red 9/10 combo. i thought they were pretty pedestrian against the barbarians - specifically Genia. as soon as white came on there was so much quicker ball speed. but then again, White has had a number of chances, and has never performed.
I would have preferred if Hodgo was starting and McMahon was on the bench. I acknowledge that McMahon was great against the Baa Baas, however Hodgo is a proven fetcher, with loads of experience, and I think this will be needed against the Welsh.
it all depends on what strategy he's decided on
attack at the cost of defence or defence at the cost of attack.
or in this case, i suspect, attack as much as possible in the first 60 and defend like buggery for the last 20.
he's left his options open for a lot of this
not what I would do but in rugby terms I'm a coaching n00b
A assume that either Horwill or Skelton (my tip) will be omitted as a can't see the need for 2 Locks in reserve.
Am concerned about the workload for Big Dog with Hooper and McMahon beside him and our speed to initial contact at the breakdown.
Welsh Flankers (Lydiate 26yo/Warburton 26yo) have 88 caps versus Wallaby Flankers (McMahon 20yo/Hooper 23yo) 38 caps.
From the training talk it appears that Cheika is expecting the tight 5 to lift their workload/intensity markedly (esp at breakdown).
Pack weights: Front row even (345kg); Locks - Wales by 14kg; Back Row - Wales by 23kg; Total - Wallabies 874kg - Wales 911kg (+37kg). Wallabies - 140 caps: Wales - 95 caps.
Bring it on!!
especially considering the other big workers at the breakdown (Hodgo and Horwill) are unlikely to see the field until the 75th minute. Hopefully Cheika is smarter than the last five Wallaby coaches and can make an early change when things end up in the toilet.
they're bloody going to need to!
however the bonus from a scrumming point of view is that Cheika is looking for a team that can scrum (Fat Cat was Pwned against the Baas and Wales will be harder) otherwise Tet would have needed to wait. Kepu and Slipper are the best options he has over there...perhaps he'll come to his senses and make a call to Pekka......or even that Brisbane City prop who towelled Ollie up.
C'mon the
The thing I like about Cheika is that he sees defence as attack. He likes to hit and hurt. He likes to tackle them behind their gain line and attack the ball. When his teams get the ball he likes to attack on the back of going forward. His strategies work. It's been too long since the wallabies had a smart coach and a good game plan.
Steady Eddie had them so structured they couldn't think. Dingo was so dumb he couldn't work out a game plan. Link had the team headed in the right direction but hired losers in management and destroyed the team internally.
Cheika is the mesiah
Controversy corner
Quade gets to sit this one out... Going in with a 6 forwards and 2 backs could be a risk.. I Hope Cheika uses the bench wisely and we don't see to many injuries out wide. But in saying that Hooper is experienced at playing in the back line. Cheika may have noticed this trait and that's how he came up with the decision...
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sp...r-wales-clash/
This could make Quade get more mongrel in his game to get back in
I really like his comment
We've got guys there like Will (Skelton), Kev (Horwill) and Hodgo (Hodgson) who gets through a helluva lot of work.
At least Cheika KNOWS Skelton is lazy......he obviously sees some value in playing him.
I've been struggling to find the team list again, but my question, who plays 10 or 12 if There is an injury? I guess Toomua can cover 10, so does everybody just slide in one?
C'mon the