'13 WC | Semi Final | Australia 64-0 Fiji | Wembley

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

Correct. Since Fiji made their test debut in 1992, 26263 vs England at Central Park in the '95 World Cup is the highest crowd they've played in front of.

Of any sport?

 

[aqua_duck]

You don't need a half on the bench to cover for an injury that is rarely going to happen.

Your bench utility should be that - a utility. Preferably a back rower with prior outside backs experience I.e. Lewis... Who is injured so the next best thing in my view is a powerful runner, aggressive defender who can fill several roles I.e. Maybe Tate - ticks more boxes than DCE.

Say if cronk goes down, move JT to half, GI to 5/8 and Hayne to FB, or Hayne to 5/8 and Tate to centres - hell play bird at 6 he won MoM in Origin there...

Point is, 90% of the time you end up playing your utility half for 20mins, in some silly role they aren't designed for, interrupting the flow, because your starting halves are perfectly fit but you need to give no.14 some game time to justify your ridiculous bench.

The only possible argument in Sheens defence is that he has a lot of 80min players I.e. Bird, Parker, Gallen who don't really need a long rest, if at all...

A back on the bench is a tried and failed Tim Sheens trademark. Why put a bloke like Tate there if he's not going to be needed, let's not kid ourselves, he's not a forward, he can play wing or centre, positions that can be filled by a backrower if things got desperate, if 6,7,9 go down you're reshuffling 2 or 3 players to fill one void and hence ruining all your combinations. Having a guy like DCE covers 3 crucial positions without any reshuffles.

 

[undertaker]

Of any sport?

Oops, sorry, I didn't read that bit.

For rugby league, yes. For any sport, I don't think so. I'm sure the Fijian Rugby Union team have played infront of much larger crowds than 26k

Edit: At the 2011 RWC, Fiji played infront of 60327 vs Tonga at Eden Park. I'll have to do more researching to see what the largest crowd their Union team has played infront of.

 

[undertaker]

http://stats.espnscrum.com/scrum/rugby/records/team/highest_attendance.html?id=14;type=team

Just had a look at this link. Appears that 82000 vs England at a one-off test in Twickenham last year is the largest crowd that the Fijian Rugby Union team (and any Fijian national team for that matter) has played infront of. However, in World Cups, 60327 vs Tonga in 2011 is the highest. So, more than 60327 on Saturday will mean the largest crowd a Fijian national side has played infront of in a World Cup of any sport.

 

[Paullyboy]

I love how kiwis actually think that they could beat an Australian team that played at 100%, it's a bit cute and sad at the same time.

 

[afinalsin666]

Go Fiji. Uate and waqa to slaughter everything in their path.

 

[watatank]

So Tate has been selected to play left centre according to Sheens. Why bother naming both Jennings and Morris in the squad if they're not going to play in a situation like this? It could have given Sheens an opportunity to select another versatile forward. Anyway, full squad as follows

Australian 19-man squad:

Cameron Smith (capt), Paul Gallen (vc), Greg Bird, Darius Boyd, Daly Cherry-Evans, Cooper Cronk, Robbie Farah, Andrew Fifita, Jarryd Hayne, Greg Inglis, Brett Morris, Nate Myles, Josh Papalii, Corey Parker, Matthew Scott, James Tamou, Brent Tate, Sam Thaiday, Johnathan Thurston.

http://www.nrl.com/tate-gets-kangaroos-recall-for-rlwc-semi/tabid/10874/newsid/75468/default.aspx

 

[AlwaysGreen]

I love how kiwis actually think that they could beat an Australian team that played at 100%, it's a bit cute and sad at the same time.

What side ever plays at 100%? The probability of all 17 individuals playing at their optimum in a perfectly cohesive manner is an impossibility. And that is even before considering that optimal sporting performance is an immeasurable.

Australia by 40.

 

[mxlegend99]

So we have two left centres and he plays an out of form right centre ahead of them. Sticks with Boyd who is in terrible form and done nothing for Australia... Leaving out players who actually have something to offer.

Also why is Farah back? He covers one position only. DCE has that role covered.

 

[Timmah]

Tate?

f**king farce.

 

[Ernest the Sheep]

Sheens is washed up. Says a lot for the status of the game internationally that he is Aus coach. In NZ AB coach is what everyone strives to be. Jennings is the best Aus centre. Tate would be a wing option, but I guess flat bully track Morris has that sown up now. The only hope for Aus is if slater can make it back before the final.

 

[Joker's Wild]

Tate instead of Jennings?

Sheenius

 

[Springs]

Sheens is washed up. Says a lot for the status of the game internationally that he is Aus coach. In NZ AB coach is what everyone strives to be. Jennings is the best Aus centre. Tate would be a wing option, but I guess flat bully track Morris has that sown up now. The only hope for Aus is if slater can make it back before the final.

:crazy: Inglis is our best centre. And it says nothing about the game internationally. I can say the same thing about Origin seeing Stuart and Daley as coaches.

Our outside backs don't look too flash if we have Tate, Boyd and Morris. If Tate and Boyd are the left side then that's a liability.

 

[Joker's Wild]

How is Boyd a liability exactly?

 

[Reidy87]

Boyd is no liability, but he shouldn't have that position sewn-up when 1) it isn't his usual club position and 2) he has offered little to be excited about throughout the tournament.

Jennings/JMorris centre, Tate wing would have been better IMO.

Only freak players like Inglis and Hayne should have spots sewn-up even in their non-preferred positions i.e. you have to find a spot for those guys, not so Darius.

 

[stormbati]

So everyone is hoping Fiji win so Sheens gets the boot?

 

[Tone83]

Only freak players like Inglis and Hayne should have spots sewn-up even in their non-preferred positions i.e. you have to find a spot for those guys, not so Darius.

Correct.

Has anyone considered making Jennings a winger? His only weakness does seem to be crazily overthrowing passes which a winger wouldn't really get the chance to do (hopefully), this would look fairly solid-

1. Slater
2. Jennings
3. Hayne
4. Inglis
5. Morris/tate/whatever (ugh... I suppose, no real options)


Imagine if Will Hopoate didn't go away, Australia's backline could be perfectly star studded. Then if you imagine folau didn't go away as well... someone has to miss out, and for mine it would be slater

1. Inglis
2. Folau
3. Hayne
4. Hopoate
5. Jennings

Tell me that's not the best outside 5 in any rugby code ever. Straight beasts.

 

[Joker's Wild]

Id think jennings would be very doubtful under a high ball mate. Thats a big part of a modern wingers game

 

[Tone83]

So he can't pass OR catch? Maybe he should become an accountant?

What makes you say that? I assumed he was one of those "too expensive to play on the wing" type wingers that is placed in the centres, in which case rep winger would be perfect, but who knows maybe you're right and he can't catch.

 

[Joker's Wild]

You are reading too much into my post champ

All Im saying is he has played very little, if any wing during his 1st grade career. He is quite short (180cm) for a modern winger and Id have serious doubts about his ability to out jump blokes.

He may be awesome, however he hasnt shown it anywhere I have seen