Wallabies Tri Nations

[Scotty]

If it is a choice between Gits and Barnes outside of Cooper I would also go for Barnes at this stage. At least he can play to the required game plan, and works with Cooper. Gits still tries to do too much, crabs and holds onto the ball too long. Cooper has shown him up as a ball player time and time again this year, so Giteau needs to get back to his running game.

If Giteau has to be in the team for kicking, then I'm going to throw out the idea of playing Horne/Fa'ainga at 12 and Giteau at 13. Giteau can be the second line attacker, and work to set up the wingers.

 

[RedsHappy]

....It is up to Deans now to select the best team, the team with players in form, and players coming back who should expect to make a big impact. Bring Mitchell back into the team - 5 trys in 2 weeks. Bring Robinson, Moore, Genia straight back in. Move Elsom to 8 and bring in Higginbotham - let's get this team looking mean and serious. Leave Giteau at 12 for one last crack, to prove his critics wrong, to offer 81 tests of experience and to rip South Africa a new one. Make the right calls Robbie....

As you say Reddy!, it's kind of 'do or die' time now. The four-way-bet selection modality (coupled with v poor bench use) we've seen in the June Tests was hardly a recipe for the best reward-risk profile in the Tris. It may well be the time to be more 'pure' with a selections strategy and certainly almost any strategy that absents Mumm and Brown and Ma'afu and would be an improvement.

But I disagree about Gits - absenting him is precisely in my view what has been needed for many of the last 10 or so Tests, and this is the gutsy call the coaches have not made. 'The great icon must always be there'. Problem is, his play has with rare exception not justified this, and we now have double trouble with his combo with Cooper clearly not optimal and his sideways running and premature pressure kicking a poor fit with what will be needed in these Tris. We need to have the selection courage to experiment without him for at least the first 2 home games. Let him come off the bench if needed. IMO, he also would benefit from the whole 'irreplaceable great icon' syndrome to be shattered so, if possible, he can reinvent himself vs having having the weight of this irrational halo on his head.

Now is indeed the time to take superior calculated risks than we have taken thus far in 2010.

 

[RedsHappy]

....It is up to Deans now to select the best team, the team with players in form, and players coming back who should expect to make a big impact. Bring Mitchell back into the team - 5 trys in 2 weeks. Bring Robinson, Moore, Genia straight back in. Move Elsom to 8 and bring in Higginbotham - let's get this team looking mean and serious. Leave Giteau at 12 for one last crack, to prove his critics wrong, to offer 81 tests of experience and to rip South Africa a new one. Make the right calls Robbie....

As you say Reddy!, it's kind of 'do or die' time now. The four-way-bet selection modality (coupled with v poor bench use) we've seen in the June Tests was hardly a recipe for the best reward-risk profile in the Tris. It may well be the time to be more 'pure' with a selections strategy and certainly almost any strategy that absents Mumm and Brown and Ma'afu and would be an improvement.

But I disagree about Gits - absenting him is precisely in my view what has been needed for many of the last 10 or so Tests, and this is the gutsy call the coaches have not made. 'The great icon must always be there'. Problem is, his play has with rare exception not justified this, and we now have double trouble with his combo with Cooper clearly not optimal and his sideways running and premature pressure kicking a poor fit with what will be needed in these Tris. We need to have the selection courage to experiment without him for at least the first 2 home games. Let him come off the bench if needed. IMO, he also would benefit from the whole 'irreplaceable great icon' syndrome to be shattered so, if possible, he can reinvest himself vs having having the weight of this irrational halo on his head.

Now is indeed the time to take superior calculated risks than we have taken thus far in 2010.

 

[Ruggo]

The most coherent our backline has been was in the first England test but it seems that a 10/12 combo of Cooper and Barnes has been thrown out with the bath water. I like Anthony Fainga'a but if he is not going to be the run on 12, I would take this combo. Have Gitau and Beale on the bench along with five forwards. AS MANY OTHER POSTERS HAVE SAID, ROBBIE, START USING YOUR BENCH.

The forwards are a much more important issue. Sadly we are in a position of whether to throw the same old ineffective bunch out there or to have a gamble and throw some unproven players with potential out there. I like the thought of Simmons and Sharpe as a locking combination.Providing nothing short of 100% fitness, I would like Higgers to be included at 6 or 8. I know Higgers was shaky at the begining of the year at 8 but working with Jim Williams will only help. NO MATTER WHAT ROBBIE, USE YOUR BLOODY BENCH.

 

[fatprop]

Cummins as blindside winger cover for Digby makes sense (some of you guys should watch more Force games)

I agree ruggo, the 1st Aus v Eng was our most fluid outing. Barnes is comfortable in a support role (but he can play too negatively under pressure) whilst Gits wants to be the leader

 

[#1 Tah]

so we have gone from this:

1. Robinson
2. TPN
3. Alexander
4. Horwill
5. Sharpe
6. Rock
7. Pockock
8. Palu

16. Moore
17. ???
18. Mumm
19. Hodgson



To this:

1. Robinson
2. Moore
3. Alexander
4. Sharpe
5. Chisolm
6. Mumm
7. Pockock
8. Rock

16. S.Fainga'a
17. Slipper
18. Higgenbotham
19. Hodgson

 

[fatprop]

Mumm is average at 6, he is a Uni mobile workrate lock, a bit small and not a true world class lock.

 

[RedsHappy]

I agree ruggo, the 1st Aus v Eng was our most fluid outing...

Also the only Test we won decisively (despite the forwards horror movie) and departed it with good confidence within the backs as to what they'd achieved. + There weren't many media leaks along the lines of 'OMG, we badly missed the icon'. Given alternatives, I like the idea of Barnes, but it's seemed to me that his confidence has declined markedly and just as you say under pressure he tends to withdraw and make mistakes.

 

[Ruggo]

Barnes needs to get back in the saddle so to speak. He is only one solid game away from regaining confidence. The Cooper/Barnes combo offers a good balance between flair and maturity for my liking.

 

[fatprop]

Also the only Test we won decisively (despite the forwards horror movie) and departed it with good confidence within the backs as to what they'd achieved. + There weren't many media leaks along the lines of 'OMG, we badly missed the icon'. Given alternatives, I like the idea of Barnes, but it's seemed to me that his confidence has declined markedly and just as you say under pressure he tends to withdraw and make mistakes.

Barnes is Barnes, he always looks unhappy on the field and can play too conservatively, but I think he is a good foil for Cooper's exuberance and is defensively strong.

That said I expect Gits to be picked

 

[RedsHappy]

Barnes is Barnes, he always looks unhappy on the field and can play too conservatively, but I think he is a good foil for Cooper's exuberance and is defensively strong. That said I expect Gits to be picked

It's almost as if the coaches are terrified that something awful will go wrong for just about everybody (including themselves) without Gits, the 'old' Wallabies talisman...

Cooper/Barnes the way to go with A Finger too. Agree with Ruggo that it could be that just one success for himself on the park will see Barnes restore his best for the next game. Barnes should have been given more time off the bench in at least 2 more Tests, it would have been the ideal way to 'bring him back' to a happier place.

 

[DPK]

If I was a coach I'd be a bit hesitant to drop the most experienced member of my backline too.

 

[Scotty]

I'd rather see Barnes marking the likes of Nonu than Giteau. Barnes is also one of our best game readers in defense, and best cover defender. He has his down points which fatprop points out, but he will play the game needed outside of Cooper.

While I'd love to see A Finger get a game, I wouldn't like to see him start a 3N straight up. Too much pressure.

 

[Scotty]

If I was a coach I'd be a bit hesitant to drop the most experienced member of my backline too.

Combined with the rest of the inexperience, this makes sense. However if I was a coach I wouldn't be hesitant to drop my worst performing member of my backline, particularly when it was proven to me (vs England) that his possible replacement fit into the side better.

 

[RedsHappy]

If I was a coach I'd be a bit hesitant to drop the most experienced member of my backline too.

The problem with the 'go with experience' selection mode is (at least) twofold.

One, that is not what RD has been consistently doing as a core selection mode. If it was, surely Baxter would have been included, and potentially other experienced front-rowers available but not considered in a hugely important part of the team make up.

Two, what if, as in Giteau's case, the recent component of that 'experience' has correlated with declining performance excellence in pressure games against the best sides (in both kicking and back line play). [+ just a btw, it's unarguable is it not that Baxter delivered a much better 2010 S14 than Giteau.]

 

[fatprop]

I'd rather see Barnes marking the likes of Nonu than Giteau. Barnes is also one of our best game readers in defense, and best cover defender. He has his down points which fatprop points out, but he will play the game needed outside of Cooper.

While I'd love to see A Finger get a game, I wouldn't like to see him start a 3N straight up. Too much pressure.

A Finger needs to be sent to the gym and get him up to near 100kgs if he wants to play the stopper/crashballer at test level.

 

[TheTruth]

so we have gone from this:

1. Robinson
2. TPN
3. Alexander
4. Horwill
5. Sharpe
6. Rock
7. Pockock
8. Palu

16. Moore
17. ???
18. Mumm
19. Hodgson



To this:

1. Robinson
2. Moore
3. Alexander
4. Sharpe
5. Chisolm
6. Mumm
7. Pockock
8. Rock

16. S.Fainga'a
17. Slipper
18. Higgenbotham
19. Hodgson

At least now that Robo and Moore are back there can be no criticism of the front row - yeak right - will be interesting now Robbo and Moore back how their fitness holds up and who will be the important benchie - Daley / Slipper / Maafu - Daley / Maafu both limited to one side and Slipper both sides. Maybe best options are Robbo, Moore and Maafu as starters with Slipper on the bench.

 

[RedsHappy]

A Finger needs to be sent to the gym and get him up to near 100kgs if he wants to play the stopper/crashballer at test level.

So fp you consider A Finger's quite successful (attack and defence) work v the SA teams in this year's S14 was just a bit of good fortune...?

 

[Spewn]

Simmons should partner Sharpe. He is is young but hard. Get rid of Mumm. Backrow shouldbe Elsom, Pocock and Higginbotham. McCalman has to be on the bench or in there instead of Higginbotham.

 

[RedsHappy]

Simmons should partner Sharpe. He is is young but hard. Get rid of Mumm. Backrow shouldbe Elsom, Pocock and Higginbotham. McCalman has to be on the bench or in there instead of Higginbotham.

+1. Radical steps and some fresh risks need to be taken now the moments of Tris truth have arrived.

Btw, IMO Hodgson has been way under used in June and should be given much more of a show in the early Tris.