Wallabies 31 Man Squad

[USARugger]

fatprop

Gotcha. To my mind I think a guy like Nic who could start sending some huge bombs up to tired backs or use his tactical kicking to make the exhausted piggies run around some more could serve the same purpose, as well as much better service allowing some expansive attacking to exploit a tired fringe defense. If the logic is that tired forwards around the scrum can be exploited imagine what would happen if a forward got caught out a few channels at the hands of a guy who can shoot the ball long and flat from the base. Sorry for the run on sentence, mobile screen size makes managing it a pain.

100% agree with you thinking that this will be Robbie's logic

 

[biggsy]

This squad is close to meaningless.
When was the last time Australia went into a test match with only 1 specialist half back?

I here what your saying but deans is the coach.

 

[Scotty]

This squad is close to meaningless.
When was the last time Australia went into a test match with only 1 specialist half back?
The contentious point is who from the next 6 picked will displace others within the 25 - we know at least one, the backup half, will be introduced into the match day 22.
Why do we assume that there will not be others - say QC (Quade Cooper) or, even, KB (Kurtley Beale)?
My mail is that RD takes a very keen interest in KB (Kurtley Beale), to the extent that he has almost been living with Deans. It was Deans who got KB (Kurtley Beale) out on the stand up paddle board. If personality issues are in play then this one should not be underestimated.

If Deans plays KB (Kurtley Beale) at 10 at anytime during this series it will make a mockery of his reasons for not picking Cooper and will confirm it is a personality issue.

 

[Braveheart81]

If Deans plays KB (Kurtley Beale) at 10 at anytime during this series it will make a mockery of his reasons for not picking Cooper and will confirm it is a personality issue.

I really don't think this is the case. I think Paul Cully's point that Robbie Deans would have no hestitation selecting Cooper if he thought he was the best man to help him get a series win is very true.

There's no way Deans would be letting any personal differences get in the way of picking the side that he most thinks will keep him in his job. Pure self-interest would get Cooper selected, not left out.

 

[Ignoto]

This squad is close to meaningless.
When was the last time Australia went into a test match with only 1 specialist half back?

What about that time we only picked one Open side flanker for the world cup? Or that time where we had to play a 30something Fijian loose forward on the wing because of taking injured players into a tournament?

Never under-estimate the Dean selection policies, they're strange and baffling decisions.

 

[RoffsChoice]

He had played wing once or twice at the Brumbies 10 or so years earlier

 

[BDA]

This squad is pretty much what I expected to see. I have no major issues with anyone chosen, save to say I have the following comments:-
- Horne is pretty lucky to be in the squad but has been in decent form lately and obviously suits Deans’ game plan. I’m wondering whether he’s in at expense of McCabe? Probably not.
- Dave Dennis’s selection is very surprising. What is the point of his selection? He is a decent option with recent test experience, but there are two other guys (Higgers and Mowen) that are clearly in better form this year than he is. Is he perhaps 6/lock cover? I hope not. He cannot play lock at test level despite Deans thinks. My real worry is that this suggests that MMM might miss out. MMM’s only chance of making the squad is as a GENUINE 6/lock cover and knowing Deans he probably thinks he already has 6/lock covered by Dennis.
- Sais Fainga'a is a bit of a shock because I’ve always considered him a bit weak at scrum-time. He is definitely a real asset around the park. No real dramas with this decision

My final 6 would be as follows
1. Cooper
2. Beale (otherwise Mogg)
3. Burgess
4. Palmer
5. Douglas
6. MMM

What I think we will see is
1. McCabe
2. Beale
3. Burgess
4. Palmer or Ryan
5. Douglas
6. White

 

[fatprop]

- Dave Dennis’s selection is very surprising. What is the point of his selection? He is a decent option with recent test experience, but there are two other guys (Higgers and Mowen) that are clearly in better form this year than he is. Is he perhaps 6/lock cover? I hope not. He cannot play lock at test level despite Deans thinks. My real worry is that this suggests that MMM might miss out. MMM’s only chance of making the squad is as a GENUINE 6/lock cover and knowing Deans he probably thinks he already has 6/lock covered by Dennis.
-

MMM hasn't played since when? I reckon if he can get on the field he may still be selected, but he has to get on the field.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

If Deans plays KB (Kurtley Beale) at 10 at anytime during this series it will make a mockery of his reasons for not picking Cooper and will confirm it is a personality issue.

He wants KB (Kurtley Beale) at 15, I understand.
Nevertheless I think your point is a good one.
He has his favourites - which all Wallabies coaches have to a greater or lesser extent.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

What about that time we only picked one Open side flanker for the world cup? Or that time where we had to play a 30something Fijian loose forward on the wing because of taking injured players into a tournament?

Never under-estimate the Dean selection policies, they're strange and baffling decisions.

Well those are baffling in themselves.
But this whole process seems unreal - what was the point of naming 3 blokes who will not be in the 22 even if no one was added and yet leaving out 6 blokes one of whom almost certainly has to come into the 22 meaning that, contrary to present impressions, 4 blokes from the 25 will have to miss out.
Now that is new level of baffling.

 

[BDA]

MMM hasn't played since when? I reckon if he can get on the field he may still be selected, but he has to get on the field.

Yeh but my point was that we only need one guy covering 6/lock and that should be MMM if he's fit. Why not just leave both Dennis and MMM out of the squad and then add one in the final 6? If MMM is chosen Dennis' selection becomes superfluous and he wont get 1 minute of rugby.

 

[Dan54]

IS, I have never known a coach that didn't have favourites, whatever their country, main reason I think they have them is they believe they are best player. There is no way another HB won't be named, I just tend to think there are no real standouts as back up to Genia.

 

[Braveheart81]

Well those are baffling in themselves.
But this whole process seems unreal - what was the point of naming 3 blokes who will not be in the 22 even if no one was added and yet leaving out 6 blokes one of whom almost certainly has to come into the 22 meaning that, contrary to present impressions, 4 blokes from the 25 will have to miss out.
Now that is new level of baffling.

Naming one halfback makes sense if Burgess is in the mix.

As much as people talk about how far Nic White is ahead of Phipps, I haven't really seen it in recent weeks. White has been solid without being great and Phipps has been consistent. White has a superior pass and kicking game to Phipps but Phipps is superior in other areas of the game.

As much as people have been talking up Stirzaker's first half performance against the Stormers, Phipps had a major hand in the Rebels winning that match in the second half.

 

[maxdacat]

MMM

Can someone tell me who the hell this is?

 

[maxdacat]

And what more does Hugh Pyle have to do to get a wallabies jersey? How many tries now is that for him this year?

 

[Inside Shoulder]

IS, I have never known a coach that didn't have favourites, whatever their country, main reason I think they have them is they believe they are best player. There is no way another HB won't be named, I just tend to think there are no real standouts as back up to Genia.

I think youre right - but I also think this is personal.
I'm no QC (Quade Cooper) fan - quite the opposite - but its impossible to contend that the claimed weaknesses in his game have got weaker: i think his tackling has improved and he's slightly less inclined to avoid contact than he was. So he's no worse and either as good as or better than he's ever been.
That's been good enough to get him 38 caps.
I guess that missed tackle in self imposed bizarre circumstances on Sunday morning could'nt have helped.
Adding him later is equally ridiculous as he is forced to play for his place with a weakened reds team.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Can someone tell me who the hell this is?

Hugh McMenniman (I hope) - sorry for the spelling

 

[Pfitzy]

Can someone tell me who the hell this is?

Hugh McMeniMan. Three M's, see?

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Naming one halfback makes sense if Burgess is in the mix.

As much as people talk about how far Nic White is ahead of Phipps, I haven't really seen it in recent weeks. White has been solid without being great and Phipps has been consistent. White has a superior pass and kicking game to Phipps but Phipps is superior in other areas of the game.

As much as people have been talking up Stirzaker's first half performance against the Stormers, Phipps had a major hand in the Rebels winning that match in the second half.

I agree about White - the boil has come off a bit.
As someone said: is Burgess to be our rocky for 2013?
Just remember how everyone (including me) was baying for his blood when he was last a wallaby - short memories

 

[Antony]

Well those are baffling in themselves.
But this whole process seems unreal - what was the point of naming 3 blokes who will not be in the 22 even if no one was added and yet leaving out 6 blokes one of whom almost certainly has to come into the 22 meaning that, contrary to present impressions, 4 blokes from the 25 will have to miss out.
Now that is new level of baffling.

You need enough guys for proper opposed training (particularly for scrums I imagine - though I'll defer to a forward on that one), and if you named a match-day 22 (23 now?) this early, you'd promote complacency. I agree with you that it would be better to just name a squad of 30-odd already, but Deans must be wanting to give particular people time to demand selection (Beale, MMM, even Cooper).

Not naming a second halfback is strange, so it's probably just to give Burgess time to play.