Aussie super 14 team of the week Round 2 2009

[disco]

15.Mark Gerrard: kicked well out of hand & scored a good solo try to win the game.

14. Nick Cummins: Best of a bad bunch

13. Digby Ioane: Played out of position & still made linebreaks & backed it up with some solid defence.

12. JOC (James O'Connor): Didn't see enough ball but when he did he was dangerous.

11. Turner: 2nd best of a bad bunch

10. Quade Cooper: He did it all against a very good Stormers side. His defence has improved also.

9. Ben Lucas: Didn't even play 40 minutes but showed more than any other aussie halfback on the weekend.

8.Richard Brown: Just pips Leroy Houston & Stephen Hoiles but Browns tireless work in defence & around the ruck is priceless.

7.Pocock: Just rock solid again he is making a big push for the Wallaby 7 jersey.

6.Higginbotham: All over the park in attack & defence got the better of Springboks Luke watson & Schalk Burger.

5.Van Humphries: Had another good game he's a tough & gets stuck in Nathan Sharpe could learn something from the old battler.

4.Dean Mumm: Just gets better every week, nothing flash the bloke is class

3.Al Baxter: Smashed his opposite in the scrum

2.TPN: Shades Moore again this week, scrummed well & his throwing was good & he gets low when running the ball something a lot of aussie forwards should practice so they don't get driven back all the time.

1.Benn Robinson: Refer to Al Baxter & he is always solid in defence & attack.

Looking at my picks you'd think the Reds had won but even the most one eyed Brumbies fan must admit that the Reds played the best Rugby of all the states this weekend.

5 x Tahs 5 x Reds 4 x Force 1 x Brumbie

 

[RugbyReg]

Pretty much my team as well. Would probably have Hynes for Turner and Valentine for Lucas. Possibly Leroy for Brown and I would have Moore ahead of TPN.

 

[PhucNgo]

Pretty much my team as well. Would probably have Hynes for Turner and Valentine for Lucas. Possibly Leroy for Brown and I would have Moore ahead of TPN.

Marcia or Deni for Tina? And that's not bad bad Leroy for Brown is it :lmao:?

 

[disco]

I've only seen about 50 minutes of the Reds game & Hynes was off for most of it, as for Stephen Moore I thought the Brumbies Scrum was pretty pissweak & he is part of the front row which gets a lot of credit when the scrum goes well so he also has to take part of the blame when things don't go well plus his throwing wasn't great a couple not straight although I thought the ref was a little strict.

Valentine was lucky not to be carded in the 2nd half for that punch so I marked him down because if he had been caught that may have swung the game in favour of the Cheetahs.

A few blokes had good games & missed out Caldwell from the Tahs, McLinden from the Reds & even Sharpe was unlucky not to be picked at outside centre this week.

 

[fatprop]

Chilsohm instead of Mumm, the tahs locks were too lazy

 

[spectator]

You could really only pick Baxter from the Tahs..what a terrible game! Has Al's game really improved that much or was the Chief's prop that shite? It was embarrassing to watch.

 

[Sully]

I would of loved a mic to pick up on the sledging before the scrums! There was a heap of mouthing off going on.

 

[fatprop]

You could really only pick Baxter from the Tahs..what a terrible game! Has Al's game really improved that much or was the Chief's prop that shite? It was embarrassing to watch.

Robinson is the only dominant scrummager in aus. Al, Nau and he are doing a very good job so far.

 

[Scarfman]

Didn't see the Reds game, but the other 3 Aussie scrums all went better than last year. Fantastic news.

Apart from that, some of my picks would be:

15. Gerrard (just to prove that I don't always (pick SNK)
8. Brown
7. Smith
3. Baxter

 

[rugbywhisperer]

15. Mark Gerrard - without him the ponies in deep poopka
14. Digby Ioane - still only a winger but perform well out of position
13. Timana Tahu - starting to get a grip
12. Rob Horne - I like the boy - he is showing class and demeanour well above his years.
11. Peter Hynes - another class player
10. Quade Cooper - Kurtley is now putting real pressure on this position
9. Josh Valentine - playing a mush better brand of rugby -
8. Richard Brown - absolutely relentless
7. Pocock - read same for Richard Brown.
6. Higginbotham - again - relentless
5. Van Humphries - Really putting his act together - Nathan Sharpe was better this week but not good enough yet
4. Dean Mumm - the bloke is class - want to see him on the side though
3. Al Baxter - Really starting to shine now the monkey has been killed, smashed his opposite in the scrum
2. Tai McIsaac - does an awful lot of work that doesn't get seen, very dependable
1. Benn Robinson - Continuing on from the EOY tour - great workload.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[disco]

I would of loved a mic to pick up on the sledging before the scrums! There was a heap of mouthing off going on.

Your not wrong things nearly boiled over & the frustrated Chiefs prop threw the ball at Baxters head.

 

[Ash]

Here's the SMH's team of the week with the usual bias:

Australian team of the week

February 23, 2009 - 7:46AM

Each week, Greg Growden and Rupert Guinness pick the form team from Australian Super 14 players.

15 Mark Gerrard (ACT) (1)
14 Digby Ioane(Qld) (2)
13 Ryan Cross (Force) (1)
12 Stirling Mortlock (ACT) (2)
11 Haig Sare(Force) (1)
10 Quade Cooper (Qld) (1)
9 Patrick Phibbs (ACT) (2)
8 Wycliff Palu(NSW) (1)
7 George Smith (ACT) (1)
6 Scott Higginbotham (Qld) (1)
5 Nathan Sharpe (Force) (1)
4 Will Caldwell(NSW) (1)
3 Al Baxter (NSW) (2)
2 Stephen Moore (ACT) (1)
1 Benn Robinson (NSW) (2)

 

[cyclopath]

Here's the SMH's team of the week with the usual bias:

Australian team of the week

February 23, 2009 - 7:46AM

Each week, Greg Growden and Rupert Guinness pick the form team from Australian Super 14 players.

15 Mark Gerrard (ACT) (1)
14 Digby Ioane(Qld) (2)
13 Ryan Cross (Force) (1)
12 Stirling Mortlock (ACT) (2)
11 Haig Sare(Force) (1)
10 Quade Cooper (Qld) (1)
9 Patrick Phibbs (ACT) (2)
8 Wycliff Palu(NSW) (1)
7 George Smith (ACT) (1)
6 Scott Higginbotham (Qld) (1)
5 Nathan Sharpe (Force) (1)
4 Will Caldwell(NSW) (1)
3 Al Baxter (NSW) (2)
2 Stephen Moore (ACT) (1)
1 Benn Robinson (NSW) (2)

Bias? If you're referring to NSW players, apart from Caldwell I'd say it's pretty good. I'd have Humphries instead. Not sure about Cross either.

 

[RugbyReg]

Here's the SMH's team of the week with the usual bias:

Australian team of the week

February 23, 2009 - 7:46AM

Each week, Greg Growden and Rupert Guinness pick the form team from Australian Super 14 players.

15 Mark Gerrard (ACT) (1)
14 Digby Ioane(Qld) (2)
13 Ryan Cross (Force) (1)
12 Stirling Mortlock (ACT) (2)
11 Haig Sare(Force) (1)
10 Quade Cooper (Qld) (1)
9 Patrick Phibbs (ACT) (2)
8 Wycliff Palu(NSW) (1)
7 George Smith (ACT) (1)
6 Scott Higginbotham (Qld) (1)
5 Nathan Sharpe (Force) (1)
4 Will Caldwell(NSW) (1)
3 Al Baxter (NSW) (2)
2 Stephen Moore (ACT) (1)
1 Benn Robinson (NSW) (2)

Bias? If you're referring to NSW players, apart from Caldwell I'd say it's pretty good. I'd have Humphries instead. Not sure about Cross either.

Ione played outside centre :nta:

 

[Ash]

Bias? If you're referring to NSW players, apart from Caldwell I'd say it's pretty good. I'd have Humphries instead. Not sure about Cross either.

Everytime I cut and paste their teams I'm going to say bias, no matter how much it is or isn't

Their selections of Phibbs and Sharpe, in particular, puzzle me.

 

[cyclopath]

Bias? If you're referring to NSW players, apart from Caldwell I'd say it's pretty good. I'd have Humphries instead. Not sure about Cross either.

Everytime I cut and paste their teams I'm going to say bias, no matter how much it is or isn't

Their selections of Phibbs and Sharpe, in particular, puzzle me.

So you're saying they're biased against form players!! ;D

 

[Lindommer]

Bias? If you're referring to NSW players, apart from Caldwell I'd say it's pretty good. I'd have Humphries instead. Not sure about Cross either.

Everytime I cut and paste their teams I'm going to say bias, no matter how much it is or isn't Their selections of Phibbs and Sharpe, in particular, puzzle me.

So you're saying they're biased against form players!;D

Pedallist, Naza's saying Growden and Guinness are biassed against Reds players. G&G, writing for the SMH for primarily a New South Wales market, pick players from winning teams in preference to a team yet to bother the scorers with 4 points and coming stone motherless last. That's what he's saying.

 

[Ash]

Bias? If you're referring to NSW players, apart from Caldwell I'd say it's pretty good. I'd have Humphries instead. Not sure about Cross either.

Everytime I cut and paste their teams I'm going to say bias, no matter how much it is or isn't Their selections of Phibbs and Sharpe, in particular, puzzle me.

So you're saying they're biased against form players!;D

Pedallist, Naza's saying Growden and Guinness are biassed against Reds players. G&G, writing for the SMH for primarily a New South Wales market, pick players from winning teams in preference to a team yet to bother the scorers with 4 points and coming stone motherless last. That's what he's saying.

Do you mean Naza as in me or Naza as in Naza?

Not really, I think that Guiness and Growden are equally biased against the Brumbies, Force and Reds. Every now and then Growden writes a cracker talking down the Tahs and up the Brumbies, just so he can take a perverse pleasure when the Tahs succeed and the Brumbies fail. It's a shame he spoils it a few weeks later when he reverts to his usual Tah-loving ways.

I suspect many of their baffling selections (like Waugh week one, Palu, Sharpe, Phibbs week two) have just as much to do with not having a clue about the game of rugby as bias; but bias alone sounds better.

Personally, the way the teams have been playing have excited me. It looks like the Reds are on an upwards spiral and Tahs on a downwards one. Don't you agree, Lindommer?

 

[naza]

Pedallist, Naza's saying Growden and Guinness are biassed against Reds players.

How'd I get roped into this ? Haven't even commented on this thread until now. But agreed, that is their tendency, especially with regard to Phil Waugh vs George Smith.

 

[Biffo]

I you believe that G and G have REAL bias against non-Tah players, then you believe that Aussie Robbie has stronger bias against them.