Simmons out.........
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/simmons-ruled-out-of-wallabies-test-20131031-2wi0g.html
Now, I was under the impression that Mowen had been calling the lineouts all year?
He was definitely running them under Deans during the Lions' series, and appeared to continue doing so under Link..........
So, this line is bamboozling:
Horwill, who was replaced by Timani midway through the second half in Dunedin, is now expected to share the calling duties with Ben Mowen.
However, that might also just be lazy journalism from Jim Morton, as Georgina Robinson states:
It is also far from ideal for the Wallabies, who will now rely solely on No.8 Ben Mowen to call the lineout with Horwill and Douglas as back-up.
Now that seems to indicate that Mowen and Simmons share the role, or that Simmons was the backup (obviously).........
I hardly see how having the best lineout operator in the country take sole control of the lineout is worrying, unless of course he's off the field like in Bled II when the lineout disintegrated (under Simmons' watch).........
It's only worrying if there's any truth in the idea that Horwill, who has never run a lineout, somehow needs to offer assistance.........