One thing I have been thinking of since Sharpe has retired, who is going to call the lineouts?
None of the starting players this year (apart from Sharpe) call for their Super sides except Simmons who has fallen a bit in the polls so to speak.
Here again I think Deans has really stuffed up in terms of succession planning. He will most probably field a combination of Horwill and Timani/Douglas. Fair enough in the 2nd row if somebody can actually teach Timani to jump and catch at the same time. The main question still goes unanswered who calls the lineout. Not just on Wallabies ball but to actually compete against the Lions, which if you remember Plank had to do to win the series last time.
Here is where IMO Deans has erred (again). One of the backrowers used on the EOYT should have been a lineout caller and a dominant jumper to offset Timani. Higgers is a good jumper but doesn't call to my knowledge. Palu doesn't jump. Hooper and Pocock don't jump. Samo does jump and very well but doesn't call (and questions remain about if a 50 year old can still bend over to lace the boots up let alone play).
So who do I suggest? Somebody who has been a bridesmaid for three years, Mowen. At the Tahs and at the Brumbies he has been a dominant jumper at 6 or 8 and called both offensive and defensive lineouts. He should have been taken on tour and run. Without Sharpe to direct the lineout it is potentially a huge weakness for the Wallabies and one that on the potential Wallaby players already blooded and remaining in contention is really answered IMO. As things stand, with Blades even admitting the Wallabies are not interested in competing for the opposition ball opposition teams can just guarantee their own ball and prepare some very good first phase possession. Without any real lineout tacticians they will be looking gleefully at this set piece.
