RWC - Wallabies v Italy - 11th September 2011

[Slim 293]

McCalman played well off the bench last match and deserves his retention.

Hopefully Deans will revert back to a 4/3 bench split for Ireland.

 

[fatprop]

This is a really interesting test for the mentality of the side, will they turn up?

To often they don't "turn up" against "lessor" sides

 

[BDA]

Also no Palu on the bench is worrying?

I don't think so. Looking at this side it's pretty clear that Deans is making sure he doesn't underestimate the italians which is a good sign. Palu needs game time but I'm expecting he'll have to wait until our games against the US and Russia. He'll surely be in the run-on side for those games and play for as long as his body allows. Hopefully that'll mean close to 80 minutes in the last pool match. Then Deans can use him off the bench in the knock stages if he wishes.

Although it does seem that it is unlikely we will see Palu in the team against ireland which is a shame as he destroyed them last time we met the Irish in 2009. I suppose if we play a 5:2 split Deans could still choose Palu next week on the bench with Higgers and use him only in the final 10- 15 minutes of the game, but it's all much of muchness really. Having Palu sit on the bench for 65 minutes of the game will not get Palu match fit. What he needs, as does the rest of our returning stars is time on the field from minute 1.

So I don't think we have to worry about Palu's absence. He's experienced at test level. We know what he offers us on the field. He just needs to get the legs pumping. In my view that is best achieved by allowing him to play for 60-80 minutes against USA and Russia, rather than throwing him into the deep end for 10 minutes against Italy.

As I noted, a clear indication that the Italians will not be taken lightly.

 

[Rebel rouser]

This is a really interesting test for the mentality of the side, will they turn up?

To often they don't "turn up" against "lessor" sides

Yeah, this is a major issue with most Aussie sporting teams, the Wallabies in especial. I think it may be reflective of a more general Australian attitude of the 'fair go' and general hate of 'tall poppies'. We don't like to kick someone when they're down, and in sport, that is what you need to, because even the slightest sniff and some teams can be away (see: Samoa).

 

[Bowside]

In the later stages of the comp do you think they will go back to the 4/3 split or continue with the 5/2. We need at least 1 backrow cover for samo, but elsom with a few more games under his belt might be able to last 80, considering a tired elsom still has about as much impact as a fresh McCalman. It would allow deans to have JOC (James O'Connor) and Mitchell on the bench, with JOC (James O'Connor) covering the inside positions and Mitchell the outside?

It all comes to down how fit Palu is, and how the backline performs. I don't think barnes really has a place in the side at the moment. JOC (James O'Connor) overs more versatility and spark in attack, barnes offers more experience and a steady hand late in the game.

Glad i'm not picking the team at moment. So many conundrums.

 

[Lee Grant]

I thought that Sharpe and Vickerman were being rotated but when push came to shove (literally perhaps), one would start and the other would be on the bench.

Vickerman's body shifting efforts at Suncorp probably changed all that, if it was ever on in the first place, and of a sudden Sharpe was contesting the 3rd lock spot with Simmons. Perhaps Deans didn't want 2 over 30s in a unit of 3 locks. I'll pay that.

The midfield from Suncorp also deserves another go. If the game becomes safe, though if it's the same as in Florence last year it won't be, I'd like to see someone else shift to fullback during the game, to get a possible replacement for Beale up to speed.

Also, if it is safe early, I would like Slipper to come on ASAP and play THP. Alexander can always return if he is substituted.

 

[light]

LG

Agreed with most statements above, I'm thinking AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is going to turn into our utility back and wear the 22 jersey once either JOC (James O'Connor) or Mitchell proves they are up to playing run on 14. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is the only bloke I'd like to see replacing Beale at the back, JOC (James O'Connor) is too hit and miss and doesn't cover Cooper's defensive deficiencies.

 

[Sluggy]

Common sense prevails.

Conservatism more than common sense.

The team that put 50 odd on France last November had these backs:

Genia/Cooper/JOC (James O'Connor)/Barnes/AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)/Mitchell/Beale.

The team that started the 3N against the Boks was the same backline (seems to be the Deans way) but with the injured Barnes and Mitchell replaced by Mccabe and Ioane.

The choice may be Antfinger, McCabe and Digby (who did at least pass the ball in Brisbane ) or fit and inform Barnes, Mitchell and JOC (James O'Connor). "We'll always have Paris", I suppose.

 

[Slim 293]

I would think winning the tri nations is a better achievement than flogging a basket case French team that lost to Italy.

Stick to winning formulas.

McCabe is now our first choice inside centre, and Ioane is one of the best wingers in the world.

They're not being demoted.

 

[daz]

Glad i'm not picking the team at moment. So many conundrums.

What a good problem to have, though. Options, options, options.

It wasn't so long ago we would simply be discussing the same 15-20 players and hoping they would do the job. Imagine the luxury of being able to leave JOC (James O'Connor)/Barnes/Ant/Mitchell/Palu/Sharpe, etc on the sidelines and still put out a solid team? A year or two ago they would have been rushed back in.

I have a good feeling about this RWC. Touch wood.

 

[Braveheart81]

I think that once we reach the knockout stages, we have to stick to the 5-2 bench. I think the versatility of the backline gives us an advantage of being able to play an extra forward allowing us to utilise more impact players.

If you look at Samo, Vickerman, TPN, Palu and Higgers as all being impact players (some to start the game and some to finish) then I think we are really in a position to have a dominant forward pack. If Slipper shows some form, I'd be tempted to make Alexander an impact player too. His ability to sniff out a try could be crucial later in the tournament. We've talked about a Tony Daly try for the last 20 years. Maybe it will be a Ben Alexander try that gets talked about for the next 20.

 

[Jnor]

Going back to the second row thing (cos who doesn't want to do that?), I'm sure RD has his reasons for selecting Simmons as the reserve, like the suggestion he doesn't want two over 30s in three second rowers. But....

Despite age I think the combination of Horwill, Vicks and Sharpe is better than any other team can put out. If Bakkies and VMat were fit they might shade it as starters but for starters and a reserve combo I don't get why we wouldn't be using it.

 

[Sluggy]

I would think winning the tri nations is a better achievement than flogging a basket case French team that lost to Italy.

Stick to winning formulas.

McCabe is now our first choice inside centre, and Ioane is one of the best wingers in the world.

They're not being demoted.

Or maybe the coaching staff just think Palu, Barnes and Mitchell need another week of heavy conditioning training before giving them a chance off the bench to stake a claim?

 

[Slim 293]

Is that before the Wallabies switch to their sky blue jerseys?

I dont think any of those players deserve to be in the starting xv over players already there except for maybe Mitchell.

 

[Joe Mac]

To ensure the Wallabies don't turn into a rabble of headless chooks (like against Samoa) I think Deans is reserving Sharpie for the minnow matches to lead the team. His presence and leadership is proven, making him the optimal candidate to captain those matches (resting Horwill). Simmonds get another chance off the bench to gain some experience, Shaprie get two full matches to ensure match fitness for the knock-out rounds. Makes sense to me...

Daz, I think the wrecking ball combo of a Samo/Palu split is still in contention but they probably want to maximise his rest time before two hit out against USA and Russia.

 

[Scott Allen]

Glad to see Robbie selected a full strength side for this match. Only change I would have liked to see is Sharpe on the bench for Simmons.

It makes sense to me to have your preferred side play together again this week in preparation for the game against Ireland. I don't expect changes for the Ireland game (except for injury). Then changes for the remaining pool games to give others a run before the knockout stages.

 

[Sluggy]

Is that before the Wallabies switch to their sky blue jerseys?

I dont think any of those players deserve to be in the starting xv over players already there except for maybe Mitchell.

Lets stick to discussing the team, eh?

 

[Ruggo]

Or maybe the coaching staff just think Palu, Barnes and Mitchell need another week of heavy conditioning training before giving them a chance off the bench to stake a claim?

It is more a case of if it isn't broken, don't fix it. We constantly hear about RWC's being tight battles and this side is showing signs of a solid conservative base with a nice balance of flair.

 

[barbarian]

This is one of the better articles I have read on the Wallabies chances, with a cheeky reference to G&GR thrown in for good measure:

Be warned, recent success may blind Wallabies to dangers

It is scant reward for such a heady performance, but the Wallabies must disown the satisfaction they gained from the Tri Nations decider in Brisbane, in deed and not just in word if they want to win the World Cup. There is only false comfort in basking in its glow. No silverware is unwelcome after a fallow period, but when the story of 2011 is being written, any success that is not accompanied by the lifting the Webb Ellis Trophy on October 23 will be revealed to have been illusory. Much better to be going into this tournament preoccupied by your own weaknesses, rather than enamoured by your own strengths.

In truth, the Wallabies and All Blacks have overplayed each other in recent times, partly in pursuit of the dollar. Familiarity has allowed the losers to quickly close the gap and make the necessary adjustments for next time round. It is not easy to identify where exactly they stand in the world order.

The birthplace of their current and wonderful renaissance was in Christchurch last year, where the Wallabies secured a mountain of possession but lacked a cutting edge and lost 20-10 - Quade Cooper was serving a suspension, somewhat ironically for a tackle that had gone wrong. In their next game, in Sydney, the All Blacks got out of jail, sneaking home 23-22 on the backs of Kieran Read and Richie McCaw. Then came Hong Kong. Subsequently, an irreverent website set up a clock that gleefully and wittily recorded the months of Wallabies 'domination' over the All Blacks until their next meeting. In the meantime the Reds were writing their own remarkable story in Super Rugby. The combination of results raised hopes that the balance of power had shifted.

Instead, all the praise and exuberance merely incubated a flaw in these Wallabies that will be fatal if it cannot be eradicated, wasting all that huge promise. This young side, with the second most youthful captain in the tournament (only the Welsh are led by a younger man, the 22-year-old Sam Warburton being four years James Horwill's junior), has a tendency to get ahead of itself, monstered 30-14 by the angry All Blacks in Auckland in early August and similarly dismantled 35-18 by the English at Twickenham last year two weeks after Hong Kong. How Robbie Deans must wish he could bottle the anger and resentment of narrow defeat that so often proceeds his side's best performances. The All Blacks turned up in Brisbane sated by Bledisloe I, and were blown away in the first half. The 'psychological advantage' argument might exist, but not in the way previously imagined. The beaten team has been the one stirred to greater heights.

But the Wallabies are well served by having Deans at the helm. There has been certain cruel voyeurism in watching him and his All Blacks counterpart Graham Henry in the coaches' box over the past four years - we are invited to look on at precisely when they are at their most vulnerable, shifting in their seats as the moments that will decide their very legacies are played out in front of them. But it has also been enlightening. The pair - more commonly known for being parsimonious with their feelings - are at their most expressive with each missed opportunity, playing each dropped pass, wincing at an incorrect option, or wondering how the referee had just missed such an apparently blatant illegality. These are the reactions of men who know that points left uncollected will come back to haunt them, all too aware of their own side's vulnerabilities and weak points. The Wallabies' pre-World scrum camps were no accident.

Deans the realist knows his tight five still lacks the collective brutality of the Kiwis, English or Springboks at their most enraged, his goalkicking options are as uncertain as the events surrounding their shared night out in Paris, and he has a five-eighth whose wildly undisciplined worst imperils all the good work around him. Progress has been made on some fronts but not all. The introduction of Dan Vickerman and Radike Samo has provided size and maturity. Ben Alexander and Sekope Kepu's diligence to their main job - pushing hard - has been laudable. But the midfield is a work in progress and it is worth asking if Cooper's position at fullback on defence has robbed Kurtley Beale of counter-attacking possibilities.

Of course, all teams arrive with significant question marks. There are as many reasons to doubt each team can win it as evidence they can. But for the Wallabies, the rewards of correcting these flaws is so tantalising because they have the players to take the tournament away from any team if they are permitted to play. It is not often you get blessed with a Will Genia, whose rare combination of intelligence, composure and - crucially - pace merit all the accolades that have flowed his way this year. You can't win the World Cup without a special player. They have finishers to complement him and a No.7 in David Pocock who can go toe to toe with McCaw and Heinrich Brussow.

The All Blacks would relish Australia in the final if Genia is not there. Not that history suggests that event will happen. The IRB rankings have much more credibility than their discredited FIFA counterparts, but Rugby World Cups have regularly made a mockery of those entering the tournament as the supposed two best sides in the world. In essence, there is too much quality elsewhere and too many imponderables to contemplate this year's final doubling as Bledisloe III just yet.

Just quietly, their coach is bound for the exit door, but the French have been displaying periods of muscular dynamism in their backs as well as forwards in the build-up games.

And it does not take a mathematician to work out how may things could go wrong off the field when you assemble a group of 30 oversized young men - with young mens' appetites, and thirsts - and plonk them on an island for up to two months. Here, the Australians have form. No wonder management is happy to let them tweet. Better that than other forms of recreation.

Fortunately, the Wallabies have been presented with an excellent early opportunities in their opening group C encounters - against Italy and Ireland - to work on their possible Achilles heels and build on the best bits from the Tri Nations. The Italians will be rigorous up front if maddeningly limited in their broader game plan. But they have the players to test the legitimacy of advancements in Australian forward play. Ireland, injury-prone and unconvincing in their preparation, will pray for the rain that will allow them to take the Munster approach. Both tests are welcome.

It is a matter of some amusement that the name of tight-head Martin Castrogiovanni's name was excluded on recent dispatches about alleged repeated cheating, but the Wallabies will be keenly aware of the special challenges the Caveman-like figure produces at scrum time. There will be further hairs planted on the chests of the Wallabies' front-row club if they can deal with Castrogiovanni's antics at the set-piece without resort to the referee. The All Blacks had them creaking in the latter parts of each Bledisloe Test - a New Zealand scrum that would not frighten the English, French, South Africans or perhaps even the Welsh at present (with a fit Gethin Jenkins).

A scrum success against Italy won't heal the scar tissue from Marseille in 2007, but it will be of immense worth, a building block. "They have a big pack, and will look to go for a pushover scrum from their own 22m. That's how much they enjoy scrummaging," Dean says, already warding off the devil of complacency.

The game will also be a litmus test of Paddy O'Brien's determination to address illegal play at the set piece, among other areas. There seems to unprecedented resolution from the IRB to sort out the scrum. Stuart Dickinson, Wyatt Crockett and the world will be watching with interest. In the broader picture, O'Brien has been the target of some none too subtle insinuations from Wallaby fans, and it will be a rich irony if he is the man whose crackdown on infringements is seen as crucial to creating the speed of game the Wallabies relish.

News that Deans will pick his strongest team to face the Italians should be welcomed. The importance of partnerships in rugby can sometimes be over-estimated (they are playing a contact sport, not raising a child) but it was remarkable that the Wallabies last outing was produced with new or infant combinations in the front row, second row, back row, centre pairing and back three. There will be tinkering as the tournament progresses, particularly if Pat McCabe's tenure at No.12 proves to be a worthy but ultimately failed experiment and Anthony Fainga'a slips in at No.12 and James O'Connor at No.14, but the bedding in process must begin immediately if the Wallabies are to realise the improvements that they still have within them.

So can the Wallabies win this? They can put them in a position to, if they get their heads rights. And from there, anything can happen.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/r...-to-dangers-20110906-1jv98.html#ixzz1X8x9czpV

 

[Worldcupnut]

I agree that the very good players we have, who've been out of action for so long, need a run sooner rather than later. I just don't feel that the 1st half against Italy is the time to do it. I honestly think that after a 20pt lead has been achieved in the 2nd half would be the better situation.
30mins for Burgess/ Barnes at half & 5/8, and 20 mins for Slipper, Ma'afu, Horne, Mitchell and 10 mins for Sharpe. Same treatment again for Ireland except maybe give JOC (James O'Connor) a run and then let all of them start against Russia and USA.