Wallabies Trinations Squad

[cyclopath]

I know Timani has had a few good matches for the Tahs but I question his experience under pressure at test level. If your got other large forwards like Palu, Samo, Higginbotham, Horwill and Simmons, do you need Timani in the 22?

Well, you can question the "experience under pressure at Test level" for most of them too - none have played a lot of Tests except Palu, especially in recent years. But I'm just splitting hairs. They might all be big, but that doesn't mean they all play the same way. Palu and Horwill are very direct runners, Samo and Higgers play a looser more linking style, Simmons I'm not sure what his style is. Timani plays a bit Palu-like in his direct running, but looks to have some pretty good ball skills to boot. He might be a hybrid of them all!
In any event, it depends what the coaches actually want them to do - you don't want a bunch of big guys who are all trying to run wider and play a linking game, nor do you necessarily want them all running up the guts. I'd love to see what he can do, but he is not at the top of the list for lock yet.

 

[Swarley]

I know Timani has had a few good matches for the Tahs but I question his experience under pressure at test level. If your got other large forwards like Palu, Samo, Higginbotham, Horwill and Simmons, do you need Timani in the 22?

4. Sharpe
5. Horwill
6. Elsom (c)
7. Pocock
8. Palu

18. Simmons
19. McCalman
20. Samo


I think this is the approach Deans should take. It allows Samo to cover for Palu's lack of match-fitness, McCalman to cover Rocky in case he breaks down again (whilst also being able to play Lock along with Simmons, another specialist.

 

[tigerland12]

If a side has a 5:2 split, it usually has a 6/8 and an openside, not two 8's. If Deans does opt for a 5:2 (which I doubt he will), it will be Hodgson with either Samo or McCalman

 

[Knockers]

James O'Connor should be playing 12 and Scott Higginbotham will play no.8. even if he is a natural 6. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at 13 and giteau on the bench.

 

[light]

Most likely result if Higgers plays #6.
1. Benn Robinson
2. Stephen Moore
3. Sekope Kepu
4. James Horwill
5. Nathan Sharpe
6. James O'Connor
7. David Pocock
8. Wycliff Palu
9. Will Genia
10. Quade Cooper
11. Digby Ioane
12. Matt Giteau
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. Scott Higgenbotham
15. Kurtley Beale

 

[TheNextBigThing]

If you don't rate Higginbotham and think he skylarks, just hit the agree button underneath any of the other THOUUUSAND posts saying the same thing. These jokes are old, and any truth or authority they may have had has been well and truly lost by now. If you want people to listen or respect an opinion don't continually phrase it it in the same snide remark.

 

[Athilnaur]

Might want to edit that Light

 

[tigerland12]

Personally, I thought the joke got old about 2 months ago, but obviously something is wrong with my sense of humor

 

[Sully]

getting a bit sick of larkham promoting giteau as the #1 10 in the country> if git was half the 10 cooper is i doubt ther backline would have been so rubbish
he had a fantastic year for him but oconner is the next best option is cooper goes down> means we dont have to change the gameplan too much
bangin on the same point all year to look after his mate> we are not playing a defensive game!
the wallabies will not win the trinations or world cup by playing defense. we will win by scoring more tries> ie. the reds
a straight swap cooper and beale in defense allows
*coopers superior high ball abilities to shine as well as longer more accurate passes to wingers on the other side of the field
*beales superior tackling front on @ 10
it IS that simple why make it complicated

Larkham is just doing what every other coach does this time of year. He's promoting his players.

 

[Lee Grant]

Not this year but next year is what I was talking about - though play him against Samoa this year to lock him in - even it it's off the bench for 15 minutes. I was assuming earlier in the piece that the Reds locks would be rested.

 

[minorbird]

What does Larkham have to gain from promoting Gits though, given that his time with the Brumbies is up? Perhaps his motivations are more self-serving, so if by some stroke of luck or tragedy Gits is the Wallabies no. 10 at the RWC he can claim this as a triumph of his coaching? Who knows?

 

[Sully]

JOC (James O'Connor) will never be 12 for Deans until he is bigger
Gits shouldn't be 12 either, he doesn't combine very well with Quade - a champion team is better than a team of champions so therefore
Anthony Fainga'a should be 12 because he is a good player and combines well with Cooper

Besides stirring up a shit fight the fact thay are all about the same size negates your argument.

 

[TheNextBigThing]

Does there have to be a sinister motivation behind talking up one of your mates, a bloke you've been working with on and off, his whole career, and who at his best was one of the worlds best and has hit a vein of form this year that has silenced a lot of his critics?

Good on Larkham for sticking up for Gits. God knows noone else does.

 

[light]

If you don't rate Higginbotham and think he skylarks, just hit the agree button underneath any of the other THOUUUSAND posts saying the same thing. These jokes are old, and any truth or authority they may have had has been well and truly lost by now. If you want people to listen or respect an opinion don't continually phrase it it in the same snide remark.

For the record I am actually a fan of Higgers and do rate him. I just saw some potential in his little run and grubber down the wing on saturday night and thought it might lighten the mood.

 

[Sully]

What does Larkham have to gain from promoting Gits though, given that his time with the Brumbies is up? Perhaps his motivations are more self-serving, so if by some stroke of luck or tragedy Gits is the Wallabies no. 10 at the RWC he can claim this as a triumph of his coaching? Who knows?

I never understood what any coach had to gain by telling the selectors who they should be picking. Complete waste of time if you ask me. Still it possible makes the Coach feel better.

 

[fatprop]

Personally, I thought the joke got old about 2 months ago, but obviously something is wrong with my sense of humor

are these different from the jokes about Cooper's tackling, Burgess' passing, Baxter's scrummaging or Dunning's size?

 

[Groucho]

I know Timani has had a few good matches for the Tahs but I question his experience under pressure at test level. If your got other large forwards like Palu, Samo, Higginbotham, Horwill and Simmons, do you need Timani in the 22?

Surely it depends on who is best. If Timani is playing better than one or more of the others then he may well get a run.

 

[Groucho]

What does Larkham have to gain from promoting Gits though, given that his time with the Brumbies is up? Perhaps his motivations are more self-serving, so if by some stroke of luck or tragedy Gits is the Wallabies no. 10 at the RWC he can claim this as a triumph of his coaching? Who knows?

It would be vastly more self-serving to stop promoting players that you coached all year, and have played beside for your whole career, simply because they're going elsewhere. Larkham has nothing to 'gain'. I'm sure the thought didn't cross his mind.

 

[Garryowen]

are these different from the jokes about Cooper's tackling, Burgess' passing, Baxter's scrummaging or Dunning's size?

Or Chariots Carter for that matter.

No, there's no difference. It's a double standard and for whatever reason he is a protected species.

FWIW, I thought Higgers started the match really well with some good, hard tackling. However, there was a moment later in the game where I noticed he was first to the ruck, only to hang back and let his teammates jump in before him. Indeed, when interviewed by Kafer at the end of the match, he responded to Kafes truly bizarre comment that he played a tighter game this year by responding that his hardworking back row partners allowed him to play a wider game.

Nevertheless, I think he should be in the squad and can develop his tight game. He is a damaging runner and has proved that he can do the tough stuff like tackling. It's really just a question of attitude I feel (ala Quade).

On Timani, I suspect he may be selected against Samoa so that he can't ever play for Tonga (kind of like what happened with Samo). Hopefully, unlike Samo, he won't need to wait seven years for a recall.

 

[daz]

are these different from the jokes about ....... Dunning's size?

Aw, come on fp. That one never gets old....