Wallabies v Leicester Tigers

[Bowside]

Yeah sookface will be captain for sure.

 

[Travi34]

15 Peter Hynes
14 Rod Davies
13 Pat McCabe
12 Anthony Fainga'a
11 Lachie Turner
10 Berrick Barnes
9 Luke Burgess
8 Richard Brown
7 Matt Hodgson
6 Scott Higginbotham
5 Rob Simmons
4 Van Humphries
3 Salesi Ma'afu
2 Huia Edmonds
1 Ben Daley

16 Saia Fainga'a
17 James Slipper
18 Dean Mumm
19 Pat McCutcheon
20 Nick Phipps
21 Kurtley Beale
22 Luke Morahan

What about Slipper? Surely he's earnt a starting spot in a midweek.

I'd be hoping for alot of game time for the bench, 20/30min atleast... we know what Fainga'a, slipper and beale can do....
but morahan in the XV form, Phipps, Patty Mac...

I wanna see hodgson in the G&G.. always has a poorly timed injury... for Van this & Munster will be his only games as a "Wallaby" unfortunately...

 

[Lee Grant]

Pity though - being the eyes and ears of the aussie rugby world was a thrill at Gloucester...

You have to move on Gagger. There is no use living in the past. Mind you there was a lass from the Australian Ballet that slipped through my fingers about 50 years ago when she was wavering on a certain decision, but her mother came back after deciding not to go somewhere. Never saw her again but I never forgot her.

But I digress.

 

[Gagger]

Mind you there was a lass from the Australian Ballet that slipped through my fingers about 50 years ago

those ballerinas can get bloody skinny

 

[Langthorne]

1. Daley
2. Fainga'a
3. Ma'afu
4. Simmons
5. Van Humphries
6. Higginbotham
7. Hodgson
8. Brown
9. Phipps
10. Barnes (c)
11. Morahan
12. Fainga'a
13. McCabe
14. Davies
15. Hynes

16. Edmonds
17. Slipper
18. Mumm
19. McCutcheon
20. Burgess
21. ?? A 1st XV starter ??
22. Turner


Assuming Deans keeps the current starting XV, it would seem prudent to avoid using them in the mid week matches.

I'm very interested to see what team Leicester puts out.

 

[disco]

What about Slipper? Surely he's earnt a starting spot in a midweek.

No need he's been getting plenty of gametime with Wallabies I'm sure Robbie will want him rested for Twickers.

 

[Newter]

Ok, so we're about 5 days away from this game. Now we know the test team, what do we reckon will be the line-up for that one? Just filling in the gaps I guess, and it will depend on injuries and game time this weekend.

I reckon:


15 Peter Hynes
14 Rod Davies
13 Pat McCabe
12 Anthony Fainga'a
11 Lachie Turner
10 Berrick Barnes
9 Luke Burgess
8 Richard Brown
7 Matt Hodgson
6 Scott Higginbotham
5 Rob Simmons
4 Van Humphries
3 Salesi Ma'afu
2 Huia Edmonds
1 Ben Daley

16 Saia Fainga'a
17 James Slipper
18 Dean Mumm
19 Pat McCutcheon
20 Nick Phipps
21 Kurtley Beale
22 Luke Morahan

Beale and Barnes to split the game at 10. Hodgson skipper perhaps, or I guess Barnes or Burgess.

Funny how this is basically the Queensland Reds with a stronger backrow. If they play to form it could be a great performance.

 

[Red Rooster]

No need he's been getting plenty of gametime with Wallabies I'm sure Robbie will want him rested for Twickers.

Dont you ask yourself why does he never get to start? Playing 20 mins at the end of a game is not ideal development after playing in 10 test matches

 

[TOCC]

Dont you ask yourself why does he never get to start? Playing 20 mins at the end of a game is not ideal development after playing in 10 test matches

Because he can play both sides of the scrum but isn't dominant at either.... That's exactly the reason, behind Alexander he is probably the most capable prop at playing both sides of the scrum, hence why he will always have greater value at been a benchy.... If Deans really thought he was a better scrummager then either of the Ben's don't you think he would have been brought on earlier last night

 

[Bruce Ross]

You have to move on Gagger. There is no use living in the past. Mind you there was a lass from the Australian Ballet that slipped through my fingers about 50 years ago when she was wavering on a certain decision, but her mother came back after deciding not to go somewhere. Never saw her again but I never forgot her.

But I digress.

Usually, LG, your posts have the clarity of crystal, but I must confess that I am a little bemused by this one. What are we to make of:

"a lass from the Australian Ballet ... slipped through my fingers about 50 years ago ... but her mother came back after deciding not to go somewhere."

Are we to take it that after the daughter decamped you had some sort of involvement with the mother? That would certainly cause you never to forget the daughter - but even more so the mother.

Please understand that I am in no sense being judgemental if you were perhaps the inspiration for the movie, The Graduate. Their family name wasn't Robinson by any chance? Good luck to you.

At the same age I was spending too much time boozing in pubs with my rugby mates to crack onto birds. Even the backs in our team were celibate.

 

[Nusadan]

At the same age I was spending too much time boozing in pubs with my rugby mates to crack onto birds. Even the backs in our team were celibate.

Brewer's droop, eh?

 

[RugbyReg]

team named:

15. Peter Hynes (Queensland Reds)
14. Rod Davies (Queensland Reds)
13. Pat McCabe (Brumbies)
12. Anthony Fainga'a (Queensland Reds)
11. Lachie Turner (NSW Waratahs)
10. Berrick Barnes (c) (NSW Waratahs)
9. Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs)
8. Richard Brown (Western Force)
7. Matt Hodgson (Western Force)
6. Scott Higginbotham (Queensland Reds)
5. Rob Simmons (Queensland Reds)
4. Van Humphries (Queensland Reds)
3. Salesi Ma'afu (Brumbies)
2. Huia Edmonds (Brumbies)
1. James Slipper (Queensland Reds)

Reserves:
16. Saia Fainga'a (Queensland Reds)
17. Ben Daley (Queensland Reds)
18. Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs)
19. Pat McCutcheon (NSW Waratahs)
20. Nick Phipps (Melbourne Rebels)
21. Matt Giteau (Brumbies)
22. Luke Morahan (Queensland Reds)

 

[barbarian]

Wel done Reg, a very credible 20/22, with Slipper at 3 and Gits on the bench the only discrepancies.

Picked the right side, should be a good game. A lot depends on what side Leicester put up and the attitude they bring to the game.

 

[#1 Tah]

that 21 jersey looks mighty fine on gits....

 

[RugbyReg]

from the press release:

Flyhalf Berrick Barnes will captain the Qantas Wallabies in their tour match against reigning English Premiership champions, the Leicester Tigers, at Welford Road on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning AEDT).

The NSW Waratahs inside back, who co-captained the Australian Barbarians with Stephen Hoiles against England in June, is one of nine players selected who were involved in the Qantas Wallabies’ 25-16 win over Wales at Millennium Stadium last night.

The Australian squad will feature all seven members of the Qantas Wallabies’ bench from the James Bevan Trophy Test – Barnes, Richard Brown, Luke Burgess, Huia Edmonds, Dean Mumm, James Slipper and Lachie Turner – while Test hooker Saia Fainga'a and inside centre Matt Giteau have also been included in Tuesday night’s match after starting for the Qantas Wallabies against the Dragons.

Fainga'a has been included in the side despite exiting Saturday night’s match prematurely with a corked thigh while fellow rake Tatafu Polota-Nau will join the side today from Australia to provide coverage in the front row after Stephen Moore was unable to take his place in Saturday’s run-on side to due to back complaint. Both Fainga'a and Moore will remain with the squad.

The midweek fixture will provide six members of the touring party with their Qantas Wallabies debuts. Winger Rod Davies, flanker Scott Higginbotham, 34-year-old lock Van Humphries and outside centre Pat McCabe have all been selected in the run-on side, while back-rower Pat McCutcheon and scrumhalf Nick Phipps, the lone representative from Australia’s newest Super Rugby province, the Melbourne Rebels, have been named on the bench.

Brumbies prop Salesi Ma’afu, who played 10 Tests for Australia this year, will return to Leicester, after taking up a short-term contract with the club during the 2007/08 season.

The squad to play Leicester includes six players who contested midweek matches against Gloucester and Cardiff during last year’s Northern Hemisphere tour, while the likes of Kurtley Beale and Quade Cooper – who were also involved in the aforementioned matches – have since graduated to starting members of the Qantas Wallabies’ Test side.

The Qantas Wallabies won both tour matches in 2009, defeating Gloucester 36-5 at Kingsholm before accounting for the Cardiff Blues, 31-3, at Cardiff City Stadium.

Qantas Wallabies head coach Robbie Deans says the midweek tour matches are an integral tool in preparing young players for Test football.

“If you look at last year, a number of players emerged out of the midweek fixtures,” he said. “Kurtley Beale played his first game at fullback and Quade Cooper played flyhalf and have both since established themselves in the Test side. Salesi Ma’afu had his first outing for the Qantas Wallabies and went on to make his Test debut.

“These matches are a critical, to be honest. It provides rugby for the whole group which is invaluable and keeps the entire squad connected. What it offers us is access for everyone. Without it we go from Test to Test which doesn’t permit us to provide an opportunity for the next tier of player.

“In terms of the aspirational pathway, it’s an essential element. Sometimes until you provide an opportunity, you don’t know how players will respond and over the past two years we’ve seen significant response from the players who’ve had that opportunity.”

The announcement of today’s line-up means that all 36 players in the Qantas Wallabies touring party will have received match involvement at the conclusion of the first three matches of the seven-match Spring tour.

Deans says his side his side is champing at the bit ahead of Tuesday’s match.

“They can’t wait,” he said. “It keeps them connected in terms of their preparation which has been good for all parties, whether they be Test players or part of the midweek squad.”

Leicester currently sits fifth in the 12-team English Premiership, with three wins and four losses from their seven matches, including their most recent 19-12 loss to third-placed Gloucester at Kingsholm last weekend.

The Tigers have an impressive recent record against international sides after defeating the Springboks, 22-17, at Welford Road in November, 2009.

The Midlands club is coached by former English hooker Richard Cockerill, and former Australian Test representative and ex-Brumbies assistant coach Matt O’Connor.

The nine-time English champions boast 20 players with Test experience in their existing roster, including current England squad members Toby Flood, Ben Youngs, Tom Croft and Dan Cole.

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (RSA)

 

[vidiot]

Kaplan, then Joubert on the weekend. The permutations are endless.

Interesting that Slipper is starting over Daley.

I was both hoping and fearing Giteau would be running on (as 10). Hoping for what it means for the weekend against the poms, fearing for the midweek backline. Gits is has moved from ordinary form to shambolic, and needs to be in Bali drinking fluffy ducks and getting his head right for a solid pre-super-season.

 

[farva]

Im nervous about this game.
I dont think our front row matches up against the Tigers, and our backs (who are very good even in the second string team) wont see much ball.

Edit: And the rumour is that both Castrogiovvani and Ayerza are going to be available for Leicester

 

[dobduff11]

I wanted morahan to start!

Never mind atleast you will see how Fainga'a goes against a good team

 

[RedsHappy]

Wel done Reg, a very credible 20/22, with Slipper at 3 and Gits on the bench the only discrepancies.
Picked the right side, should be a good game. A lot depends on what side Leicester put up and the attitude they bring to the game.

But gents, why on earth here: Ma'afu, Brown, Giteau? Why take highly known commodities into this game? Or at the very least put the former 2 on the bench, and trial promising lesser-knowns (at this level) for the run-on.

Whatever, this will be an intriguing match, and there'll be some moments of truth for we Reds fans as we see how some of our favourites go.

 

[Travi34]

that 21 jersey looks mighty fine on gits....

Would look even better with a last years supporter guernsey from K-Mart...

or a Toulon Guernsey... which he can wear for the next 10 years...