Wallabies V Samoa - Test 2011

[barbarian]

You obviously didn't watch many Tahs games this year.

 

[qwerty51]

If the Stadiums he builds hold up the way he did a scrum we are all in deep sh..t

I cannot wait to see the back of him and the arrival and development of blokes who can actually play (Kepu, Moore, Hanson etc).

Sounds like a personal attack on him rather than his actual rugby ability.

 

[rugbyisfun]

comeon mate, his the most capped prop in wallaby history, he wasnt that bad

In the big scheme things as far as the Wallaby front row landscape over the past 10 years is concerned, that means 9/10 of f..k all (being the most capped).

His highlights reel would struggle to fill a 3 minute video clip, and 2mins and 38secs of that would be vision of scrum re-packs....

 

[Braveheart.]

I cannot wait to see the back of him and the arrival and development of blokes who can actually play (Kepu, Moore, Hanson etc).

Why are you comparing a THP to two hookers?

 

[rugbyisfun]

Sounds like a personal attack on him rather than his actual rugby ability.

Not at all! I can't be the only person who feels this way...seriously...Are you blokes all kidding yourselves???

 

[rugbyisfun]

Why are you comparing a THP to two hookers?

It was a comment in relation to the actual playing ability of front rowers. We finally have some exciting prospects arriving who are the real deal.

 

[TOCC]

Sounds like a personal attack on him rather than his actual rugby ability.

I thought that was actually quite a witty comment.. Maybe unecessarrily over the top, but still kind of funny.

 

[Lee Grant]

There is something to like about this team if you consider what it is for, most likely. Haven't read the other comments deliberately so here are some thoughts:

• Don't know the reason of picking Alexander, a poor THP (and not a very good LHP either) at 3, and Kepu, the best Oz THP in Super rugby at 1. Maybe it's last man standing, or collapsing, or maybe it's just to give Kep a refresher at LHP. Good to see him fit enough to start a test match - apparently.

• It's interesting that Hanson is judged to be Oz 4th string at hooker after Moore and TPN. Many of us would have had Charles there but it was foreshadowed in the 40 man training squad. Well done James.

• Good to see Timani starting. The Reds locks were not chosen to start for obvious reasons but who knows: his rise in ability in Super rugby could continue at a higher level. He is not rated by many on this forum and it's unlikely that he will be one of the 4 RWC locks. Horwill and Sharpe are givens, but he will contend with Simmons and Vickerman for the other two spots. Timani's selection in the 22 could signal the end of Mumm's immediate prospects though.

Deans probably likes his hard nosed yet athletic play and indeed, he reminds me some of the rising England lock Courtney Lawes.
On the other hand he could be a complete flop as he was for the Brumbies and Force.

• It's good to see Rocky fit again and hopefully, long term. He played well in his one Super match and one hopes he can get a sequence of healthy games. Looks like Higginbotham is the shadow for 3N and not Mumm; good on you Scott.

• There will be a ding dong battle between Hodgson and Robinson to be Pocock's back up. Looking forward to the contest.

• The Brumbies nexus of 10. Giteau, 12. McCabe and 13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) (although AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) played wing mostly and McCabe only a few games at 12), is a good choice. We would be interested in what Giteau's instructions will be but hope that he does more ball playing than running.

As we all thought: McCabe is a serious contender to be a permanent back-up 12/13 though to whom at 12, we are not sure. Saw him at Rat Park on Saturday and he said he wasn't allowed to play against Gordon. It was obvious then he was in the 22 but wished him good luck anyway. Perhaps now we can exlude JOC (James O'Connor) from that centre mix, though who knows?

• Good to see Gerrard back in the fold. To play the old record: he should always be in a Wallaby squad for use in unsavoury weather and ground conditions to use his booming boot.


It's nice to look at the apparent clues and see what underlies selections but sometimes one is best advised to read tea leaves or throw the bones.
.

 

[biggsy]

hope Nick Phipps has a cracker, and keeps out burgees.(burgees i'm guessing still with broken hand thats why genia of the bench) Burgess will do well over seas with the slow paced euro rugby.

 

[Lee Grant]

PS rugbyisfun

Pull your head in. People will think you are serious.

 

[TOCC]

i just watched a replay of the Wallabies v England at Subiaco last year, and the commentators were singing the praise of how it was Burgess's best game of the season..
His running game was quite good, and he didnt have any trouble reaching all of the rucks.. but his passing game was pretty poor, QC (Quade Cooper) was having to catch it flat footed or above his head quite a bit..

 

[Richo]

His running game was quite good, and he didnt have any trouble reaching all of the rucks.. but his passing game was pretty poor, QC (Quade Cooper) was having to catch it flat footed or above his head quite a bit..

At least his passes were catchable in that game.

 

[rugbyisfun]

PS rugbyisfun

Pull your head in. People will think you are serious.

Happy to stick my head out on this one Lee. I am very serious. Happy to compare notes with anyone who would like to take a shot at justifying comments that Baxter has been a good TH.

 

[Blue]

Interestign team.

Alexander. I don't get it. Really don't.

 

[daz]

He is one of the worst players to ever don the hallowed 3 jersey. A complete passenger who got found out time and time again. He offers absolutely nothing around the field apart from arriving late at the ruck or maul to pull stupid faces as the opposition front rowers run laps around him with their work rate, ball skills and set piece play.

If the Stadiums he builds hold up the way he did a scrum we are all in deep sh..t

I cannot wait to see the back of him and the arrival and development of blokes who can actually play (Kepu, Moore, Hanson etc).

Interesting that your name is rugbyisfun. I only mention this because you seem to be dead set on proving otherwise.

Say what you want about Baxter, and I have said plenty myself, but under tough conditions he put heart and soul into his game. My only real criticism of Al is that he could not adapt his game (at test level) to prevent or remove the perceptions of his scrumming ability.

A true and loyal servant of the game, warts and all, and I think it only fair we acknowledge that rather than kick the bloke. If Deans says that Al needs to come back to fill some gaps, then so be it. Some of us (including myself) might not like it, but needs must.

He really did have a cracking year with the Tahs.

 

[barbarian]

He really did have a cracking year with the Tahs.

And that is the key. A few years ago those anti-Baxter comments would have received far more approving comments, but he has been in great form the last two seasons and proved a lot of doubters wrong.

 

[Richo]

And that is the key. A few years ago those anti-Baxter comments would have received far more approving comments, but he has been in great form the last two seasons and proved a lot of doubters wrong.

Agree with this 100%. One of the keys to a dominant front row (as the Crusaders proved, btw) is having someone off the bench who maintains an equivalent intensity at scrum time. I feel like Baxter did this very effectively this year for the Tahs. He also performed excellently when he started during injuries to both Benn and Kepu. The Waratah scrum remained strong throughout the season even with injuries to Robinson, Kepu, Nau and Fitzpatrick. A lot of credit lies with Al.

 

[redsfanatic]

I know this is controversial and people will complain and go on about it, but in my opinion it is outrageous that the worst scrummager in history is Australia's most capped prop. Australia will lose any game Al Baxter is even remotely involved in. Sorry to all those Baxter fans.

Surprised James Horwill isn't in there. I know he is being rested for 'burnout', but heard him speak multiple times during the week, and he said he definitely wanted to play.

I'm not doubting the ability of Matt Hodgson, but I would personally have Beau Robinson as back-up for Pocock. They might of rested Beau for the high of winning the final, because he was injured for most of the end of the season, so wouldn't be rested for 'burnout'.

And I'm also presuming Scott Higginbotham is being rested for burnout, because I rate him higher than Ben McCalman.

This selection has obviously ruled out JOC (James O'Connor) as inside centre, unless Robbie only wants to trial him with the first-choice 10 (QC (Quade Cooper)). As I have said on other posts, Robbie continually says that JOC (James O'Connor) is too small for inside centre. I'm also presuming that JOC (James O'Connor) may not be first-choice inside centre and Robbie is not trialling him there because Deans has not put him there in the blueprints over the past few years.

 

[daz]

And that is the key. A few years ago those anti-Baxter comments would have received far more approving comments, but he has been in great form the last two seasons and proved a lot of doubters wrong.

I agree with you in principle barb, but I think it wise to add that while he might have been in good nick over the last two Super seasons, at Test level we are yet to see if the monkey is gone.

 

[Richo]

Surprised James Horwill isn't in there. I know he is being rested for 'burnout', but heard him speak multiple times during the week, and he said he definitely wanted to play.

I'm not doubting the ability of Matt Hodgson, but I would personally have Beau Robinson as back-up for Pocock. They might of rested Beau for the high of winning the final, because he was injured for most of the end of the season, so wouldn't be rested for 'burnout'.

And I'm also presuming Scott Higginbotham is being rested for burnout, because I rate him higher than Ben McCalman.

And Simmons over Sharpe and Fainga'a over Moore, right? :fishing