We were sitting right in front of the Horne 'butchered' try, saw it all dead on. He dropped it when he could have passed to AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), but that's rugby isn't it? Shit happens.
Yep it does. It wasn't typical of Horne who is not known as a greedy player. I think that he thought he had that extra step or two before he made the decision to pass, or not.
He played well otherwise but all that said, he deserves to be dropped for getting it wrong; it could have cost the game.
The Wobs have a potential problem in the lineout with Horwill out and maybe even if he is in. Sharpe's time should be up, but he is probably needed to run the lineout and we're hanging onto him. Yet folks are talking about dropping Simmons, who has also dabbled as lineout boss at the Reds.
If Simmons is out I wouldn't put Timani in there instead. I watched him closely in Newcastle for a while and whilst it's probably not fair to judge anybody on that one game he looked like one of Browns cows.
People talk about players who had the kind of game he had and say they are lazy, but they are invariably wrong. It's more the case that they don't know where and when to make their efforts to have an effect; sometimes they even make an ineffective ruck hit to show they are putting in.
David Lyons had that problem big time and Simmons has the fault to some extent - but he isn't lazy. I missed the announcement that certain players were cut out of the 39, so Pyle isn't around apparently, but I would give Douglas a gig. Is he still in?
But I digress. As for Moore and TPN: I would always start Moore except in the unusual case we had last week. TPN is one of the best impact players the Wobs have had for yonks. You can always start the 2nd hooker at half time then have him cramp up and bring back the 1st one fresh. Many Super teams do it with props. Last year Kepu was going off before oranges for the Tahs and Baxter limped off at about 65 minutes and he came back on.
Someone said that Alexander was ineffectual when he came on. I thought the opposite, but I'm probably wrong: I frequently am. I think he has stepped up this year though maybe my original opinion was too far down to start with.
The next time Pocock has blood coming out of his noggin, which will be next week, I would keep him off for the full 10 minutes and play Hooper and it's win, win. Pocock is a freak of nature, but an extra 10 minutes rest in a game will do him no harm. Hooper is playing, albeit from the bench, like he was when he dominated the Oz Schools tournament as a Yr.11 player 4 years ago. And there is still Gill to come. Maybe we'll have to turn Poey into a hooker down the track.
Who else? AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) has had faint praise for his game and it should have been stronger.
Vuna is not a footie player yet in the 15 man code, but his progress since last year has been encouraging. Getting his shoulder into moving targets would be a good priority and getting there to start with, also. Wales didn't get him under the high ball enough but that will change next week if he is still in the XV. Gatland would have been on the phone last night already.
It will be interesting to see the team sheet next week. If KB (Kurtley Beale) plays it will give us the profile of the real Wallaby team for 4N, less JOC (James O'Connor) and QC (Quade Cooper). It will also give Barnes a chance to play in his best position at 12 before they come back. Yours truly and others have been saying that since Deans used him there when the Wobs whacked the Blacks before my eyes in the first Bledisloe of Deans' tenure.
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