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Wallabies v. Los Pumas : Team Announcement

Brumby Jack October 4, 2012 59

No GravatarThe Wallabies have lobbed in Argentina to take on Los Pumas for the first time since 2002.

Once again, Robbie Deans has a selection headache after sustaining more injuries in the loss to South Africa last weekend with Berrick Barnes and Adam Ashley-Cooper joining the ever increasing team rehab stocks.

It’s almost to the point where Deans is resorting to pulling names from a hat to fill the 22 available spaces on the team sheet and called for reinforcements to bolster the squad with Rebels lock Cadeyrn Neville and Reds back Luke Morahan answering the SOS to join the squad.

Although the Wallabies can not win The Rugby Championship in 2012, the match this week still has relevance after the Wallabies dropped to third place in the ever important IRB rankings.

The Wallabies know they will be in for a tough battle against the Pumas in Rosario. The Pumas got smashed by the All Blacks last week but did not deserve the hiding that the scoreboard showed and will be out to get their maiden win.

With all those issues in mind, Robbie Deans has made five changes to the starting XV and has added some beef to the pack by selecting Sitaleki Timani at blindside flanker. Queensland Reds prop James Slipper gets his chance to impress by starting at loosehead.

In the backline Mike Harris starts at fullback in place of the injured Barnes and will assume the goal kicking duties whilst Ben Tapuai takes the place of Ashley-Cooper at outside centre. Making his Wallabies debut is the Badass Honey Badger himself, Nick Cummins at the expense of Dom Shipperley.

Both Dave Dennis and Benn Robinson have reverted to the bench which takes on a 5/2 split and will be joined by Scott Higginbotham who has seemingly recovered from the back injury that ruled him out in the warm up of last weeks game in Pretoria.

The team is:

15. Mike Harris
14. Nick Cummins
13. Ben Tapuai
12. Pat McCabe
11. Digby Ioane
10. Kurtley Beale
9. Nick Phipps
8. Radike Samo
7. Michael Hooper
6. Sitaleki Timani
5. Nathan Sharpe (C)
4. Kane Douglas
3. Ben Alexander
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau
1. James Slipper

Reserves
16. Saia Fainga’a
17. Benn Robinson
18. Dave Dennis
19. Scott Higginbotham
20. Liam Gill
21. Brett Sheehan
22. Dominic Shipperley

A reminder that daylight savings kicks in most Australian states this weekend which means the game will kick off at 10am on Sunday (AEDT).

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POSTED IN » Argentina, Wallabies
About the author: Brumby Jack View all posts by
Canberra born and bred Rugby tragic brought up on Canberra Kookaburra and ACT Brumbies Rugby. It was a choice between politics and Rugby, with Rugby the obvious winner.


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Discussion

  • Timbo

    All things considered, that isn’t a bad team.

    Tight 5 are proven performers although our scrum could be put under a lot of pressure.

    Back row is pretty solid and hopefully Sita should bring some mongrel.

    Good to see Taps and the HB getting a run.

    I’d maybe consider having Harris at 12 and McCabe at 15.

    And our bench looks good too.

    What were we worried about :|

    • Colonel Smouch

      Agree, though I am not sure about Sita at 6, I would like to be pleasantly surprised. I would actually like to see him transformed into an 8 over time.

      Great to see Taps and especially HB get a run. Quality players and will never take a backward step.

      May have swapped Mike Harris and MacCabe but otherwise pretty good.

      C’mon boys let’s finish strong – pride in the GOLD jersey.

      • fin

        I like Sita as an 8 longterm too, with Douglas and Neville as locks. That much bulk would allow you to play Hooper and Pocock on the sides.
        There are plenty around that have been begging for Taps & HB to get a run let’s hope they carve em up.

  • no4918

    Get on the Argies while you can. A better team than that lost to Scotland at home.

    Will be very good to see how the likes of Cummins and Tapuai go. Harris at 15 – god help us.

  • Gallagher07

    Go Tapuai!

    • Garry

      It’s a shame that he has to get a start in such a team and occasion. I would have liked to have seen him run outside QC, and alongside some familiar players, but good luck son.

      And if you do show your wares, I’m sure Robbie will there to boast how he was the coach to discovered new talent. It’s sad, but injuries have forced us to build depth.

  • Parksider

    Yeah, whatever happened to the lack of depth?

    • Westo

      I personally don’t think it about the depth of Australian rugby, its just the reticence of the blokes in charge to use it.

  • Dave

    I second Timbo’s comments. Not a bad team considering.
    Hope Taps gets to show his skills. Arguably should have happened a long time ago.
    I don’t mind Harris at FB, all things considered he had a ok game last week. Granted not at FB but he showed he’s more than capable of stepping up to international level.
    Couldn’t be happier for Cummins. Good to see a big bullocking winger get a start. The size of this team is very un-Australian. Let’s just hope we don’t get anymore injuries.
    It’ll also be interesting to see if Deans will still employ the “tactical” sub at the 30 minute mark now he’s been vindicated that he wasn’t “technically” wrong.

    C’mon the Wallabies!

  • Disco

    Swap McCabe & Tapuai around & that backline would be better.

    Remove Mike Harris & replace with Luke Morahan also.

    • James

      you should be a selector! I dont think you need any credentials to apply

    • Brumby Runner

      uld alsop McCabe and Tapui. Taps is a classy 12 and McCabe plays more like a small Mortlock so 13 probably would suit him better. Unfortunately, I don’t see the ball getting out to Tapui and the Honey Badger enough for them to show their attacking skills. Cummins though will chase all day and his defence is solid.

    • CT Hong Kong

      I like the McCabe / Taps switch, makes complete sense, not sure why Deans can’t see that?!?!Removing Harris I’m not sure about, I think I’d prefer to have him on the field to kick points – provided we actually get the chance to do so.

    • CT Hong Kong

      Just realise I completely discounted Beale as kicker, my bad.

      • Dave

        Although Beale’s obviously no slouch he does have his off days. Harris is more reliable in the kicking dept. I think.

  • Luke

    Fortuitous that due to the injuries, my ideal centre pairing for the Wallabies moving into the future has eventuated, but pleasing nonetherless.

    I do have my doubts about Mike Harris at fullback, notably his ability under the high ball and his positional play, but I’m sure he and Kurtley Beale will switch around as first receiver like we saw with Berrick and Kurtley, to offset any weaknesses he may have.

    In regards to Shipperly and Cummins, there is not really a whole lot between them and am excited about Nick getting a starting test debut.

    I hope this centre pairing flourishes.

    Go the Wallabies!!

    • murph

      You can guarantee that, even if Taps scores 3 tries and Deans survives as coach, he will revert to his favourites as soon as possible

  • AB

    ‘ever important IRB rankings’ – were you being sarcastic BJ?

    • Brumby Jack

      Not at all.

      After the end of year tour, the pools for the next RWC will be known.

      Anyone outside the top 4 runs the risk of meeting the All Blacks in the pool stage.

      • Who?

        Finish 4th in the rankings and you meet the ABs in the Semis. We’ve had that before – we were 4th at the inaugural RWC, meaning we met NZ in the Semi in the 91 RWC.

        That said, we do have a reasonable record against NZ in RWC SF’s – sure, we lost last year, but we won in 91 and 03. And 91 was in England, after losing against the Lions and following NZ winning a RWC at home. Is history repeating?

        • MattyP

          Agreed – I think that scenario will give ABs fans as much heartburn as WBs fans.

      • Pedro

        Correct me if I’m wrong, but if we are drawn in the same pool as the AB’s wouldn’t that mean we wouldn’t have to play them again until the final? Doesn’t really sound like such a disaster to me.

  • Cantab

    I don’t want to see another article hijacked into a deans debate, but I think this really is his most important game yet. (job wise)

    really looking forward to this game.

  • The Rant

    Well at least I’m keen to watch. The pack looks good to be honest.

    Backline is just a whole bag of unknown. Be fun to watch. Surely no worse than the argies. Maybe not ready to gel.

    We all know what’s gonna happen – wallabies will win well and the deans question will be given a breath of chance…

  • DC

    YES YES YES!! SLIPPER AND TAPS IN THE STARTING LINE UP!! FINALLY DEANS!

    • murph

      Reminds me of one of Churchill’s observations: You can rely on the Americans doing the right thing…after they’ve flirted with every other option

  • Fletch

    You’d never see the “honey badger” refusing to don the wallaby jersey……the more I think about …grrrrrr

  • murph

    What’s Shipperly done wrong? And wtf is Timani doing at 6?! God Almighty! Can Deans EVER pick a team with everyone playing in their preferred position?!

  • murph

    Anyhow. Who gives a flying f… anymore? Deans will be gone in 4 days

    • Fletch

      remarkably, I wouldnt bet on that whatsoever murph…I wouldnt be surprised to see Deans hold on till the Lions Tour to be honest.I think ppl think Ewen is a shoein in 3 weeks or so but I think that is quite far from reality. I just sense JON will want to show who is running the show..there some serious ego in charge of rugby at moment.

      I hope I have misread this – then again depends on Pumas match – but I suspect wallabies will turn up with backs against wall this weekend and give Deans lifeline again.

  • USARugger

    Should be 10. Beale 11. Ioane 12. Taps 13. Cummins 14. Shipperly 15. Morahan

    Tapuai is a 12, not a 13. If Cummins was selected for size and defensive prowess why is he out on the wing and not at 13 (the biggest defensive channel in the backs)? Shipperly has consistently performed this year and there isn’t a single reason he should be pulled. Harris was questionable under the high ball last week and is better injury cover than Morahan as he can slot in almost anywhere in the backs should someone get injured. Beale should be able to handle the goal kicking duties w/o Harris starting.

    • PM

      Shipperly actually hasn’t done anything sensational at test level yet, I was hoping for more.

    • AJ

      Ships actually had a pretty poor game last time out. I’m a fan and he’ll be round a while, but I’ve been hanging out to see the badge flying down the wing. Good size and aggression.

      • BloodRed

        If one “poor” game was justification for being benched, we should have at least 13 new faces in the team this week. Hard to blame the wingers for not performing when almost everyone inside them played so badly.

  • http://landoftheunit.wordpress.com/ Sully

    Well It looks like it’s up to me to state the obvious. McCabe is a much better Fullback than Harris! Why not swap them?
    Timani and Douglas aren’t lineout jumpers! They have one lineout throw between them this year. We’re going into this match with 2 lineout options.
    Shipperley has done nothing wrong, why drop him?

  • Si_rangi

    Samo (who I noted doing a lot of walking last weekend) and Timanu are going to need to lift their work rate or else it will be a very tough game for Hooper. The Pumas can be very aggressive at the breakdown. The scrum battle should be interesting, will look forward to see what impact Slipper can make.

  • johnny-boy

    Deans’ best selections are often forced by injury but I would have thought mobility was pretty important for 6. I wonder if Graeme Henry will spot this ?. If Dennis has to be tactically subbed on at 6 we might be short of a replacement lock.
    I wouldn’t be surprised to see the boys get up. There’s no shortage of guts to go.

  • ‘Boutbloodytime

    Well this match is going to be a double-edged sword whichever way it goes…

    Wallabies pull out a backs to the wall, gutsy all heart & pride win & vindicate Deans et al probably until after the Lions as no one in their right mind would appoint a new coach after November/before the Lions,

    OR

    We get rolled by a fired up Argentina, creating another low for Aussie rugby under Deans, finish the inaugural Rugby Championship equal wooden spooners & the injury toll argument keeps Deans in a job til after the Lions.

    I don’t see Deans getting his marching orders yet, and even if he does, it wont solve the other problems further up the food chain at the ARU.

    I hope I’m very wrong but unfortunately I think it will take something more to force the tough decisions to be made to begin to address the ills affecting Australian rugby.

    On a slightly different note, will the ARU actually let Sharpie retire after the Rugby Championship?!?…

    The man epitomises everything I admire about the Wallabies…no matter how many times he pulls on the Gold jersey, how many times he gets smashed, he always keeps fronting up, giving his all for his mates, his team & his country.

    He’s an inspiration & deserves a lot more focus than certain other Wallabies have been receiving in the media lately.

    You’re a legend Sharpie & us Wallaby supporters owe you a debt of gratitude…you’ve done your country proud.

    • Goldie

      Unlike NZ and, to a lesser extent,SA, Aussie rugby has suffered from poor depth. The result is player power, and the player power seems to be coming from younger people these days. Consequently, you get immaturity issues and egos that kick in on the field and take away a lot of the influence of the coach. Given there was an undercurrent of “we don’t need a Kiwi coach” when Deans arrived, I doubt he has ever had the fuill support of the dressing room.

      My opinion is that the Wallabies need discipline big time but I doubt they will get it from Deans now, or even back in the early days. He’s got to go, not because he’s a bad coach (although that is a whole different arguement) but because what the team need now, he will not provide. I’m not sure Ewen is the answer though, he makes too many suspect decisions that would be found out in international rugby but he gets away with in super rugby.

  • jezacbhs

    This is easily the worst Wallabies lineup I have seen in recent history.

    The only thing they have in their favour is that their backs are against the wall and they’re desperate.

    That said, this is the game the Pumas were always targetting for their first win, and Im sure they’ll be desperate to get it.

    • muffy

      Don’t agree, sorry.

      I actually think that this is not a bad side, I agree that some guys could be positioned better (along USRuggers comments) but there is no one in there that has not had an excellent S15 season and doesn’t deserve a crack. I like new blood, it brings unpredictability and enthusiasm (lets just call it pride in the Gold).

      Even as a die hard Red, I am very please for the Badger to get his shot – big hearted man!

      I for one will be Quaffing beer and screaming my head off.

      Caarn Boys!

  • the ardent b’stard

    For all the talk about the injury toll, I am not sure there is that much of a gap between this and a full strength side.
    Front row could do with Moore but for mine these are the best 2 props, Locks are the first choice, Loosies would have Pocock added but not at the expense of hooper (would love to see a stats comparison between the two say last 3 tests both have played) – and a number 8 needs to be found pronto but thats not an injury issue.
    Genia would bring leadership and control and fewer kicking mistakes but is a whole lot slower from the base, centres as good as it gets, AAC not a real gap above these guys, you can throw a blanket over mitchell, cummins and shipperly although I thought Shipperly looked lost last weekend. Fullback gets fixed by JOC for mine.
    Beale/Cooper at 5/8 is sameish although a fit KB provides more worries for defences cause he will run at the line at Test level
    So for all the noise – how much of a gap is there really?

    • JJJ

      On paper maybe, but there’s a lot more to being a good side than that. Knowing how each other play for one thing. If our backs have looked like they were only tentatively acquainted for the last few weeks how much worse could it be this week?

  • Robson

    It’s pretty exasperating to note that it’s only injury that forces the selection of a quality back like Tapuai and a big grunty three quarter like Cummins; although I would prefer to see the latter in at OS centre. And Slipper is a much more effective worker than Robinson; who – apart from scrums – seems to be a spectator for most games.

    Otherwise this is not a bad team; pity they haven’t been together for longer.

  • spectator

    Go the Wallabies!

  • johnny-boy

    There is a risk the Ref will see how Rolland has been dudded by the IRB and the Wallabies and hand the Wallabies payback. They’ll have to be on their guard in discipline.

  • Mart

    Not a bad pack. The backline’s a mess

  • rae1

    Wallabies by 16+.Although they were beaten by the boks, in my opinion it was the first time this year they demonstrated passion,pride and resolve in their play.They did not give up .Kia Kaha Wallabies!

    • Fulltime

      That’s it ozzie brothers (and sisters) KIA KAHA WALLABIES1

  • rugbyinmyblood

    8,9,15 down the blind all day against timani to slow of the mark Dennis has been shit higgers is not rated for some unknowns reason and now a lock at six good buy world number 2 ranking. I hope I’m wrong

  • mark conley

    Higgenbotham shouldn’t be ‘rated’, until he puts in, should be in the first 3 to hit a ruck, the only clearing out he does is head hunting and offside, admittedly he’s got mongrel, can jump and finish; put the best of Dennis with the best of Higgers and you’ve got a decent player, methinks

  • Piggy

    So we, as a team who don’t play physical, are going to play a physical game to take on a team that plays a physical game well. Sounds like a mad plan.

    We’ve got a mobile front row, it would have been good to see a mobile back row as well – Gill, Hooper and Higginbotham/Samo to move the ball around and tire the big Argie forwards out.

    Harris has always looked out of position playing 15. He’s a first or second five or at stretch a 13. McCabe to 15, Taps and Harris in the centres.

    Harris is still only like to come off the bench for the Reds next year…

  • AJ
  • gaxman

    Read a lot of comments here. Agree with some and not with others.
    To begin, i don’t actually mind this team that much. However i have two ideas.
    1. Why does Deans persist with trying to match our pack with others regarding size when it hasn’t worked all year. Why not go back to what we had when we were number 1. A pack with one or two enforcers and the rest were mobile, extremely fit with good ball skills. Play fast, fast, fast.
    2. I think the only reason Ships has been dropped is because taps and the honey badger have been training together for some time now.

    Primarily our biggest problem seems to be we play slowly. When we do try to play fast after a few phases it breaks down because nobody knows what the fuck they should be doing. We get in each others way or just slow it down and turn it over after a predictable hit up if we haven’t knocked it on or dropped it before that.

    Deans must go!!! I have tired to be patient but if we keep him in the job i don’t know if i will be able to watch the games. It’s just way to maddening.

  • Dougs

    If one positive comes out of the season from hell, it’s that I get to see Taps and the Honey Badger in gold, which I’ve always wanted to see.

    For what it’s worth, I can see some logic in Deans’ pack selections. Size beats mobility early, but as the game progresses mobility starts to dominate. Deans has picked an enormous pack with 3 mobile back rowers on the bench. That said, don’t understand picking backs out of position, as others have already stated.

  • Dougs

    If one positive comes out of the season from hell, it’s that I get to see Taps and the Honey Badger in gold, which I’ve always wanted to see.

    For what it’s worth, I can see some logic in Deans’ pack selections. Size beats mobility early, but as the game progresses mobility starts to dominate. Deans has picked an enormous pack with 3 mobile back rowers on the bench. That said, don’t understand picking backs out of position, as others have already stated.

  • Benny

    This isn’t such a bad team considering. Travel may be factor too but against an Argie team that is also tired, I’m backing the Wallabies to win it but it’ll be tight.

    Deans better pray his mate Hansen comes through for him. If the ABs win, Oz move back into second in the ranking. They would do well to forfeit the final match vs the ABs then start fresh in Autumn, which isn’t far away really.

  • bill

    Picking Timani at 6 is madness. Horwill is more mobile but got shown up at super rugby level when selected at 6. Plus Dennis had easily his best game in the jersey against these guys last time out. Douglas would be a better 6 than Timani for f*x sake.

    Overall not a bad side but that’s just bad decision making on Timani, it’s exactly the sort of BS that saw McCalman as a 7 in the world cup.

    Taps at oc, well it’s great to see him brought in, but he is a much better in than out centre. I’d be happy enough seeing Cummins as out centre in place of McCabe. I really don’t understand McCabe at in centre in prefrence to Taps. More crash ball merde on the way.

  • first time long time

    Is Ant F injured or is it another selection riddle that he is picked on the bench all season and then when the injure toll is near insurmountable he not only can’t get a start but is left out of the 22.

    How is the wallabies game plan so complex that Morahan needs more than 20 min to get up to speed?
    Probably the first selection riddle of the season, pick him to start in the first test where he doesn’t get a chance to do anything and then not even get a look in for the rest of the international season.

    I know a lot of people don’t like QC but it seems some are so keen to replace him that the messiah JOC has been overlooked as the next legendary flyhalf and KB is now the chosen one, after one at best average game at 5/8 and I wish those with an agenda would stop trying to dress it up as anything more.

    If Morahan is not in the side KB is only option at fullback. Seriously, are they going to pretend that his combination with Phipps is important after ignoring the need to develop combo’s all year.

    I hope the guys give it a great shake on Sun and am backing them to the hilt but win lose or draw coach and selectors need a massive shake up.

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