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HAVE A RANK: Wallabies v. Springboks in Perth

Matt Rowley September 9, 2012 35

No GravatarHow did you rank the Wallabies players in Perth?

 

Rank Wallabies v. Boks Perth 2012


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POSTED IN » South Africa, Wallabies
About the author: Matt Rowley View all posts by
Matt started G&GR just before the 2007 Rugby World Cup and has been enslaved ever since. Follow him on twitter: @MattRowley

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Discussion »

  • Gunner

    Yep, Hooper as predicted, a beaut performance, openside played as it should be played, a stealer and a link player. MOTM no doubt.

    • Deez

      I too was surprised that Timani got MOTM ahead of Hooper. I thought he was everywhere last night and is one of the few forwards to consistently hit the ball at pace. I REALLY hope the Waratahs don’t screw him up next year

      • Touko

        Dont worry. They will.

  • bill

    Hooper was much better this week. BUT, this wasn’t a springbok team with a Broussow, or Du Plessis who operates as a 7. It was a boks side designed to intimidate….as are they all. Hooper or the rest of the wallabies will respond well to intimidation for the most part, skill is another matter. Again BUT, because Hooper is getting up to test speed, last player i saw who had similar leg drive out of proportion to his size was Drew Mitchell.

    It’s not necessarily that those grubber and chip kicks are a bad idea, but it took until late in the second half when we started to see some semi-well executed ones. Ones that weren’t thrown into the opposition legs or poorly weighted or completely wrong decisions for the occasion.

    Samo should start as long as he’s in the team, the guy is just physically dominant in a way that eclipses guys like Palu, or anyone.

    AAC looked at home at o/c much more than FB or wing.

    • Jimmy

      I can’t agree with you re Samo. He goes missing in most games and can often bee seen visibly struggling. apart from one good hit he put on, I thought Timani outplayed him on Saturday.

  • bill

    Have to give it up to AAC, not the most obviously magnetic player on offence but that double tackle will put ninja chills down the spine of everyone who faces him. Get ripped. F*ng awesome.

    • Blinky Bill of Bellingen

      AAC’s double tackle was great to watch. As the Fox commentators said ‘would have inspired the Wallabies and given them a lift’.

      However, I was half expecting the Ref to penalise him for attacking the head. It would have been unfair but in line with some of his other strange decisions on the night. Perhaps the roar of the crowd pressured him into letting it go?

  • Dovester

    These stupid chip kicks have to stop. They are so low-percentage yet we are attempting 7 or 8 a game. Today we regained possession once from them, its just not worth it. The main offenders were Quade, Barnes and Beale. I wouldn’t discourage Quade so much, its something he’s always done, but the other two need a dressing down. I’m not too sure about Barnes at 12. For me, the reason why he puts in these pansy kicks is he doesn’t back himself for pace or power to beat his opposite man (which is fair enough, he’s not a big bloke). But instead of giving some nice flat ball for A-Cooper to crash up, he tries stupid things with his left boot. I’m sure Quade would be far more comfortable with someone crashing it up instead, so I’d look to Finger for the rest of the tournament and then McCabe long term.

    Also Dingo, I can only assume they were your tactics, but why the FARK were we trying to outkick the Boks for the majority of the match? We should have been running with pace around these gigantic forwards. Sort it out.

  • mike
  • BigAl

    Open your eye’s, we are in the final of the wheel chair rugby! Fantastic competition by the boy’s and let’s get behind them!

  • Garry

    Timani rated higher than Sharpe? There’s a turn up.

    Scott Allen, your rating please.

    • Jimmy

      You obviously missed the game.

      Sharpe gave away about 5 penalties and did nothing. Timani had a good game.

      • Garry

        No doubt that Timani was awarded MOM. But with Scott Allen’s previous articles on him, I was wondering if Scott upped his rating.

        Interestingly Dwyer noted Sharpe’s intimidating presence as leading in our forward battle.

        Yes, I did watch this game.

  • RyanP

    I’m not a fan of Timani only being used as a front lifter in the line outs. Get him jumping, or make him a number 8 and put a real second rower in.

  • Big Ted

    Is it just me, or is Sharp infringing absolutely everywhere in the past few tests. He reminds me of Bakkies Botha, with the way he’s lying all over the ball and deliberately jumping into the opposition line out these days.

    Don’t get me wrong, I reckon more wallaby pigs need to give a bit more niggle, but blatant penalties in front of the ref that give a possible 3/5/7 points, or piggy back the opposition 60m up field is bullsh#t at test level.

    C’mon Sharpie! I love you but hat is “thirsty thirds” behavior!

    • bill

      Coming to the end of his test career Sharpie, i think he’s pulling out everything he’s got. wouldn’t be surprised if he just starts vogueing for no reason at all or walks onto the pitch with a handbag containing a small pooch *thinking: Mars Attacks, chihuaha with SJP head*.

  • alisterg

    With Genia out, how about something radical? JOC to fullback (Beale can’t take high ball) Beale to 5/8 and…Cooper to half.

    • bill

      Beale can take the high ball, but he’s a bit of a confidence player with it, I would really like to see him playing at in centre in attack outside Cooper at the moment.

  • Who Needs Melon

    So the thumbs down votes for Hooper: Can someone explain to me please how this happens? Are people voting him down because:
    a) They don’t like how he does pull his socks up.
    b) He made some obscure mistake at some point in the match.
    c) They are disgruntled that he went to the Tahs.
    d) He ran over their cat once or they are South African or something.

    Please, I’d really like to know. If you gave him a thumbs down, tell us why.

    • boutbloodytime

      e) they’re kiwis crapping themselves…

      • PD

        hahahaha. yeah right. The wallabies keep me awake at night……Not.

        • mike

          we wouldnt want that because you dont want to be late for your job in australia old chum

        • Jimmy

          I guess that’s why crime is starting later these days.

  • skyblue

    its hard to stay awake watching the wbs.school boy rugby.

  • bill

    Alexander was my motm.

  • bill

    Just remember Bob, Higgers offers nothing!

    • Patrick

      I’m pretty sure Bob would have been delighted to see him hit the ball at pace right next to a breakdown in the centre of the field.

    • Red Kev

      Higgers problem at Wallaby level is that when he is given starts he plays poorly (the only time I’ve seen him play really good footy when starting was the first test against Wales); but when he’s on the bench, he comes on and turns in an absolute blinder.
      Remember the RWC match against Ireland, Deans gave him 7 minutes or something and he sacked the Ireland scrumhalf off the back of a scrum and forced a turnover.
      Personally I don’t need to know the reason why he does that, I’d just name him on the bench and pull whichever loosie needed it at the 50 minute mark, you know you’ll get value out of the substitution (I believe Hodgson and Schatz are our best no.6s).
      Also, the play he scored off is one he and Genia run quite a lot for the Reds – Kafer has identified it on Fox Field once.

      • bill

        I know Bob has a secret man crush on Higgers and is just trying to deflect!

        Seriously, Bob has every right to criticise his play, he’s not a finished article, he can do a lot better, but at the same time his play has demanded a run, and for the most part I think he’s repaid that faith. But yeah he can definetly do more, I’m just not sure he’s going to do it on anyone’s terms but his…and maybe even he doesn’t know what terms those are….be nice to see people not trying to get players to conform to the received wisdom at times.

  • Mart

    Shipperley had a belter of a debut. Got into everything.

    Makes you think.

    Why They didn’t settle on this back line at the start of the internationals.

    Cement the combinations of AAC at 13 and Shipperely on the wing.

    I’m starting to think McCabe back at 12 may be the option. That or Harris. At least with Harris you don’t miss anything and he’s going to be more keen to go into contact and have a crack than Barnes.

    • Patrick

      I too like McCabe at 12 – he might be predictable but he can run a sharp line, and predictably running like you mean it means predictably sucking in a spare defender.

      Also, he doesn’t kick.

      Now if he could learn to offload…!

    • pants

      Don’t forget that Deans thought Vuna was a better wing option than Shipperley not that long ago.

      • johnny-boy

        That sent a shiver down my spine Pants. It’s manically depressing what we have come to expect as normal. Australian rugby is sailing in egypt.

      • Mart

        My point exactly. His first pick was Vuna. A guy who even the management said was still learning the game and would get better.

        That is not the attitude to have at international level.

        Says a lot about Deans’s eye for talent.

        He was basically forced to pick Shipperley due to injury.

  • Captain & Tennile

    Why is Beale still being selected?? Cant Catch bad options – one line break a game does not warrant a start…AAC was great – Rob who? Hooper has to start with Pocock – we loose a jumper but Timaki doesnt jump so we need to fis this…Fat Cat – Sliiper looked good when he came on…We missed Moore, and we need to put a fine system in place – Like Manly did in the 90′s under Bob Fulton..missed tackels and ineffective kicks..bet that would stop them – but a 1005 better performance – funny the languag being used prior to the game was completetly differnet to AB’S game?? Have they just screwed with ours minds??

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