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2011 Spring Tour

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Brumbieman

Brumbieman

Dick Tooth (41)
Slim 293 said:
It happened more than once... and in the last Tri Nations match which led to tries...

And we're all fully aware of his poor performance last year...

He also had one of the highest missed tackle rates during the Super Rugby...

I think Fainga'a's defence is probably a little overstated, but he's generally more reliable than not...
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1st: Fainga'a was on Smith, Carter broke the tackle and offloaded to Nonu. Nothing to do with Fainga'a.

Poor performance last year: You mean his debut? Outside Giteau? Even I wouldn't pick him outside Giteau, or Barnes for that matter. He plays 12 outside Cooper, or 13 outside a CREATIVE 12, eg Barnes, Beiber, Fainga'a.

Missed tackle rate: Show me that stat.
 
Slim 293

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
He was equal 15th in missed tackles...

However, I don't know his completion percentage...

If he was to play outside himself that would be very creative...
 
Swat

Swat

Chilla Wilson (44)
brumbieman, fair enough re: Fainga'a, those comments about defensive centres was more aimed at McCabe but thought it a bit hard to pick on a guy who clearly busted himself for his country. However, I disagree that every tackle needs to be dominant and if you don't smash the shit out of them you're a pansy. My gripe is more with the selections then the players. I just have always believed that the best form of defense is attack. I'd rather have a guy with exemplary attack and good defense than a guy who's good in attack and exemplary in defense which is how I see JOC (James O'Connor) and Taps comaped with Ant. But still, just my opinion
 
Schadenfreude

Schadenfreude

John Solomon (38)
What worked for the Reds this year was a solid defensive line and being lethal in counter attack; especially from turnover ball. If that's your game plan - then Ant is probably the guy you want. If you watch both the Faingaas they will most of the time tackle very low (see example of when Ant knocked himself out), the attacking player goes down immediately, with no forward motion and it disrupts the attack.

Interesting though that the counter is to just go to 10 man rugby which Ireland picked up on first.

The trouble with picking McCabe and Fainga'a is that Plan B requires subbing them off.
 
Bowside

Bowside

Peter Johnson (47)
Centres are boring. Lets talk about the backrow.

With higgers and dennis in the mix is their any chance we will see a revival of the backrow move. Super effective when used well.
 
Lee Grant

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
Slim 293 said:
I think Fainga'a's defence is probably a little overstated, but he's generally more reliable than not...
Click to expand...

In my parlance he is an excellent tackler but sometimes a bad defender by not reading the situation better and not being in the right place at the right time to make a tackle.

He's a bright lad though and I expect my comments on this matter will get fewer and fewer over the years.
 
Bruwheresmycar

Bruwheresmycar

Nicholas Shehadie (39)
Talking about big solid defence... This is only my anecdote, but during the super15 this season Pek Cowan put on some big hits. He was one of the Force's best tacklers. Hopefully he transfers some of that form into the up-coming tests. (if he gets a shot)
 
Bardon

Bardon

Peter Fenwicke (45)
If stepping 12s weren't so out of fashion I think a JOC (James O'Connor) 10 and QC (Quade Cooper) 12 would be a very exciting combination to watch. However in the current environment where defence is valued above all else more likely to see a QC (Quade Cooper) 10 JOC (James O'Connor) 12 combination, with QC (Quade Cooper) banished to FB on defence.

For this tour it will be interesting to see who plays outside JOC (James O'Connor). Would like to see Barnes outside him for at least one of the games. It would help to have an experienced head outside him who'll talk to him during the game and hopefully help him settle.
 
Bardon

Bardon

Peter Fenwicke (45)
Wales could be missing some of their players as English and French clubs don't have to release players outside agree window. Looking at the players involved I think Welsh fans would have been more worried by their absence a year ago, but maybe not so much after the WC.

Wales could be without their 'foreign' based players for their 3 December showdown against Australia in Cardiff.

Mike Phillips, James Hook and Lee Byrne play in France and Craig Mitchell, Andy Powell and Dwayne Peel are in England.

Non-Welsh clubs do not have to release their players for games outside the International Rugby Board window, unless individual contracts allow.

Wales' regions have agreed to release their players for the repeat of the Rugby World Cup third-place play-off.

Scrum-half Phillips plays for Bayonne and his side face Agen in the French Top 14 on Saturday, 3 December.

Hook's Perpignan are at Lyon on that day while full-back Byrne is to play for Clermont Auvergne in a home game with Castres.

Back-row forward Powell and scrum-half Peel are likely to be with Sale Sharks at Bath in the English Premiership, while prop Mitchell could be part of Exeter's squad when they host Worcester Warriors.

Former Ospreys number nine Phillips earned plaudits for his performances during Wales' World Cup campaign.

Hook and Byrne, who also left the Liberty Stadium region this summer, had mixed fortunes as Wales finished fourth in New Zealand.

Cardiff Blues back Leigh Halfpenny kept Byrne out of the full-back jersey, apart from one pool game against Namibia, while Hook saw Scarlets fly-half Rhys Priestland make a huge success of his number 10 chance.

But Priestland missed Wales' final two games after damaging a shoulder in the 22-10 quarter-final win over Ireland.

Hook started at fly-half in the 9-8 semi-final defeat by France and the third-place play-off defeat to Australia, but missed crucial kicks in both games.

Powell came off the bench four times at the World Cup, Mitchell missed out apart from facing Namibia at the pool stages, while Peel was not picked in coach Warren Gatland's World Cup squad.
Click to expand...
 
Lee Grant

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
Agree Bardon: Wales fans won't be too fussed about missing some of those scrubbers. Compared with Australia they won't miss a lot.

What the article didn't say is that only scrummie Phillips would have been in the starting team for Wales based on RWC selections.

By contrast Oz will be missing 8 of their 1st XV players (assuming they all would have stayed healthy in the RWC pool games, which they didn't). That's over half a starting team - and the last time we were missing that many from a run-on team (though through choice, not injury) we lost to Samoa.

In Oz there won't be too many crocodile tears for Wales missing Phillips and a few 2nd stringers.
 
Swat

Swat

Chilla Wilson (44)
I like the McCabe v Fainga'a v JOC (James O'Connor) v Taps v Berrick debate, where no matter who wins Tom Carter loses.


Sorry TC, couldn't help myself. Love u big guy
 
fatprop

fatprop

George Gregan (70)
Staff member
tigerland12 said:
Haven't we been having this McCabe vs Fainga'a debate for about 5 months now? Trust me guys, we won't agree on it
Click to expand...

I think most would agree that someone better than those two would be preferred, so I take option c (and that ain't Carter).
 
Braveheart81

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
I think Tom Carter needs to start wearing Skins like Bryan Habana, shave his head and wear red boots to give the impression that he is faster than he actually is.

Even if it isn't true, if he looks like he can run faster, maybe the selectors will fall for it.
 
Jnor

Jnor

Peter Fenwicke (45)
I read this one as being almost a certain statement that JOC (James O'Connor) and Berrick will be at 10 and 12 or 12 and 10, respectively, for this tour.

Might be time to dig up the old dingo bingo cards
 
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