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2011 Spring Tour

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RugbyReg

RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
What's Benn Robinson's status? Will he be right to tour? What about Drew Mitchell?

Keithy, not a bad idea. I'm almost tempted to send one team over to play the test match, and one team to play the Barbarians.

Wales something like:

15 JOC (James O'Connor)
14 Turner
13 AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
12 Horne
11 Diggers
10 Barnes
9 Genia
8 McCalman
7 Pocock
6 Higgers
5 Horwill
4 Sharpe
3 Slipper
2 TPN
1 Robinson/Alexander

Then for the Baabaas, something like (injuries permitting)

15 Jono Lance
14 Lachie Turner
13 Rob Horne
12 Ben Tapuai
11 Luke Morahan
10 James O'Connor
9 Nick Phipps
8 Radike Samo
7 Beau Robinson
6 Dave Dennis
5 Rob Simmons
4 Hugh Pyle/Sam Wykes
3 Salesi Ma'afu
2 Saia Fainga'a
1 Kieran Longbottom.

Won't happen of course. Too much money.
 
T

Train Without a Station

Guest
Considering Mike Harris' flakiness under the high ball for the Reds this year I think he should be ruled out as a 15 option. 10/12 is where he is suited. EOYT 2012 if he backs up this season with another good campaign in 2012.
 
Richo

Richo

John Thornett (49)
Again, why do we want to turn everyone with ball skills into a 10? JOC (James O'Connor) is an incredible runner of the ball who also has strong passing and kicking skills, but he is - first and foremost - a dangerous runner. What the hell is wrong with him becoming a world-class 12? Are we that desperate for Giteau 2.0?
 
Lee Grant

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
RugbyReg said:
What's Benn Robinson's status? Will he be right to tour? What about Drew Mitchell?
Click to expand...

No, Fat Cat tore his ACL before the Samoa test and will be lucky to play Super Rugby when it starts next year IIRR.



Taking Swarley's earlier list in a format I like to use and taking the liberty to tweak it a bit:

Swarley said:
Hookers: Stephen Moore, Tatafu Polota-Nau
Props: Sekope Kepu, Ben Alexander, James Slipper, Salesi Ma'afu
Locks: James Horwill (c), Nathan Sharpe, Rob Simmons
Loose Forwards: David Pocock, Ben McCalman, Scott Higginbotham, Rocky Elsom, Radike Samo Matt Hodgson, Dave Dennis

Scrumhalves: Will Genia, Nick Phipps
Fly-half: Berrick Barnes
Centres: James O'Connor, Rob Horne, Ben Tapuai Anthony Fainga'a
Wingers: Digby Ioane, Lachie Turner, Drew Mitchell Luke Morahan
Fullback: Adam Ashley-Cooper
Utility: Ben Lucas
Click to expand...

So that's a minimum number of players who haven't played or trained at a high level in recent months - 3 non-RWC guys - though if Kepu can't tour there will have to be another LHP picked.

Replacing Samo with Hodgson allows the old bloke to be rested and gives Pocock a backup. Mitchell should not tour even if he says he is fit - or the doctors do.


A note on Tapuai: I have been a great admirer of Taps since his school days but as a specialist inside centre (which I believe he is at the minute) he will find it harder than most to get a Wallaby spot.

Let's hope that this fine young player proves that opinion to be bunk.
 
James Buchanan

James Buchanan

Trevor Allan (34)
Train Without a Station said:
Couldn't agree more. Flyhalves whose first instinct is to run are likely to just create a less successful version of 10 man rugby.
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That certainly is an amusing way of expressing it.

The general sentiment of developing more passing oriented 5/8th is why I would not be adverse to seeing Matt To'omua get another go on the EoYT, even if he has been out of the spotlight recently. He offers something different at 10 to a JOC (James O'Connor) type, and getting some time in him would not be a bad move.
 
the plastic paddy

the plastic paddy

John Solomon (38)
Richo said:
Again, why do we want to turn everyone with ball skills into a 10? JOC (James O'Connor) is an incredible runner of the ball who also has strong passing and kicking skills, but he is - first and foremost - a dangerous runner. What the hell is wrong with him becoming a world-class 12? Are we that desperate for Giteau 2.0?
Click to expand...
None of you fellas seem to see JOC (James O'Connor) as a 13 which surprises me I have to say. I would go so far as to say he would be my idea of the best 13 in the world now that BOD is finished and Smith and Rougerie are starting to get a bit long in the tooth. Why do you not see him as a 13? Is it lack of defensive organisation skills?
 
Bowside

Bowside

Peter Johnson (47)
the plastic paddy said:
None of you fellas seem to see JOC (James O'Connor) as a 13 which surprises me I have to say. I would go so far as to say he would be my idea of the best 13 in the world now that BOD is finished and Smith and Rougerie are starting to get a bit long in the tooth. Why do you not see him as a 13? Is it lack of defensive organisation skills?
Click to expand...

Because when someone says 13 we all still think MORTLOCK.
 
Bowside

Bowside

Peter Johnson (47)
My squad [injury replacement in brackets] :

Hookers: Stephen Moore, Tatafu Polota-Nau [Fainga'a or Hanson]
Props: Sekope Kepu, Ben Alexander, James Slipper, Greg Holmes or Laurie Weeks
Locks: James Horwill (c), Nathan Sharpe [Wykes], Rob Simmons
Loose Forwards: David Pocock, Scott Higginbotham, Rocky Elsom, Beau Robinson, Dave Dennis

Scrumhalves: Will Genia, Nick Phipps
Fly-half: Berrick Barnes
Centres: James O'Connor, Rob Horne, Adam Ashley-Cooper
Wingers: Digby Ioane, Lachie Turner
Fullback: Luke Morahan
Utility: Ben Lucas [Jono Lance]

I'd take another winger/fullback to bring it upto 25. Cummins probably gets the nod here as it's too early for shipperly and I dont think rocket rod has what it takes. If we are taking 26 I might think about McCalman, but I'd rather see the ARU spend the few grand extra it would cost to take him on grassroots stuff. If need be we can call up some expat to the bench for that weekends game. Dave Lyons anyone?
 
Lee Grant

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Staff member
the plastic paddy said:
None of you fellas seem to see JOC (James O'Connor) as a 13 which surprises me I have to say. I would go so far as to say he would be my idea of the best 13 in the world now that BOD is finished and Smith and Rougerie are starting to get a bit long in the tooth. Why do you not see him as a 13? Is it a lack of defensive organisation skills?
Click to expand...

paddy - Strong words.

Drico was just a pleasure to behold as a young player and he morphed into a great. As great as he was, and is, as an outside centre I always thought he was a 12 playing in a 13 jersey. I don't know why that is, and maybe it's because many of the things he did were reminiscent of what one of our great players, Tim Horan, did.

Perhaps way back - way, way back - these two had some common ancestor in Ireland.


No we Aussies haven't discussed JOC (James O'Connor) much as an outside centre because we haven't seen him play there in test matches - or not much, as he has only started for Australia on the wing or at fullback. I can't remember his starting too many games there in Super Rugby though he has played a bit at 12.

Playing at 13 could happen later on but his present opportunity, for the Spring Tour, is to get a gig at 12 because Horne or AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) will be the preferred options at outside centre.

And, 12 is his preferred position, as he has stated more than once.
 
Richo

Richo

John Thornett (49)
the plastic paddy said:
None of you fellas seem to see JOC (James O'Connor) as a 13 which surprises me I have to say. I would go so far as to say he would be my idea of the best 13 in the world now that BOD is finished and Smith and Rougerie are starting to get a bit long in the tooth. Why do you not see him as a 13? Is it lack of defensive organisation skills?
Click to expand...

This is a good point, but Lee's response was bang on the money. I'd add that we have a potentially great 13 in young Horne who could do with some game time. He also played 12 as a schoolboy, but seems more suited to the Aussie style of 13 than JOC (James O'Connor) as he is an excellent defensive technician and powerful runner (oh, and he can pass).
 
Lindommer

Lindommer

Steve Williams (59)
Staff member
Keithy said:
I liked to see JOC (James O'Connor) at 10 and Barnes at 12. He is a dynamic player who needs to get more touches of the ball.
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You might be right, Keithy, but I'd prefer JOC (James O'Connor) had more space with the ball rather than touches. It's a trade-off with elusive runners like JOC (James O'Connor): time with the pill or space to do his magic.

I like Barnes' steady hand at 10, let's try JOC (James O'Connor) at 12 to see how it goes.
 
No4918

No4918

John Hipwell (52)
With our 13s seeing so little ball JOC (James O'Connor) would be wasted there. Preferably 12 but 15 if not with Beale out. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) best game of the year was on the wing and 15 would give JOC (James O'Connor) more space and bring him into the line at 12 on attack at times. At best Dingo will put a guy like Morahan on the bench. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) has been dusappointing but i just dont see him getting dropped.
 
Scotty

Scotty

David Codey (61)
the plastic paddy said:
None of you fellas seem to see JOC (James O'Connor) as a 13 which surprises me I have to say. I would go so far as to say he would be my idea of the best 13 in the world now that BOD is finished and Smith and Rougerie are starting to get a bit long in the tooth. Why do you not see him as a 13? Is it lack of defensive organisation skills?
Click to expand...

I agree that we should start to see some more creative players at 13, and JOC (James O'Connor) is certainly one of the options. I personally spruiked for Giteau being moved to 13 a year or so ago.

A big basher 12 with a light footed 13 could be interesting.
 
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