Giteau must be in Wallabies World Cup squad

[MajorlyRagerly]

Giteau seems to suffer from Gregan syndrome. Rated much higher outside Australia than in.

He'd be one of the first names on my squadsheet & be on the bench for any match given that he can cover, 9,10,12 no problems and possibly anyoutside back if required. Combine that with his experience & its a complete no brainer.

Alot of people on this thread are hassling him for his goal kicking... this is from the country which produced a lock foward who could kick goals. Why cant he be in the team for his general play?

 

[Zeno]

I saw Giteau have a good game for Randwick last Saturday (and Horne had a cracker for the other team).

Here's a slippery slope on thin ice, LG. Lots of blokes had good club games but that doesn't make them Wallaby contenders. You could argue that if Giteau plays well in club rugby it just underlines, rather than cancels out, his lack of form in Super and Test matches. Has he found his true level of competence?

 

[barbarian]

I'd have him in the squad for sure. Has versatility, experience and has come off a pretty good Super season. Wouldn't hesitate to throw him in to the 22 if there were a few injuries.

 

[antipodean]

I can remember three occasions when he missed crucial easy shots at goal - sitters - in the dying minutes of internationals. Two of them would arguably have won us the game.

Let’s list these matches:

1. Against Scotland at Murrayfield?
2. Against the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium?
3. Against England in Sydney?

The first two were team losses. You can’t expect that a player will be 100% successful in all attempts. It’s not the sole reason Giteau is in the team.

 

[JohnD]

I saw Giteau have a good game for Randwick last Saturday (and Horne had a cracker for the other team).

Came on late, had a cracker of a short game, set up two tries to give the GG's a win. Has ames against Sydney uni and Eastwood to come, so all three games will have the selectors watching out of the corner of their eye!

 

[Clawhammer]

I can't think of a single reason to select Giteau for the Wallabies again. 'good enough to go against Carter' means nothing. Five-eighths don't 'go against' each other, they manage their own backlines.

Giteau doesn't have the 2011 form that would even make him a contender for any position. It's not about negatives like crabbing or kick-passing or attitude or missing goals from in front; it's a simple lack of positives that takes his name off the table.

Did you actually watch him play S15 this year? He was better than McCabe for the Brumbies so by your logic McCabe shouldn't be there either.

 

[daz]

It's not about negatives like crabbing or kick-passing or attitude or missing goals from in front; it's a simple lack of positives that takes his name off the table.

Wellll....it's a little bit about that other stuff too.

 

[Lee Grant]

Came on late, had a cracker of a short game, set up two tries to give the GG's a win. Has ames against Sydney uni and Eastwood to come, so all three games will have the selectors watching out of the corner of their eye!

He started against Southern Districts last Saturday. I think that either Barnes or Giteau have to be in the 30.

Agree with Clawhammer about Giteau and the S15. I'd go further and say he was the Brumbies best player.

Also agree with the Major - there are certain players we don't like and pan them. If Campese had been around in the days of the internet, we would be panning him too. Not that the Kiwis are any different in the tall-poppy department, eh Major?
.

 

[Ruggo]

No need for Giteau. I doubt he will be selected. You could write a long explination but basically he offers no value to the team. He will only get the nod as an injury replacement during the tournament.

 

[daz]

Here's a slippery slope on thin ice, LG. Lots of blokes had good club games but that doesn't make them Wallaby contenders. You could argue that if Giteau plays well in club rugby it just underlines, rather than cancels out, his lack of form in Super and Test matches. Has he found his true level of competence?

Very harsh Zeno. I'm no fan of Gits in todays Wallaby team, but you don't play 90-odd tests without having some clue. His level of competence was once at the very top of the tree and it is a bit unfair to suddenly say he has always been a waste of space just because of his inevitable decline.

Don't forget that Barnes is working his way back into the Wobs squad via club rugby. If he does well, do we say that it means nothing because it was "club rugby"? No....Form is form.

Anyway, my 2 bob is that rightly or wrongly, Gits Gold career is over and he can join guys like Waugh, Baxter, et al as former champions whose time has come. Good luck to him.

 

[MajorlyRagerly]

Also agree with the Major - there are certain players we don't like and pan them. If Campese had been around in the days of the internet, we would be panning him too. Not that the Kiwis are any different in the tall-poppy department, eh Major?
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No idea what your talking about...

Actually, I think it appears that NZ fans perhaps on the whole put a value on experience much higher than you lot across the ditch. Gregan, was universally respected in NZ up until the day he hung up his boots, despite the fact most aus fans had been calling for his head for years. Giteau, probably not quite as extreme on that front, but if he doesn't make the cut for the Wob's WC squad, there will be a lot of surprised people in EnZed.

 

[Richard D. James]

Can Giteau really cover 9 though? He played a couple of tests there didn't he, was he actually any good? 9 seems like a much too specialised position to rely on someone who has barely played there.

 

[JohnD]

He started against Southern Districts last Saturday. I think that either Barnes or Giteau have to be in the 30.

Agree with Clawhammer about Giteau and the S15. I'd go further and say he was the Brumbies best player.

Also agree with the Major - there are certain players we don't like and pan them. If Campese had been around in the days of the internet, we would be panning him too. Not that the Kiwis are any different in the tall-poppy department, eh Major?
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Giteau Plays Lone Hand
Saturday, 13 August 2011 22:46

Randwick have gifted Southern Districts a slim playoff chance, kept alive with a bonus point 37-24 victory over Randwick at Forshaw Rugby Park.

In a match where Matt Giteau firmly established his World Cup credentials, the Rebels were thoroughly deserving of their win.
Souths were well on top with the first half, however a 55m tearaway try from Rob Horne was compounded by at least three missed opportunities.

Those blown chances were exacerbated by a 90m try to Randwick just before half-time, started and finished by Matt Giteau, which closed the half-time margin to just one point.

Souths opened the lead further in the second half, however Giteau continued to keep Randwick in touch with his second try and a series of try-saving tackles.

Randwick missed an opportunity to leapfrog Eastern Suburbs into fourth position on the competition ladder while Souths are now just six points behind sixth-placed Norths with three weeks remaining.

Southern Districts 37 (Aaron Tawera, Grayson Hart, Apo Latunipulu, Rob Horne, Lopeti Timani tries; Rohan Saifoloi 3 cons, 2 pens) d Randwick 24 (Matt Giteau 2, Al McFarland, Dominic Bower tries; Matt Giteau 2 cons) at Forshaw Rugby Park. HT: Southern Districts 13-12. Referee: Ian Smith

 

[Joe Blow]

Can Giteau really cover 9 though? He played a couple of tests there didn't he, was he actually any good? 9 seems like a much too specialised position to rely on someone who has barely played there.

He was very good, but since then he was needed at mostly 10.
I doubt Deans will have him as half back cover, but he should. With his experience he would be a lot more valuable to the squad than Phipps and is a better half back in his own right.
I can understand if Deans does not select him but many Wallaby fans appear to have short memories. It was not that long ago that he was offered a very tidy sum to go to France and turn his back on a Wallaby squad with no other viable options at 10.
He has been a great Wallaby who has played in excess of 90 tests for Australia and has been nominated as IRB test player of the year several times recently.

 

[jay-c]

i have been very critical of giteu but having watched some of the wallabies games of the last year recently i believe he is a must for the squad.
phipps showed good form t the start of the season but shwn bugger ll in his tests and the last half of the season.
gits played all his junior years at half didnt he?
and considering gits' skill set id much rather have hiim in the squad as 9 cover, my direction would for him to play all his club games and the baabas games from here on in at 9
we have enough cover at 12 for injuries
i fear however that git has been dropped for more than his form> > deans doesnt seem to like anyone who is seen to question his or rockys authority
is it attitude?

 

[EVERYFWDTHINKTHEYREA6OR7]

No idea what your talking about...

Actually, I think it appears that NZ fans perhaps on the whole put a value on experience much higher than you lot across the ditch. Gregan, was universally respected in NZ up until the day he hung up his boots, despite the fact most aus fans had been calling for his head for years. Giteau, probably not quite as extreme on that front, but if he doesn't make the cut for the Wob's WC squad, there will be a lot of surprised people in EnZed.

I agree 100% with what you are saying there. I am guessing it's a little bit tall poppy. I challenge the Giteau haters to go back to the performances and see what pack he had in front of him. It wasn't pretty.

It's for this reason i fear England. Wilkinson. He is going to do something special just because of experience. I can feel it in my bones.

 

[Bruwheresmycar]

I'd like to have Giteau in the squad. Not many countries have a back-up fly half as good as him. I disagree with the OP about Giteau getting a starting spot.

 

[GC]

The trouble is there's only 30 spaces in the squad. If Barnes is deemed fit, he'll go before Gits as he's a better defender and is more suited to being outside Cooper. McCabe is the incubent IC so is definitely going. Fainga'a is the OC backup so is definitely going. I'd rather an extra forward than trying to make space for Gits.

In his time however, he was a great 12 and is still pretty handy. Gits not being selected is not a reflection on how crap he is (as he isn't), it's a reflection of the depth we have in the positions he plays.

 

[ChargerWA]

Part of his problem is he had the balls to come out and have a dig (well maybe more of a sly jab) at Rocky on National TV.

Call me silly, but something tells me that's not the sort of carry on that will win you friends with ARU management.

I think it may be worryingly that simple.

I'm no Giteau fan, but you can't deny his super 15 form was very good. He should be in consideration for the bench. But we all know Robbie Deans does not pick on form until he is forced to.

 

[pete88]

Always interesting to hear the experience argument, but he has an awful lot of experience in losing close games, either as part of the team or missing easy goals that needed to be kicked. Say all you want about how others performed poorly against Scotland, England, NZ - the big games where he missed crucially kickable kicks, but its not like Dean Mumm or Dick Brown came up and tripped him as he was taking the shots at goal. Is negative experience still good experience?

Also, I'm sure there are people who say Giteau should be picked on the back of excellent Super Rugby form who are also saying A Finger, Davies, Higginbotham and Samo are "good Super Rugby players, not Test players". Again, Giteau, bless him, has been getting more and more experience even this year of being decent in losing teams, and as part of the leadership of said teams.

I could be convinced otherwise, but the arguments in favour of him are flawed and whenever he's on the field it feels like we aren't as good or as cool under pressure, and we lose games with him at 10 that we should have won. Just wish he could have played at 9 for longer, I remember him, Larkham and Staniforth proving pretty useful as an inside back combination.