Here’s part two of our review of the teams for the 2012 European tours.
Argentina
An agreement between the UAR and the Top 14 clubs for the release of their players is going to diminish the chances of the Pumas in the Autumn Tests, and critically so in their match against Ireland.
To satisfy mandatory annual rest periods Argentina had to forgo using all their players in the June window Tests against France and Italy so they could play in TRC. In the November window they were restricted to choosing no more than two players from each Top 14 club.
The agreement has the facade of looking after player welfare but it is really a ploy by the French clubs to deal with their over-long season. It compromises the right of players to play for their country and seems to be in breach of Regulation 9 of the IRB Charter.
Montpelier has several Pumas on its books and Argentine coach Santiago Phelan chose hooker Agustin Creevy and THP Juan Figallo in their squad for the first test against Wales, which meant that fullback Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino and inside centre Santiago Fernandez were excluded. All four played against the Wallabies in Rosario recently.
It follows that all four won’t be playing for Argentina, ranked 8th, against Ireland ranked 7th, in a test match that could be critical to both teams’ 2015 RWC rankings.
It also means that TRC will devalue the worth of Puma players to the hard-nosed French clubs. Carrizza the fine Biarritz lock did not have his contract renewed for the current season and he won’t be the first to be so treated. Recruitment of new Argentine players is expected to drop also.
Meantime back at the rugby: the Pumas didn’t get a win in TRC but if it were not for a converted charge-down try against them with 16 minutes to go in Mendoza they would have got one against the Boks instead of drawing the match. They also had the Wallabies on the ropes in Rosario and the Kiwis stalled at oranges in Wellington.
War horse Rodrigo Roncero has retired but another old stager, Felipo Contepomi, who elected to play in the June Test series instead of TRC (he was not permitted to play in both), returns to the squad. The Pumas have eleven local players in their 27-man squad against Wales so using so many of them in the June window paid dividends and, anyway, they beat France in one of two Tests, and Italy.
Nitty-gritty: Argentina played against the three top-ranked teams in the world in The Rugby Championship and they have to reap the benefits of that when they play Wales, France and Ireland.
Pumas squad (v. Wales)
Forwards: Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, Leonardo Senatore, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Tomas Leonardi, Julio Farias Cabello, Tomas de la Vega, Manuel Carizza, Marcos Ayerza, Agustin Creevy, Juan Figallo, Eusebio Guinazu, Bruno Postiglioni, Francisco Gomez Codela, Tomas Vallejos.
Backs: Joaquin Tuculet, Santiago Cordero, Horacio Agulla, Juan Jose Imhoff, Manuel Montero, Gonzalo Camacho, Marcelo Bosch, Gonzalo Tiesi, Juan Martin Hernandez, Nicolas Sanchez, Nicolas Vergallo, Martin Landajo, Tomas Cubelli.
Players unavailable include: Patricio Albacete, Martin Rodriguez, plus players not released by French clubs.
Form players: JMF Lobbe, Gonzalo Camacho.
Talking points:
- Not being able to use all their best players against Wales, France and Ireland.
- TRC effect on Puma play.
South Africa
The Springboks squad was picked to shock and awe. There is not a lot of guile in it but they don’t need it if the forces of their physicality are directed properly, as the Wallabies found out at Loftus. Coach Heyneke Meyer picked players to execute well, not to entertain.
But injuries have compromised the juggernaut somewhat. The bruising Frans Steyn will be absent so the dancing feet of Juan de Jongh may be seen in the midfield instead. Hooker Schalk Brits is in the squad and will fizz around the park all day, but the uncompromising Bismarck du Plessis, an assassin of a player, will be missing.
Talking of hookers, Deon Fourie was omitted yet he showed his worth as a tour player when he got the man of the match award in the Currie Cup final starting as the openside flanker. He can fizz, and some said he should have a least got the third hooker spot on tour instead of Chiliboy Ralepelle. They had a point.
I did not expect the excellent Keegan Daniel to be omitted in favour of Arno Botha, but no doubt the younger player is on tour for his development. There is no specialist fetcher, which is no surprise in a squad chosen by Meyer, who believes they are not worth the grief given them by referees. And anyway, there are not many poachers better than Francois Louw these days.
Match day questions:
Who will play flyhalf? Meyer couldn’t ignore Morne Steyn’s ordinary playing and kicking form in TRC and started young prospect Johan Goosen in the last two games instead. But with Goosen injured will he stay with youth and pick Patrick Lambie? The 22-year-old has started in only one Test this year, at fullback, but has been in good form for the Sharks in the 10 jersey.
Who will be the second winger? JP Pietersen has returned from injury but Bryan Habana was hurt in the CC final and could not tour. To replace him in the test team Meyer will likely choose between Francois Hougaard, who has been middling as either scrummie or winger in 2012, or Lwazi Mvovo. However one hopes that 19-year-old excitement machine Raymond Rhule, who starred in the IRB Under 20 tournament this year, will get at least one start on tour.
Who will partner Jean de Villiers in the midfield? Jaco Taute as at the end of TRC, or Juan de Jongh, the game-breaker in the CC Final?
Nitty-gritty: The Boks will stick to their laager brand of rugby which is their birthright, but they have to use the ball better when they get chances. Otherwise they will get the same losing experience as in Perth and Dunedin this year —and would have got in Mendoza except for their charge-down try.
Springboks Squad
Forwards: Willem Alberts, Arno Botha, Schalk Brits, Pat Cilliers, Marcell Coetzee, Eben Etzebeth, Juandre Kruger, CJ van der Linde, Francois Louw, Flip van der Merwe, Franco van der Merwe, Tendai Mtawarira, Jannie du Plessis, Chiliboy Ralepelle, Gurthro Steenkamp, Adriaan Strauss, Duane Vermeulen.
Backs: Juan de Jongh, Jean de Villiers (capt), Francois Hougaard, Elton Jantjies, Zane Kirchner, Patrick Lambie, Lionel Mapoe, Lwazi Mvovo, Ruan Pienaar, JP Pietersen, Raymond Rhule, Morne Steyn, Jaco Taute, Jano Vermaak.
Players unavailable include: Schalk Burger, Bismarck du Plessis, Johan Goosen, Bryan Habana, Pierre Spies, Andries Bekker, Heinrich Brussouw and Frans Steyn.
Form players: Eben Etzebeth, JP Pietersen (before his injury), Schalk Brits (for Saracens), Francois Louw (including for Bath).
Talking points:
- Will shock and awe work better in Europe than in TRC?
- Effect of Schalk Brits in Test rugby, if any
- Morne or Patrick?
- Who takes Habana’s spot?
- Finishing more strongly in the second half.
New Zealand
Any All Blacks squad looks strong, but the continued selection of Piru Weepu, who didn’t make the starting Auckland team for the ITM Cup final, is puzzling. It was fair enough to take Tawera Kerr-Barlow on tour for development, but to choose Weepu instead of the in-form and hard-working Andy Ellis seemed bizarre. Lock Ali Williams was another selected against the odds.
The All Blacks’ results have been peerless but they’ve played some ordinary rugby this year. I don’t think that too many Kiwis would disagree; certainly not their coach.
They nearly went down to Ireland in one Test and they were ordinary by anybody’s standards in Sydney in the opening game of TRC (though the Wallabies were worse). The Boks will still be wondering how they lost in Dunedin and even Argentina had hopes in Wellington, being behind by only one point at half time against the flat Kiwis.
NZ hit their straps in the second halves at Loftus and in Buenos Aires but finished their Southern Hemisphere campaign poorly at Suncorp in Bledisloe 3, and were lucky to draw the game against a depleted Wallabies side.
Take all that with a grain of salt. Even though they had some ordinary games this year and barely a strong one for 60 minutes in any TRC match, they had some attributes their opponents didn’t have: moments of brilliance and ruthlessness that suddenly turned games upside-down, and leadership in several units of their XV who could lift the others on the park.
But if you want to be picky they have weaknesses, or at least positions that are not as well manned as others. Even though Liam Messam has improved, the line bending running of Kaino is missed – and that of Thorn also. The legs of Keven Mealamu, Andrew Hore and Tony Woodcock are creaking and some fresher ones could have toured, and dare I say it: their breakdown work in their last Test match was sub-standard.
Nitty-gritty: All squad members will get game time against Scotland and Italy, but New Zealand will play their strongest team against Wales and England in their last two matches. They will look vulnerable from time to time in those third and fourth games but their opponents will have to be good enough to seize those moments, and I don’t think they will be.
All Blacks Squad
Forwards: Dane Coles, Andrew Hore, Keven Mealamu, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Ben Franks, Owen Franks, Tony Woodcock, Brodie Retallick, Luke Romano, Ali Williams, Samuel Whitelock, Sam Cane, Richie McCaw, Liam Messam, Kieran Read, Adam Thomson, Victor Vito.
Backs: Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Aaron Smith, Piri Weepu, Beauden Barrett, Daniel Carter, Aaron Cruden, Tamati Ellison, Ma’a Nonu, Conrad Smith, Israel Dagg, Hosea Gear, Cory Jane, Ben Smith.
Players unavailable include: Colin Slade, Richard Kahui and Anthony Boric.
Form players: Kieran Read, Israel Dagg, Richie McCaw, Conrad Smith.
Talking Points:
- Selection of Weepu and Williams.
- The goalkicking of Dan Carter.
- Breakdown dominance – or not.
- Lack of big ball runners.
Australia
With only 30 players chosen to tour there were no surprises in the squad. They had already used 12 debutantes during the year because of injuries and there aren’t going to be any midweek games to blood new players in anyway. The only uncapped player chosen was reserve prop Paddy Ryan.
Of the old Tri Nations teams they have the sternest opponents but at least a few injured Wallabies have been dribbling back into the side and more will make their comeback on tour.
With some of their best players missing during the southern winter they had to reinvent themselves somewhat.
Now they are a team that can fashion a win or a draw with what they have. Deans has acquired a stable of line benders: Timani, Douglas and Dennis to help Sharpe, and this has helped them to grind out some close games. And although they were thrashed away by the Boks and All Blacks this year, they managed to beat or tie them, respectively, at home.
They have missed X-factor players like Genia, O’Connor and Cooper, so there won’t be a lot of deception in the backline on tour apart from Beale, nor a lot of penetration unless he and Ioane are on song. But if those two can shine and the forwards play smart, not always the case in 2012, the Wobs have a chance to sneak in and out of Europe still in second spot. Scoring a few more tries will help.
Match day questions: Hooper or Pocock? Right now Hooper has the match fitness and should be starting against France but Pocock is a world-class player suited to the northern game and will be in the 1st XV at some stage.
Who will be the reserve scrum-half if Phipps or Sheehan gets injured in the warm-up? A. Nother is not available.
Nitty-gritty: The Wallabies have played enough games in 20012 without some of their star players to recalibrate. Still with limited means they will have to find ways to win away against sides that play a European style and will have to adapt even more if conditions are bad.
Wallabies Squad
Forwards: Benn Robinson, James Slipper, Sekope Kepu, Ben Alexander, Paddy Ryan, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Stephen Moore, James Hanson, Nathan Sharpe (capt), Sitaleki Timani, Kane Douglas, Rob Simmons, Dave Dennis, David Pocock, Michael Hooper, Liam Gill, Wycliff Palu, Radike Samo.
Backs: Nick Phipps, Brett Sheehan, Kurtley Beale, Berrick Barnes, Pat McCabe, Anthony Faingaa, Ben Tapuai, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Digby Ioane, Nick Cummins, Drew Mitchell, Mike Harris.
Players unavailable include: Quade Cooper, Will Genia, Saia Fainga’a, Rob Horne, James Horwill, James O’Connor, Dom Shipperley, Joe Tomane and Scott Higginbotham (suspended).
Form players: Michael Hooper, Digby Ioane, Kurtley Beale.
Talking points:
- Three openside flankers and two scrum-halves in the squad.
- The England bogeyman.
Spare a thought
Tonga, Samoa and Fiji are also touring in Europe, so spare a thought for Fiji who find themselves in a similar situation to that of Argentina.
Clermont winger Noa Nakaitaci and the Racing Métro full-back Virimi Vakatawa have made themselves unavailable to play for Fiji who are playing England, Ireland A and Georgia. It is part of the IRB’s policy of providing matches for lower tier nations between one World Cup and the next.
All three matches are in the official IRB Test window and Fiji should have had first call on them, but the IRB will not act unless Fiji makes a complaint. Catch 22: this won’t happen because Fiji won’t jeopardise the lucrative contracts of players who play in France.
The IRB usually deals with the national unions on such matters but perhaps they should be able to take a big stick to rich clubs.
