Recent content by Deputy Van Halen

3. Coleman 2. Hunt 1. Higgers

3. Pocock 2. Hooper 1. Giteau

Some outdated opinions on the back row in this thread. 'Higgers only plays loose' 'Hooper can't scavenge' 'Pocock can't run with the ball' It's like people haven't watched rugby in the last couple of years. Higgers has been excellent in tight, hooper can definitely play the ruck when needed...

Michael Chieka presents the waratahs plus guests wallabies to play those big dutch c*nts. 1. Cuddly looking fellah from up north 2. Short angry bald guy from that boring city I smashed a door good in 3. Keps 4. Mummsy 5. Big Willy 6. Tall angry bearded guy from that boring city I smashed a...

I want to believe that Jones is injured, that's the only logical explanation a proven under-performer like Mumm get's in over the form lock in the aus conference. No issues with Dennis though, had a good year. Edit: Otherwise happy to see logic prevail in a few places around prop choices

It's actually asking them to pick a 23. Pocock seems to be favoured otherwise most teams mirror what you would see here except probably more pick Higgers in the back row than Palu/Mcalman but they nearly all pick Genia/Cooper as the halves.

On Cooper vs Foley there is an article over on the Roar (not sure if they like linking to competitors here) asking Kiwi and Saffer pundits on who they would pick for the wallabies. Nearly every single one of them picks Cooper with a number commenting how they don't fear Foley. That's pretty...

Benny A still? I rate the guy at super level, I really do but every year it's 'he dominates at super level' before spectacularly hinging in tests. Every. Year. I know untested less experienced tights are a risk but Benny is a known collapsing quantity, especially to refs which is not what we...

If the plane was leaving today for England, this is my fit and in form team: Prop: Slipper, Smith, Kepu, Holmes, PAE Hooker: Moore, TPN, Hanson Lock: Simmons, Skelton, Jones, Dennis Flanker: Pocock, Hooper, Fardy, Higgers, Palu, McCalman Scrum Half: White, Phipps, Stirzacker Fly Half: Foley...

If Jack D can't play then I reckon Harris to 10 and Placid start at 15, keep Hegarty on the bench as he's better 10/15 cover than Placid. If Higgers also gets a week off for the touching the GOAT too then it's a bit of an interesting question. I suspect that Timani would move to 8 with Neville...

No Neville is a massive surprise, one of the few true tight head locks going around in Australia at the moment. Is this getting his yearly kick up the arse to perform over with early? No sexton is weird also, he was very strong in the NRC. We are going to get schooled in scrums and line...

Top news about both, rebs were always going to go hard at retaining Sean. I didn't realise Horne was only 25, seems like he's been around longer than that but he's really come into his own the last year or two.

Nice preview on the front page Tex, solid mix of cautious optimism and being contrite after last years bullish attitude of being pre-season world champions. Agree about the turning down the volume at the stadium (both literally and figuratively) too, they tried a bit too hard to generate hype...

Nah that just reeks of 'contract negotiation' to me. Lot's of players make that sort of noise when contracts are being renewed. Quade, Beale etc. Fine player but not sure he would earn the sort of dollars being thrown at other wallabies at this stage in his career anyway.

At 1:50 in the first video he does a flick pass out the back of the hands. Sold! Seems to have good hands and a turn of pace for a prop at least, scrummaging will be another thing at soup level.