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Dear me. If Payten's article is fully true, shows that the hoped-for clean out of major elements of the Tahs' tired and tied establishment is not going to take place. Was it dreaming to think it ever might? Whilst I much admire Foley's talents, I would much have preferred a world-class new...

Neat, short interview with Big Kev here, plus glorious to see Samo in a suit and tie and that hair! (later in the vid, panning across the team). [And Growden always good for a laugh - 'Elsom loss of captaincy came as no surprise to those close to the team...and his spot in team now in doubt...'...

MR, you make many telling, valid points. I have been a critic of what I'd term Deans' reckless and relentless stubbornness over many items of Wallaby selection and policy, and I have critiqued his almost complete unwillingness to ever admit error. Nonetheless, I'll praise any leader for...

Deans on the big switch (from the pen of Bret Harris, quoting RD just now):

I guess it's not so much the risk of another 'breakdown', though that is a consideration of course, but just as much how long it takes for this ex-injured group to get Test match playing fit again...eg, we have seen Rocky still not to his complete best after 4 Tests this year.

Imagine how Bret Harris is coping; he's probably in counselling as we speak, and his book being recalled from the shops...;)

Good summary Barb. I think this is a flaw in this team. Perhaps RD is relying on a Beau R fly-in scenario if DP grabs other than a minor injury?

A real credit to RD and JO'N to have shown (uncharacteristic) flexibility and changed judgement to make this alteration in Captain. Much better than to repent later if RE had not worked out well for the RWC. And I think this will be good for RE's play and enjoyment of the WC.

If that is true, I may become a (provisional) Robbie fan!!, just like I was in 2008/9:yay:yay

This may have already been noted, but Link was publicly advancing BL's WC selection just a day or so ago, given his diversity of positions record, and his talent (which was on display during the Reds' season).

As Scarfie so wittily opines, in many respects the Deans (and Deans-ARU arm-in-arm) story is in significant part a mystery odyssey. There are many components that may only be decipherable 20+ years from now, if then, time capsule-like. I have genuinely tried to see a rationally well-based...

I think if you look at the trend carefully and. hopefully, objectively, what you see is this: the Wallabies are getting better at consistently beating teams that are, on the day, poor or 'OK', but they are not greatly improving in putting away teams that play consistently very well (all of 80...

RR - bloody good point. He's indicated a positive desire to add at least an extra year to his current Reds' contract which I think ends at the end of the 2012 S15 season, and the extra year would be through S15 2013. But nothing's signed as yet as far as I know, so there's absolutely no grounds...

1. Don't you mean 'the cringe-making sycophantic Elsom biographer desperate to sell his hagiography of Elsom pre RWC' chimes in. 2. Aren't those 'involvement rate' stats in the penultimate paragraph lifted straight from Scott Allen/GAGR without the decency of proper attribution?

I know it's not 100% on topic, but what appalls me is the repetitive obfuscation of responsibility as a leader I see in Deans (as distinct from, but perhaps linked with, obfuscation of language in communication as so well highlighted here). By which I mean, solely by way of example, this...

We fans know nothing Groucho. We just pay the bills.

Totally agree Riptide. And it's not as if DP has been injury-free this year. Perhaps RD's calculation is if DP is injured beyond the minor, he can I think under the IRB rules fly DP out of the RWC squad and (presumably) Beau R in as one-for-one replacement. Then IIRC DP cannot return, that's a...

Perhaps Beau R. Let's not forget him, we all know he was huge for large tracts of the S15, and against the best of the best in that comp.

Yeah, sure, change always brings a new set of risks. My point concerned what should be done when an existing player risk - experienced or otherwise - was perhaps simply not paying off, repetitively. And you can't have it both ways. Many posters here (incl me) applauded the 'risks' of bringing...

Points taken. But, gee, I still think my point re how-long-do-you-ride-the-risk-before-you-take-a-different-one is a fair point when, by your own coding, RE rates just an OK,OK,Less-than-OK in three straight Tests. To start to win major games, all or most of our 'proven class players' are going...