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Ash, yes, but in a perverse and contorted sort of way, if we put our patriotism for the home boys aside, these eccentric and high-risk selections, and the consequent team, make Deans' choice of fates in this match intriguing and the game an utterly nerve-jangling spectacle.

IamRed, thanks for that link, without it, readers likely would not have believed us! And btw, I am ever more in respect of Daz's earlier post re 'RD genius or idiot after Saturday' when we see the Aus selections this afternoon. The whole situation with some of these selections is so manifestly...

Yes. And why on earth would 'cover', even if correct as a need here, be properly filled by a player who's: generally had an awful S!4, a lousy S14 semi, obviously is down on real confidence poor chap, and has faltered under big game pressure before, AND has hinted last week he may go back to...

Indeed. And then just compare the S14 form of Hynes (huge contributor to Reds 2010) and Barnes (whoops, was moving south all a big mistake?)...then, for me at least, Barnes hardly dazzled on Tuesday and is way down in confidence. I thought Hynes played well on Tuesday and is a proven pressure...

Thirded.

First major mistake in this selection: Barnes off the bench and not Hynes. And I agree with other posts noting the probable wisdom of keeping the Reds front row intact in the difficult circumstances we face in this match vs this patch-work quilt that has barely played together, ever. Btw, the...

Respectfully Daz, I think we need to wait just a bit longer to assess whether RD is a genius or a fool. I recall the celebratory tones after last June's internationals (BaaBaas, Italy, etc) and the win over the Boks in Brisbane (my dear home town, and a fine game it was, though not as good as...

Groucho asked about Reds' fullbacks..;-)....more seriously though, I do think Hynes is a generally a good pressure player and I'd vote for him somewhere in the backs for Saturday. I worry that the JO'C fans, whose support is entirely understandable, may have forgotten his journey from the...

Scarfman, totally agree, is this not shambolic? Would not prudence have dictated a few weeks back extending the squad just a tad with say Baxter and Dunning (or others?)? You might have seen my posts yesterday re the demystifying of Deans (at least for me). Partly this is rugby media...

I have Latham's mobile, we could see if he'll consider it, though notice is short...

Given the high probability that our forwards will have major challenges v England on Saturday, you posters are so right that the back line positions will be absolutely critical to any chance of success, and it's not just 'skill factors' but 'proven track record of performance-under-big-pressure...

6roucho, sadly, you are 100% correct re Cummins, we can be near-certain that if he'd been of even passable class as winger in such an event, we would have happily won the match and put the kind of further pressure on Johnson we need for Saturday's now delicately poised contest...the English...

LG - no, not recently intercepting your mail. Assume you mean to ARU HQ?, or Rugbyheaven's suggestions box ;-)...

Thanks LG. Of course, you are 100% right about the whole generational issue. May I add: this is all just as much about the ARU's deficiencies in the lack of intense and credible deeper programs to develop Oz rugby forwards to global standards, and this is fuelled too with our local rugby...

Agree with the ruminations about Deans above. Something in his core ways is being exposed as deficient as time goes by, or at least deficient up to now. Let us prey that is all about to change. Yes, there is stubbornness and eloquence from Deans. His language for the media is always so...

All good points GC, but if we assessed that we had real, reliable depth now in elite rugby, your report re tonight would have had to be far more positive and glowing than it rightly was not. Most of the commentators on GAGR re tonight's game are searching for little glimmers of one or two player...

Perhaps the most lamentable outcome from tonight is the embarrassing exposure of the now-dominant theory that 'Australia has now developed wonderful new depth in the elite squads'. All patriotism aside, that theory was cruelly questioned by tonight's poor showing once JO'C departed for a rest...