2011 Wallaby And Australia A Teams

[Joe Mac]

Giteau (on new found form) and Mortlock would make a great centre pairing I think.

 

[DPK]

Anyone else think Higginbotham = Australia's Pierre Spies?

 

[qwerty51]

Right now these are probably locked in:

1. Robinson
2. TPN
3. Slipper
4. Horwill
5. Sharpe
6. Elsom
7. Pocock
8.
9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Mitchell
12.
13.
14. Ioane
15. Beale

16. Moore
17. Kepu
18.
19.
20.
21. Giteau
22. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)

Next few weeks should fill them up. I don't think we need two halfbacks personally. That's why I've got Giteau and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) on the bench who together can cover 9-15 and allow us an extra forward.

 

[qwerty51]

Anyone else think Higginbotham = Australia's Pierre Spies?

Is that a good or bad thing?

 

[vidiot]

Anyone else think Higginbotham = Australia's Pierre Spies?

In terms of athleticism and build - maybe yes.

If you mean in terms of non-impact.....

Probably a little early to so characterize him, in that he has had less than 20 minutes in one test from the bench in an unusual second half against the frogs where the wallabies scored through the unique approach of catch and pass.

 

[DPK]

Is that a good or bad thing?

Well, it could go either way. Spies has dominated before but has had an up and down Test career. He's pretty solid at the Super level though, it just looks to me that they have similar characteristics.

Sorry if I came across as a hater, that's not really what I meant to do.

 

[Skippy]

I think irrespective of the abilities and merits of both players, I think TPN will always start over Moore for one reason alone... so that when he gets injured he can be replaced. If Deans starts Moore and brings on TPN for impact after 50 minutes, what happens when TPN gets injured and needs to be replaced? I'm not sure of the laws, but can Moore come back on for him? If the laws say you can then my point is null and void.
The reality is TPN is more injury prone so I think he will start and blow out for 30 minutes and then bring on Moore who is probably more resilient.

 

[Slim 293]

Wallaby Team:
1. Benn Robinson
2. Stephen Moore
3. James Slipper
4. James Horwill
5. Nathan Sharpe
6. Rocky Elsom (c)
7. David Pocock
8. Wycliff Palu
9. Will Genia
10. Quade Cooper
11. Drew Mitchell
12. James O'Connor (seems obvious - but...)
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. Digby Ioane
15. Kurtley Beale

16. Tatafu Polota-Nau (the better player but ideal for impact)
17. Sekope Kepu (the form prop in S15 imo)
18. Rob Simmons
19. Dave Dennis
20. Ben McCalman
21. Luke Burgess
22. Matt Giteau

Australia A Team:
1. Ben Alexander
2. James Hanson
3. Dan Palmer
4. Dean Mumm
5. Dan Vickerman
6. Hugh Pyle
7. Beau Robinson
8. Ita Vaea
9. Nick Phipps
10. Berrick Barnes
11. Rod Davies
12. A Fainga'a
13. Rob Horne
14. Lachie Turner
15. Luke Morahan

16. S Fainga'a
17. Ben Daley
18. Ben Mowen
19. Matt Hodgson
20. Richard Kingi
21. Pat McCabe
22. Cooper Vuna

Groucho... you and I are fairly close with our selections...

 

[Bowside]

Wallaby Team:
1. Benn Robinson
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau
3. James Slipper
4. James Horwill (vc)
5. Nathan Sharpe
6. Rocky Elsom (c)
7. David Pocock
8. Wycliff Palu
9. Will Genia
10. Quade Cooper
11. Drew Mitchell
12. James O'Connor
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. Digby Ioane
15. Kurtley Beale

16. Stephen Moore
17. Sekope Kepu
18. Rob Simmons
19. Ben McCalman
20. Luke Burgess
21. Rob Horne
22. Pat McCabe


Australia A Team:
1. Ben Alexander
2. James Hanson
3. Dan Palmer
4. Mark Chisholm (c)
5. Sam Wykes
6. Scott Higginbotham
7. Beau Robinson
8. Ita Vaea
9. Nick Phipps
10. Berrick Barnes (vc)
11. Rod Davies
12. Anthony Fainga'a
13. Nick Cummins
14. Lachie Turner
15. Luke Morahan

16. Saia Fainga'a
17. Ben Daley
18. Hugh Pyle
19. Jarrod Saffy/Matt Hodgson
20. Richard Kingi
21. Matt Giteau
22. Peter Hynes/Mark Gerrard/Cameron Shepard

Didn't pick Vickerman as I have no idea what hes going to be like when he returns home. But I could see him leapfrogging chisolm if his form is good.

I still think it's to early in the season for wallaby selections. The bench is very much still up for grabs. Jeez we have good depth at fullback.

 

[Bowside]

Just like to say I dont understand people picking cooper vuna. His defence is terrible, and he hardly makes up for it with his attacking play.

 

[GC]

Wallaby Team:
1. Benn Robinson
2. TPN
3. James Slipper
4. James Horwill
5. Nathan Sharpe
6. Rocky Elsom (c)
7. David Pocock
8. Wycliff Palu
9. Will Genia
10. Quade Cooper
11. Drew Mitchell
12. James O'Connor
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. Digby Ioane
15. Kurtley Beale

16. Stephen Moore
17. Sekope Kepu
18. Rob Simmons
19. Higgers
20. Luke Burgess
21. Gits
22. Turner

Australia A Team:
1. Ben Alexander
2. James Hanson
3. Dan Palmer
4. Sam Wykes
5. Dan Vickerman
6. Dave Dennis
7. Beau Robinson
8. Ben Mowen
9. Nick Phipps
10. Berrick Barnes
11. Rod Davies
12. Anthony Fainga'a
13. Mortlock
14. Lachie Turner
15. Luke Morahan

16. Saiaa Fainga'a
17. Ben Daley
18. Mark Chisholm
19. Brown
20. Richard Kingi
21. Horne
22. Lucas - he's a great sub

 

[Gnostic]

I don't understand people picking Elsom and Vickerman sight unseen this year, especially Vickerman. There is a very big degree of hypocrasy regarding Vickerman. He was part of the scrum and forward pack that got reemed by England in 2007, yet Sharpe has never been forgiven.

As for Kepu against the Crusaders, him obviously was the only player in the forward pack against the Crusaders as well. Lets look at the balance of his work this year and it has been top class, which is a direct contrast to his main competitor in Alexander.

All this is so much hot air in any event as IMO Deans had settled the RWC squad last year and very few changes will be made unless forced by injury. The exception will be Vickerman who IMO was always going to be included regardless of if he played a game. The precedent for that was set with Elsom, but at least he had the form of the H. Cup to provide evidence to justify his selection.

Given the discussion on the Salary Cap thread actions like this makes a mockery of those players who remain in Oz and sacrifice the big dollars to remain elligible. The ARU has set a bad precedent and we should not be surprised to see players leaving for the Euro and expect to come back 6 months before the RWC and walk back into the Wallabies despite the players who remained and held the fort while they were away.

 

[Thomas]

1. Robinson
2. Moore
3. Slipper
4. Horwill
5. Sharpe
6. Elsom
7. Pocock
8. Palu
9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Mitchell
12. O'Connor
13. Ashley-Cooper
14. Ioane
15. Beale

16. Polota-Nau
17. Alexander
18. Simmons
19. Higginbotham
20. Burgess
21. Giteau
22. Davies

Australia A:
1. Daley
2. Fainga'a
3. Kepu
4. Mumm
5. Wykes/Samo/Van Humphries
6. Mowen
7. Hodgson
8. McCalman
9. Phipps
10. Barnes
11. Hynes
12. Fainga'a
13. Horne
14. Turner
15. McCabe

16. Hanson?
17. Palmer
18. Wykes/Samo/Van Humphries
19. Robinson
20. Kingi
21. To'omua
22. Morahan

 

[Ham]

There seems to be a pretty big consensus on the 10 Cooper 12 O'Connor combination. Great on attack but I’m sweating bout the defence.

 

[gone]

As for Kepu against the Crusaders, him obviously was the only player in the forward pack against the Crusaders as well. Lets look at the balance of his work this year and it has been top class, which is a direct contrast to his main competitor in Alexander.

I wasn't comparing Kepu to Alexander I was merely pointing out that there is still a good chance he will be a scrum liability at the next level up. I also felt Somerville had the better of him in round 1 and Somerville hasn't played a test since 2008. I am still not convinced he is the test quality prop you claim him to be and I want to see more from him. Having said that he is outperforming his competitors and deserves a shot to prove me wrong off the bench at this stage.

I don't understand people picking Elsom and Vickerman sight unseen this year, especially Vickerman. There is a very big degree of hypocrasy regarding Vickerman. He was part of the scrum and forward pack that got reemed by England in 2007, yet Sharpe has never been forgiven.

All this is so much hot air in any event as IMO Deans had settled the RWC squad last year and very few changes will be made unless forced by injury. The exception will be Vickerman who IMO was always going to be included regardless of if he played a game. The precedent for that was set with Elsom, but at least he had the form of the H. Cup to provide evidence to justify his selection.

The reason that the RWC squad is largely settled (not completely settled as you imply) is due to lack of depth in a number of positions. Prop is the classic example, beyond Robinson and Slipper I have very little faith in any of the options running out in a test match tomorrow. I think that is the reason Alexander will be picked, at least he has played well at test level before (not last year obviously but the EOYT 2009) and that will hold some weight in selection. The other options (including Kepu) are still up and down at super rugby level.

Of your wallabies squad on the previous page I would have reservations over Mowen, Vaea, Harris, Morahan, Dennis and of course Kepu playing in a test match tomorrow. Because of this lack of depth people like Elsom will walk in as he is a proven test player (and of course he is the captain). I doubt Vickerman's name is set in stone but Deans will be very keen to see him on the field. Given we have Sharpe, Horwill and Simmons pencilled in at lock there is a fourth spot, Vickerman will be competing with Mumm, Chisholm and Douglas for it. None of the those options have covered themselves in glory so far this year.

 

[Bruce Ross]

I've said it before and I'm happy to repeat it. If Anthony Fainga'a is a better 12 than Tom Carter I know nothing about rugby.

 

[tranquility]

AWH and Kimlin would have to be in reckoning for the the 4th locking spot as well? surley..

 

[Brumbies Guy]

I've said it before and I'm happy to repeat it. If Anthony Fainga'a is a better 12 than Tom Carter I know nothing about rugby.

Bruce, I don't think you would find anyone on this forum that would doubt your knowledge; the Sydney Uni bias is a whole different story.

 

[ACT Crusader]

Bruce I don't think you would find anyone on this forum that would doubt your knowledge; but the Sydney Uni bias is a whole different story.

Nice one BR, had a bit of chuckle.

I think for Carter to make the Wallabies there have to be quite a few injuries, ie Barnes, Giteau, Rabbit, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)

 

[ChargerWA]

1. Robinson
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau
3. Slipper
4. Horwill
5. Sharpe (C)
6. C Fainga'a
7. Pocock
8. Palu
9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Mitchell
12. O'Connor
13. Ashley Cooper
14. Ioane
15. Beale


16. Moore
17. Kepu
18. Alexander
19. Elsom
20. Burgess
21. Barnes
22. Gerrard

I'm sure there will be some raised eyebrows over my #6, but I really like C Fainga'a, he seems like the sort of player who always injects some positive play into the game, and is unaffected if the team around him is going backwards. Rocky has never lived up to expectation for mine since he cam back from Europe, and is a poor captain at best.