Gnostic
Mark Ella (57)
Well, combinations.......
So this week in a pressure cooker Robbie has discarded any semblance of the combinations the Wallabies have been developing since the RWC last year. Clever. He cannot admit he has ever made a mistake. In five years somebody please post anywhere were he has taken any level of responsibility for HIS team's performance.
I have significant fears regarding this game:-
1) QC (Quade Cooper) being used as a scapegoat (by the coaches and some fans) if the Wallabies get destroyed or even just well beaten. I refer all to my previous post sometime last week. 'The selection of QC (Quade Cooper) will not make any difference to the result or the play if there are not commensurate changes in not only the selection the squad but in the overall tactics and mode of play.'
2) We have seen wholesale changes to the selected side which was one part of the required change I outlined if QC (Quade Cooper) was to have any impact. We have no idea if Deans has instructed the Wallabies to play fast and wide or continue with the defensive damage limitation game plan. In either case it is fraught with much danger, because of the following factors;
a) If the same game plan is going to be kept we have weakened the defensive capabilities in the 10 & 12 positions and sacrificed speed at 15 and have a player in Mitchell on the wing who hasn't played any significant game time in how long? Couple those factors with issues at the scrum (with Alexander there the barely break even situation of last week will be horrendous this week so territory may be a big factor against the Wallabies from this phase.) and the fact that this defensive game plan isn't Cooper's forte and he will find himself under increasing pressure to perform miracles, from which will come mistakes.
b) If the go wide and go quick game plan is to be enacted, which given Deans penchant for telegraphing his tactics with his selections I'd say it is, I feel the Wallabies will struggle to maintain possession and will be attacking from their own half as they get turned over on attack. I think this simply because the pack hasn't played that style at their provinces (except the Reds sometimes and look at their forward representation in the Squad let alone the 22) and haven't played it at the Wallaby level for a long time (France 2010). Add in the significant fitness problem of the Tahs forwards selected and I feel that they will get badly dusted in the forward battle if they have to move to fast and too far. With the Wallabies on the back foot but directed to attack QC (Quade Cooper) will push things and mistakes will be made and turn overs made. The Lineout will be fine with Sharpe but the scrum will get dusted with Alexander and penalties conceded.
3) The combinations that Deans stated he was aiming for? Combinations? Has any coach in Wallaby history chopped and changed centres as much as Deans? Has he developed anybody there? He moved Digby there. He totally changed tactics last year and still didn't pick the centre who epitomised the defend and shut down game plan based on statistics in Oz. I just don't see the backline selected as having that combination. QC (Quade Cooper) is playing his first game in a long while, Barnes regardless of some yelling out long and loud that Barnes was so good in the Welsh series has been average. Horne is a shadow of what he promised a few years ago before the injuries. Mitchell, did he play two games for the Tahs this year? Has he played since? Digby - perhaps the form back in the Australian Squad along with Genia who needed no comment. and finally AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) who is Mr Versatile still and Mr realiable but that is it. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is not a starting player. He is ideal bench coverage especially on a 5:2 split. He is not that fast, an above average 15, average winger and average 13, below average 12 (those are test averages people). There are far better 15s in Oz who are fit and available and I don't mean Beale who is another who was selected in this squad without any basis on form. Perhaps this backline is indeed the one that combined beautifully to annihilate France at home but that was a long time ago and that combination was broken and that game plan discarded over 18 months ago. To ask the players to resurrect it after 6 days with some many struggling for match fitness would be ludicrous. Back to point 2(a) if that isn't the game plan he is aiming for we had better hope that Hooper has his tackling face on to cover the channel between Cooper and Barnes all night as I fear SBW and Nonu will be hammering and offloading there all night.
Last week I was close to the money in predicting the ABs by 15 and indeed most commentators think that such a score would have been more representative of their dominance of the game. This week I can see nothing but pain for Wallabies supporters - ABs by 15+. I think the Wallabies will be desperate and will manage to stave off a total route, or at least that is what I am hoping.
