Berrick Watch

[disco]

I actually wanted Quade to start as I'm sick of seeing our backline do nothing off the set piece except crash ball with the 1st receiver.

If Quade is on the bench then I want to see him play the last half hour.

 

[eddo]

I knew there was a reason I couldn't sleep last night... and then I get up to this.

Tour is in pieces... one more injury in the touring squad and we are well beyond fahhhrked it's not funny.

____________
Gits - AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) - Ioane

Hynes - Turner (15) - Mitchell.

Bench: Cooper, Smith.

 

[Spook]

AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at 12 - no. I only wish Cooper and Beale could tackle.

 

[Scotty]

Pocock can do Coopers tackling for him. Lack of tackling skill never stopped Merhtens. We can live with a few missed tackles from our flyhalf if the rest of his game is on (big if of course).

Why have we gone back to our worst backline of the season to date? AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Cross and Giteau were terrible against South Africa, and if I recall correctly, the backline only started looking good when Cooper came on and Gits moved to 12.

This is a very defensive decision by Deans in a game that means stuff all. It stinks of not wanting to lose by too much, and it again damages AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s ability to become world class in one position.

I'm starting to get a little like Scarfy.

 

[mark_s]

AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to 12 is a bad decision in my view. Everyone looses, from Giteau inside him to all the men outside him. I would prefer Cooper at 10 and Gits as 12 with AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) back 15. We can stroke Git's ego by making him VC.

 

[Gagger]

By far his best sookface yet.

Exactly my thought when I saw that pic earlier.

Sookface Cam installed on Blog. First pictures through now.

 

[cheezel]

He can't go two weeks without injuring himself.

Whom is vice captain now? Has to be a back, maybe gits so he doesn't throw a tantrum??

 

[Spook]

I agree with all. We should try and win the match through putting an attacking 10 out there with Gits at 12. O'Gara for Ireland can't tackle but they do ok. JOC (James O'Connor) at 15 is a diasaster as well.

 

[Newb]

christ, again? maybe he needs to wrap himself up like bernie did. once heard a NZer call him the "3M man".

and that face is not one i want to see from my vice-captain. doesn't inspire much. although his hair does look good. well done, mate.

might as well play coopster at 10. what the hell at this point. all this moving around is doing no one favors. 12 is AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s worst position. JO'C can't handle 15 against the AB's as we know. Gits should be wider.

 

[Newb]

seems deans & co. have released the farked with reshuffled XV. have a gander.

James O'Connor, Peter Hynes, Ryan Cross, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Digby Ioane, Matt Giteau, Will Genia, Wycliff Palu, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom (capt), Mark Chisholm, James Horwill, Ben Alexander, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson.

Replacements: Stephen Moore, Matt Dunning, Dean Mumm, George Smith, Luke Burgess, Drew Mitchell, Quade Cooper

in some ways i realize why they did this. but if you look at the backline, most of them are playing out of their "natural" positions. and if they're trying to name their most-experience, best players (i.e. leave out taking a chance on quade at 10 or JO'C at 12 even) then why bench smith and go for getting a young guy like pocock some game time? i'm confused.

 

[steiner]

Yeh, Ashley Cooper's selection at 12 will be mainly to keep the defence solid, particularly against Nonu, who whether starting or not will be out there at some stage. And Berrick's not there to chop him down.

A fair enough decision given that there under a fair bit of pressure for a victory or at least run them close.
They can experiment on the EOYT.

JOC (James O'Connor) will be a good 15 sooner or later. Wouldn't be surprised to see it happen sooner rather than later.

 

[fatprop]

Britney @ 15 ........................................................

 

[Spook]

Britney @ 15 ........................................................

Bomb. Jane. Try. Again.

 

[RugbyReg]

Whom is vice captain now?

Genia surely. Have to keep Gits angry.

 

[Scotty]

Email I just received from a mate. Echos a lot of our thoughts:

What about those wallabies- for the first time i thought they had it right, now barnes is out so they change 3 positions in the backline to cover for him .... don't understand.

Simple game rugby and sure players need to be interchangeable but they lose there immediate roles if constantly changing positions.

Can't be done at international level-kiwis will thump them

 

[fatprop]

Email I just received from a mate. Echos a lot of our thoughts:

What about those wallabies- for the first time i thought they had it right, now barnes is out so they change 3 positions in the backline to cover for him .... don't understand.

Simple game rugby and sure players need to be interchangeable but they lose there immediate roles if constantly changing positions.

Can't be done at international level-kiwis will thump them

Yeah, to me you put in the next best 12, and that is Britney.

 

[steiner]

Well, I'm one of the few who more or less agrees with Deans. It's suicide to play weak defensive players against Nonu, so turnstiles Cooper and Beale are out of the question. JOC (James O'Connor)'s better of course but only a little guy and doesn't have the "bootlaces" technique that Berrick does. Don't think Deans would want to risk him against Nonu at this stage.

We may see JOC (James O'Connor) coming into the front line in attack, however, on a fair few occasions to provide options, since AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s no great playmaker.

 

[RugbyReg]

I think it would have been a great op to play Cooper.

There's no way that the ABs were planning on running Ma'a through the 12 channel with Berrick there. So if you pick Quade there, they'd be scurrying to change their game plan and thats a great disruption.

 

[daz]

I have a question. I know this sounds odd, but here goes....

I personally think that a fit and firing Barnes is one of the keys to the success of the current Wallaby team.
However, given his history of soft tissue injuries and the fact that every time he goes down our structure is in a constant state of re-organisation, should Deans seriously begin to think about a Wallaby team without Barnes as a starter as we head to 2011?

Or possibly, without Barnes full stop...?

I know, I know. I'm a massive fan of Barnes, and I know it is not his fault, but the combinations keep changing from Test to Test. I defy anyone to say the changes are for the better.

If we had a well balanced mix of rookies/seniors it might be ok to fiddle with the combo's, but this team is still too young and inexperienced...


daz

 

[louie]

yes of course
he should doing that for every player