Bledisloe 2 "Do or Die" Wallabies v Ab's in Sydney

[the gambler]

Mumm called the lineouts for the Tahs all year and has already called them in a number of test matches so that certainly wont be an issue.

 

[Blue]

Mumm played lock for the Tahs all of this year IIRR, with Caldwell at 4 and Mowen at 6 and TPN throwing. The setpiece was good, Mowen in particular stole more lineouts than any other S14 player. Baxter was also solid in the lineouts, single lifting Mowen on many occasions much like the Boks do with Victor and resulting in much of the stolen ball.

Ah

Forgot bout that. My bad.

Elsom took a lot of ball at 2 I seem to remember as well so the Wallaby lineout should improve one would think.

 

[Grandmaster Flash]

Team named. Rocky starting, Brown @ 8, Palu out of 22, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to 13 and J'OC to 15.

The Qantas Wallabies team to play New Zealand in the Bundaberg Rum Tri Nations Series and Bledisloe Cup at ANZ Stadium, Sydney on Saturday 22 August, 8pm kick off (AEST), is:


15. James O'Connor (Western Force)
14. Lachie Turner (NSW Waratahs)
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies)
12. Berrick Barnes (Queensland Reds)
11. Drew Mitchell (Western Force)
10. Matt Giteau (Western Force)
9. Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs)
8. Richard Brown
(Western Force)
7. George Smith (Brumbies, Captain)
6. Rocky Elsom (Brumbies)
5. Nathan Sharpe (Western Force)
4. James Horwill (Queensland Reds)
3. Al Baxter (NSW Waratahs)
2. Stephen Moore (Brumbies)
1. Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs)

Run on reserves:
16. Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW Waratahs)
17. Ben Alexander (Brumbies)
18. Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs)
19. David Pocock (Western Force)
20. Will Genia (Queensland Reds)
21. Ryan Cross (Western Force)
22. Peter Hynes
(Queensland Reds)

http://www.rugby.com.au/news/wallabies_2009/qantas_wallabies_named_for_second_bledisloe_cup_cl,133409.html/section/21893

 

[RugbyReg]

The Brown selection is the one that interests me. I guess with Rock on the comeback trail Robbie wants HIS next choice blindside in the squad.

Obviously the training 'selections' during the week were just a ploy to fire up those under threat?

 

[chriscullen]

All Blacks starting 15 named. Nonu and Donald dropped for McAlistair and Carter. So'oialo dropped for Kieran Read.
1. Tony Woodcock (55 Tests)
2. Andrew Hore (40)
3. Owen Franks (4)
4. Brad Thorn (30)
5. Isaac Ross (6)
6. Jerome Kaino (20)
7. Richie McCaw - captain (73)
8. Kieran Read (9)
9. Jimmy Cowan (25)
10. Dan Carter (59)
11. Sitiveni Sivivatu (37)
12. Luke McAlister (27)
13. Conrad Smith (28)
14. Josevata Rokocoko (57)
15. Mils Muliaina (74)

Reserves:

16. Aled de Malmanche (1)
17. John Afoa (17)
18. Jason Eaton (12)
19. Rodney So'oialo (58)
20. Brendon Leonard (11)
21. Stephen Donald (14)
22. Ma'a Nonu (39)

 

[louie]

sharpe shouldn't have been picked. deans has no balls.
the bench is match winner if he uses it.

 

[Lee Grant]

Wow - Nonu and So'oialo dropped. A bad day for Wellington/Hurricanes fans.

McAlister and Read take their places.

Joe Rock still in the XV and no Corey Jane in the 22 - what has he done wrong and what has Joe Rock done right?

A good team for Oz methinks since we all knew Carter would be back anyway.

Oz team - as expected.

 

[waratahjesus]

unless palu is injured, bad call.
will put alot of pressure on elsom to make metres. if brown actually runs forward and stays out of the backline he will get a minor pass, but he hasnt been playing well and i think he is going to get smashed. my guess is Elsom is moving to 8 with mumm on at 6 before to long if he is fit enough. the fact palu is out of the 22 and sharpe remains in the starting line up is strange. if he has a bad match here he has to go, if we lose there is no point not blooding someone and trying to accomplish rather than resting on what we know.

big call for JOC (James O'Connor), good to see turner holding his spot and hopefully he plays well, hynes, mitch and turner are all tradable in my opinion so i dont really mind who starts out of them.

also hopefully giteau plays wider and allows berrick into first reciever more often, gits and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) are great back up players and both can find gaps as well, the two of them together with barnes having more of a ditributer role would be great!

 

[Scotty]

I have a bad feeling we might see Smith and Pocock on the field at the same time for an extended period, depending on how Rocky holds up.

Mumm's got brains. Not so sure about poor old Kev.

Kev doesn't look like he does, but he interviews pretty well and seems articulate - a lot more so that Moore who you could suggest is his only non back rival for the captaincy next year.

 

[Scotty]

PS Sanity prevails with the front row. Didn't think Robbie was willing to make a raft of changes - but he may be willing to make a raft of substitutions if the game is not going as planned.

 

[waratahjesus]

i called it early in the season, but the wallabies will come crashing down on saturday!
deans has to go, the Tahs could use him but he isnt international standard! maybe him and john mitchel can do a talking tour on inflated statistics!

 

[Blue]

Two players who will be racing each other to buy lottery tickets: Joe Rok and Sharpe. Two very, very lucky people indeed.

The Brown selection is very baffling. I thought by now it had been proven that he is a good Super 14 player and that he isn't up to test level rugby.

 

[PaarlBok]

Bliksem I cant understand Henry& Deans dropping Nunu & Cross. :nta: I know one thing, Lee's rabbit is going to be tested with the high ones with Carter and Lucky Luke. Big tester for the young man. That Wallaby backline look thin defensive wise but then without Nunu the All Blacks loose one of the best attacking weapons.

 

[disco]

I think Read has been picked to help fix the lineout.

 

[Blue]

Bliksem I cant understand Henry& Deans dropping Nunu & Cross. :nta: I know one thing, Lee's rabbit is going to be tested with the high ones with Carter and Lucky Luke. Big tester for the young man. That Wallaby backline look thin defensive wise but then without Nunu the All Blacks loose one of the best attacking weapons.

Nothing wrong with AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s defense. He is playing in hist most effective position IMHO. Uoung "Punchmeplease" O'Connor punches well above his weight (drum roll). He made a tackle on Spies a lot of people would have missed.

 

[PaarlBok]

Well he'll have to field the up and unders, no rocket sciense with the dropping of Nunu for Lucky Luke, thats what the All Blacks will do and Henry sure learned some lesson in SA. Saw Kaplan is the ref. Its Sydney and the pressure on him will mount like never before. :nta:

 

[RugbyReg]

Am actually glad AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is there. We need to start looking for our World Cup 13, and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and Digby are my choices (would like Horne to be an option).

Can't see Morty being there. And I reckon Cross is on the way down.

 

[naza]

unless palu is injured, bad call.
will put alot of pressure on elsom to make metres. if brown actually runs forward and stays out of the backline he will get a minor pass, but he hasnt been playing well and i think he is going to get smashed.

With no Mortlock or Palu for Oz, and no Nonu or Rodders for NZ, both sides look lacking in go forward. This will be a defensive slugfest.

Bring back crash ball !

 

[Moses]

There is a bit of like for like in the selections.

Kaino < Elsom
Read > Brown

 

[Scotty]

With no Mortlock or Palu for Oz, and no Nonu or Rodders for NZ, both sides look lacking in go forward. This will be a defensive slugfest.

Bring back crash ball !

While AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) isn't a crash baller, he has been more effective in making metres recently than Mortlock. What I like about him is that he normally beats the first defender and then keeps the legs pumping in tackles. I also think he his balance is one of the best in world rugby - very hard to knock him off his feet with a half tackle.

He will probably have a shocker now.