Brumbies 2010

[aussie1st]

Is Mortlock still not confirmed for next year? If he does leave I guess you would have to put Smith at 13 as a talent like him shouldn't be on the bench unless you move him to wing or fullback.

From what I hear To'omua should be right for the first game. Lealiifano might move back to Melbourne as well so if that happens I wouldn't invest too much in him then.

 

[Calexico]

Mortlock is definately playing (at least until he gets injured): http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/sport/rugby-union/shadows-loom-for-mortlock/1693404.aspx

So it will hopefully be To'omua at 10, Gits at 12, Mortlock at 13, Lealiifano at 15 and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) on the wing.

Will be interesting to see what Friend does in the trials.

 

[Viking]

sounds like a good backline to me!

 

[Gagger]

A joke:

Stephen Hoiles walks into a room where Stirling Mortlock, George Smith, Rocky Elsom and Matt Giteau are having a chat

and says "Let's have a Captains meeting"

 

[steiner]

Well, way too early to tell but.....10 gits 12 Smith 13 Mortlock, 15 AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Fainifo and Mafi the wings.........and a couple of great subs!
Keep the Force 9,10 combo together, and Gits has been a great 10 at super level, even if he mixes his form at test level. Can't ignore Mr Consistency T Smith(can't recall seeing him play a poor game for the Brumbies). Mortlock's a 13. Wallaby fullback AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper). Fainifo's 2009 form picks himself and Mafi's 2010 form will pick himself.

Will be something seriously wrong if the Brumbies aren't in the four next year. That said, I'm going to enjoy watching the Waratah pack nail them!

 

[Gagger]

A joke:

Stephen Hoiles walks into a room where Stirling Mortlock, George Smith, Rocky Elsom and Matt Giteau are having a chat

and says "Let's have a Captains meeting"

No one else found it funny?

Seriously though, is gonna be a weird dynamic?

 

[Viking]

Im pretty sure that the brumbies will go with steiner's blackline of 10 gits 12 Smith 13 Mortlock, 15 AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper). But id love to see To'omua in the mix with gits at 12. Hopefully they will trial it for half a game with To'omua off the bench.

Is hoiles really still going to be captain. That is one weird dynamic for sure.

Is anyone worries gits, rocky will just move to melbourne when the time comes?

 

[James Buchanan]

Im pretty sure that the brumbies will go with steiner's blackline of 10 gits 12 Smith 13 Mortlock, 15 AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper). But id love to see To'omua in the mix with gits at 12. Hopefully they will trial it for half a game with To'omua off the bench.

Is hoiles really still going to be captain. That is one weird dynamic for sure.

Is anyone worries gits, rocky will just move to melbourne when the time comes?

I can't see Gits moving to Melbourne.

I'd much prefer To'omua anyway

 

[Lee Grant]

There were always going to be situations where we'd need 5 professional teams so that players wouldn't be stuck behind stars who play in their spots and we have a good example with the Brumbies. Giteau, one of the top flyhalves at the S14 level moves to the Brumbies and suddenly a very good young player, Matt To'omua, is marginalised.

The 5th team is going to be handy for players like him to move on for 2011. It is all very well to say he could move onto the Force in 2011 but a good player deserves to have more than one choice.

The more teams there are, the less likely a player will be affected by the fact that there will be no vacancies because not enough contracts will be terminated in a certain year to make room for him.

Hence 5 teams is better than 4 from that point of view, but that will have to be that for the next 20 years or so, unless the competition is expanded and the standard lowered.

We passed the point of diminishing returns when we got the 4th team and one of the aims for Oz rugby will be to improve the general standard of Oz Super15 players which will fall in 2011 from the 2010 S14 standard and even more so in 2012 after most current 2010 contracts will have terminated and all players who were going to move have done so.

Soon after that the benefits of a couple of years of accumulated decisions by young players not to go overseas, and of a few useful experienced players returning, should have kicked in enough for the standard to rise.

That is the theory, but given that there won't be a reprise of the ARC, it needs to be bolstered by rationalising the Sydney and Brisbane club competitions. We need the best clubs playing other best clubs more regularly and the lesser clubs in a 2nd division fighting to get into the 1sts.

And yep - everybody agrees that 4 teams would have been enough if we had a good national domestic competition; so let's not go there.



But I have digressed grievously. The Brumbies will have the best backline in Oz but it won't mean a lot if their forwards don't improve. Why don't some of you blokes talk about the pigs?

 

[Spook]

The Brumbies will have the best backline in Oz but it won't mean a lot if their forwards don't improve. Why don't some of you blokes talk about the pigs?

Forwards were reasonably good last year- certainly outplayed all the Aussie packs they faced. (penalty try against Farce for scrum despite losing match). Lineout was a bit shitty when both Chisolm and Hand got injured. Elsom will add a lot more starch. Plank will help lineouts.

 

[Lee Grant]

Spook - I am reminded of a line from one of my favourite old movies: "True Grit"

Robert Duvall (Ned Pepper) says to John Wayne (Rooster Cogburn): "I call that bold talk for a one-eyed fat man." I don't know if you are fat but the rest of it rings true.

But good on you mate - I hope it comes true for your boys except when they are in Sydney. The forwards had some terrific games last year, notably against the Reds but they were listless at other times.

If the forwards can get their set pieces right - and I have mentioned earlier that the Brumbies scrum finished well in 2009 and you have mentioned how Plank should improve the lineout - and be a bit more consistent in 80 minute physicality, the Brumbies should be one of the top 4 teams.

Trouble is that so many teams will have a 'should be' disclaimer.

 

[Lee Grant]

Have just watched the Dubai Sevens. I won't give a spoiler but Clinton Sills, who is in the Brumbies Academy, was electric in the tournament.

The commentator said that he and a Welsh guy were the most exciting new 7s players of 2009.

He is certainly fast but we have seen a lot of quick players look good in 7s but are just finishers and not any good for the 15 man game - as whispers has indicated on another thread. He was terrific in the 2008 schools tournament but spoilt his week with bad handling. He seems to be over this and did a couple of things in Dubai that made him look like a real footie player.

He won't get anywhere near a Super14 game in 2010 as he is just a Colts player for Sydney Uni and not always in 1st grade Colts. He's built like a greyhound and will have to put on a bit of weight in the next couple of years. We will probably have to wait that long before we get exited about him - or be disappointed in him.

 

[Viking]

Have just watched the Dubai Sevens. I won't give a spoiler but Clinton Sills, who is in the Brumbies Academy, was electric in the tournament.

The commentator said that he and a Welsh guy were the most exciting new 7s players of 2009.

He is certainly fast but we have seen a lot of quick players look good in 7s but are just finishers and not any good for the 15 man game - as whispers has indicated on another thread. He was terrific in the 2008 schools tournament but spoilt his week with bad handling. He seems to be over this and did a couple of things in Dubai that made him look like a real footie player.

He won't get anywhere near a Super14 game in 2010 as he is just a Colts player for Sydney Uni and not always in 1st grade Colts. He's built like a greyhound and will have to put on a bit of weight in the next couple of years. We will probably have to wait that long before we get exited about him - or be disappointed in him.

With Deans at the wallabies who has a habit of throwing youngsters in the mix whether they are ready or not you can bet that if Clinton keeps getting noticed by playing good rugby then I cant see why deans wouldnt bring him along in the next tour. Oh and guess what position he plays FULLBACK!.. apparently.

 

[Gagger]

Here's one of Clinton's tries. Starts at 4.44. Nice gas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP8v4rAOGYA&feature=player_embedded

 

[fatprop]

Syd Uni colts is a damm high standard, one young 10, whose name escapes me, wanted to play grade this year but was sent to colts by Uni. He got the shits and went to play first grade for another Sydney club.

 

[Spook]

Spook - I am reminded of a line from one of my favourite old movies: "True Grit"

More Grit cetainly wouldn't go astray. I think it's something Friend is bringing in though. It's a shame Kimlin got injured as I think he has real grit. Chisolm, Hand, Chapman and Hoiles? Always a question mark over them on the grit side of things.

 

[Lee Grant]

With Deans at the wallabies who has a habit of throwing youngsters in the mix whether they are ready or not you can bet that if Clinton keeps getting noticed by playing good rugby then I cant see why deans wouldnt bring him along in the next tour. Oh and guess what position he plays FULLBACK!.. apparently.

Yeah, he plays fullback for Colts, though he played wing for NSW II Schools. The 2008 crop of schools players in Oz wasn't great but one thing their teams had were good players in the back three and most of them were very quick.

Queensland had Nicky Price, Dom Shipperly and Simon Morahan in their Ones team and Kenneth Robertson, Chris Nadolo and Elih Baillie in the Twos. If there's not a Red in that lot I'll be surprised. NSW had Greg Jeloudev in the Ones and Sills, Damon Anderson and Callum Fryer in the Twos; then there was Tyler Stevens from the ACT.

I didn't realise how quick Sills was in the 2008 tournament, but that often happens when assessing wingers in scratch teams and they don't get a lot of good pill. I thought Price was the fastest, but he got more chances in the best team of the week.


Spook - nice use of the True Grit theme. Yes you need A Few Good Men who play like Reservoir Dogs, and a Raging Bull and Gladiator or two who have a Braveheart and like to Crash into people. Rocky will help.

 

[TOCC]

Jesse Mogg was down with the Brumbies going through pre-season training, we might see him in the academy in 2010?

 

[Zinzan]

Im pretty sure that the brumbies will go with steiner's blackline of 10 gits 12 Smith 13 Mortlock, 15 AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper). But id love to see To'omua in the mix with gits at 12. Hopefully they will trial it for half a game with To'omua off the bench.

Is hoiles really still going to be captain. That is one weird dynamic for sure.

Is anyone worries gits, rocky will just move to melbourne when the time comes?

I can't see Gits moving to Melbourne.

I'd much prefer To'omua anyway

Gits moved to Perth for the big $$$$$$$$$$

......depends what Melb offer I guess, what ever happened to loyalty to a club/team.

 

[Calexico]

Alexander has apparently broken his finger at training thus becoming the third prop to be injured - Yanuyanutawa broke his foot and Owen did something to his calf. So they have apparently got John Ulugia back on a short-term contract to cover.