Countdown to the Wallaby Euro Tour - The Inside Backs

[Gagger]

The other day I started on an unfortunate negative note with a look at the questions hanging over the Wallaby front row that will be answered in the Northern Hemisphere. Today, so as not to overly compound the depression from our spanking in the last cricket test against India, I turn to a brighter note.

The inside backs

A year ago it was still Gregan and Larkham as lynch-pins to the Aussie backline, a Tri-Nations on and Australia has the makings of a world class inside backs combination through Burgess, Giteau and Barnes.

At 9, Burgess gives these two play makers extra seconds and scrambled defences, they in turn both have the full bag of tricks and were showing signs of a positional kicking game that Australia hasn't had in living memory. On top of this it was only in the trios absence that the backline defence started leaking tries. Against the ABs in Sydney they were a brick wall that Nonu smashed himself against to no effect.

Due to injury this season, are a few questions left unanswered though:

* Can Burgess and Giteau 'click' to get a solid service going?
* Are Barnes and Giteau playing in any sort of cohesion, or as two separate backline decision makers? It was hard to tell at times and the latter looks pretty messy.
* Should it be Giteau at 12 and Barnes at 10? Many would say that Giteau less of a classical five-eighth and prefers more room to run
* What's plan B should any of them get injured? Cordingly being on the tour is bizarre, Cooper a little frightening and Tahu, as we all saw in Jo'Burg has some defensive work to do. The child O'Connor we've learned is being played at 15 this tour.

Regardless of these, the hope is that this combo once again hit their straps on this tour and show us a glimpse of what they can do. In almost all the tests coming, it's the only consistent part of the field where I see superiority for the Wallabies.

 

[spectator]

Not the biggest fan of Giteau at 10 but prefer Barnes at 12. Hopefully Burgess is back on track and with a few games together as a combination they might just turn into something special as a combination.

The tour will tell us a fair bit about where Coopers game has progressed to but thought he and Barnes interacted quite well at times for the Reds. Hope a level of maturity appears in his play. O'Connor will be treated with kid gloves and that's fair enough, he is just a boy.

 

[Scarfman]

Did you have to remind me that Cooper was touring? :-\

 

[disco]

I have put myself through the pain of watching the Bledisloe 3 replay on about 4 occasions now & have probably watched the Bledisloe 1 replay about 7-8 times.

I know Richie McCheat wasn't playing in Sydney but I think the loss of Barnes & Burgess in Brisbane was was a major blow.

Burgess is a brilliant tackler & another facet of his game that many other halfbacks don't or for some reason won't do is cleanout at the ruck, on a couple of occasions in sydney he would throw his head over the ball in attack when the ball carrier was isolated.

Burgess also got us going forward with his quick service especially in Sydney after Andy Ellis went over & put the AB's in front, the Aussies stepped it up a gear from the kick off but mainly from Burgess getting to the ruck so quick & spreading it wide.

If the Wallabies are to be successful on this tour then Luke Burgess will have to be at his best.

 

[Scarfman]

I still reckon the 10-12 swap is worth a look. I reckon Gits would walk into that job as the best 12 in the world. And since his combo with LB has been far from perfect so far, maybe it's worth seeing if the LB-BB combo clicks better. So much of 9-10 is about reading each other's minds. Sometimes you just click with someone, and other people you never do.

 

[disco]

I'd like to see Barnes & Giteau swap for a couple of games, Rod Kafer has been calling for this all year.

 

[Gagger]

Looks like more Giteau at 10

Giteau's nirvana smells like team spirit

By Bret Harris
October 25, 2008

AT the start of the international season Matt Giteau was widely regarded as the most individually brilliant player in the Australian squad.

Now Giteau is arguably the Wallabies' most conscientious team player.

Giteau's game has changed more than any other player following the arrival of coach Robbie Deans.

A big part of the transformation was Giteau's move from inside centre to five-eighth, which involved greater decision-making and play-making responsibilities.

The quick-stepping Kid Dynamite has evolved into an astute tactician, combining instinct and creativity.

"I've really enjoyed it," Giteau said. "It's been very challenging. It's been a big year for me. I've learnt a lot.

"You always have a team focus whenever you play, but I think at five-eighth you've really got to have that.

"How you want to play. Try to control the game. The speed of the game. If you want to quicken it up or keep the ball in play. Things like that. You've just always got to be thinking.

"With kicking as well. There's a lot more kicking to do at five-eighth than I would have done normally.

"They are some of the challenges, but ones that I've really enjoyed. It feels like my first year. I feel that fresh. I feel that good because it's been challenging and a new experience."

A reflection of the change in Giteau's play can be found in his try-assist and try-scoring statistics.

In his first 51 Tests, Giteau scored 20 tries, but he has only scored one try in nine Tests this year.

While Giteau is not scoring tries at the rate that he used to, he is creating more five-pointers than ever before.

Giteau has had nine try assists this year compared to only two in five Tests at the 2007 World Cup in France. The next highest are winger Lote Tuqiri and full-back Adam Ashley-Cooper with just two each.

"With the position you've got to have a less selfish focus on things," Giteau said.

"When I was inside centre I looked to run a lot more whereas now I'm still running, but you've got to be more aware of what's outside you.

"With the way we are playing I'm involved quite heavily and with that I suppose assists are going to come."

Giteau has used a variety of skills to create tries for his team-mates.

The side-step and flick pass; the kick-pass to the wing, which Deans brought from Christchurch, and Giteau's own long pass, which finds its target like a heat-seeking missile.

There is an old saying that you should let the ball do the work and that's exactly what Giteau does.

Instead of passing to his support, Giteau fires the ball into space, which draws the recipient through the gap. It's rugby's version of a smart bomb.

"You look at a guy like (former Wallabies five-eighth) Steve Larkham," Giteau said.

"Whenever he threw the ball, he wouldn't throw it to a guy, he would throw it to the space where he wants that guy.

"That's something I try to focus on. Throwing the ball at space."

Giteau would be the first to admit he is not the finished article as a five-eighth and aspects of his game slip from time to time.

But Deans has invested much in Giteau as his chief playmaker and he is pleased with his progress so far.

"He has done some great stuff. He has done some stuff that has frustrated him, but he's on a continuum," Deans said.

"He's getting better and he will continue to get better.

"Obviously, it's a role he doesn't have a lot of background in so the sooner he feels totally comfortable and at ease in that, the sooner he is able to push on and master it."

Does Giteau ever long for those carefree days in the midfield? "Not really. When one of the centres is scoring a lot of tries you want to get out there. I'm enjoying the challenges of five-eighth. I like it there."

 

[waratahjesus]

i would also like to see gits and barnes swap,

but if he is persisting in having gits play ten, then barnes being at 12 is the best thing that can happen, Giteau still doesnt have the decision making down pat to play there as the backline leader, i think barnes seems to be the more experianced organiser of the two. for all his flair, i dont think gits is a leader in terms of the word when it comes to actual decision making, a youth of playing outside larkham has probably allowed him to coast a little bit in developing that part of his game.

 

[fatprop]

Barnes @ 12 lets him be more of an energiser bunny.

 

[formeropenside]

I'm not too concerned about who wears 10 and 12 on their back; from watching Test rugby this season those numbers only appeared to hold for first phase play with any great certainty (and especially in defence Barnes is an excellent 12).

After first phase, Barnes would come into first reciever a bit, especially to kick. In fact, having both players interchangeable is probably an advantage, as it forces defences to watch who is playing where.

All we need now is Lucas at 9 and the backline becomes even more versatile.

 

[Spook]

I'm not too concerned about who wears 10 and 12 on their back; from watching Test rugby this season those numbers only appeared to hold for first phase play with any great certainty (and especially in defence Barnes is an excellent 12).

After first phase, Barnes would come into first reciever a bit, especially to kick. In fact, having both players interchangeable is probably an advantage, as it forces defences to watch who is playing where.

All we need now is Lucas at 9 and the backline becomes even more versatile.

Good post Former. Barnes handles the ball quite a bit at first receiver. Giteau takes the ball to the line quite a bit. We really missed Barnes kicking game (and defense) in the last Sloe.

 

[Gagger]

Speaking of defense, having Burgess back is another big plus on that front. The new Deans defense around the ruck where the 9 plugs the gap puts even more spotlight on the half-back in this area. The number of breakdowns where Cordingly wasn't even in the frame was worrying.

 

[Major Spliff Biggins]

Agreed.

With Barnes and Burgess back some urgency should be brought back to proceedings.

Barnes' addition to the defence cannot be overlooked. Especially with Mortlock's chronic ball watching on display in the latter parts of this year.

It is indeed a new and exciting time for our inside backs after the mortgage Gregan and Larkham had on their positions.

I don't think Tahu is ready at all for this and should only be used on the wing only. Until he excells at provincial level in a central position I don't want him near the brains trust of the backline.

Realistically, Cooper may get 20 mins at the end against Italy. You never know, maybe he could improve over the tour. The lad has the skills... just not the temprement. He is young and has potential. Perhaps some older heads may give him some guidance.

 

[Major Spliff Biggins]

Speaking of defense, having Burgess back is another big plus on that front. The new Deans defense around the ruck where the 9 plugs the gap puts even more spotlight on the half-back in this area. The number of breakdowns where Cordingly wasn't even in the frame was worrying.

I reiterate my comments after the last Bledisloe. Cordingly can fuck off and should be kept the fuck away from the team. His age and experience add nought. He has a glass foot, is slow and his decision making poor. We're living in the past with this clown.

 

[whocares]

Speaking of defense, having Burgess back is another big plus on that front. The new Deans defense around the ruck where the 9 plugs the gap puts even more spotlight on the half-back in this area. The number of breakdowns where Cordingly wasn't even in the frame was worrying.

I reiterate my comments after the last Bledisloe. Cordingly can fuck off and should be kept the fuck away from the team. His age and experience add nought. He has a glass foot, is slow and his decision making poor. We're living in the past with this clown.

Not much in terms of test experience. What 14 tests?? I think Barnes has taken him over. I think all he takes into a test is age which shows when Dunning gets to the breakdown before him.

 

[Lindommer]

I reiterate my comments after the last Bledisloe. Cordingley can fuck offand should be kept the fuck away from the team. His age and experience add nought. He has a glass foot, is slow and his decision making poor. We're living in the past with this clown.

Couldn't agree more, Colonel. Cordingley's painfully slow; it's hard to fathom the selectors' reasoning picking Sam seeing he's buggering off to Grenoble allied with their wish to test a new batch of Wallabies to check if they're good enough. If Deans wants slow and reliable he's got Sheehan. Although to be fair to Brett he's cut a lot of the crap out of his game while playing for the Wallabies and concentrated on the classical half-back stuff, such as getting the pill out to the backs quickly.

 

[waratahjesus]

i would have thought it would have been better to take lucas, if we can develop him as a 9/10 it would be great for our bench and allow an extra forward or back, if out 9/10/12 can cover every position it would be fantastic.

 

[Scotty]

I reiterate my comments after the last Bledisloe. Cordingly can fuck off and should be kept the fuck away from the team. His age and experience add nought. He has a glass foot, is slow and his decision making poor. We're living in the past with this clown.

I agree that he shouldn't have been selected for the tour, although I'm sure Deans has his reason. I'm not sure why he is a 'clown' though.

 

[Major Spliff Biggins]

I reiterate my comments after the last Bledisloe. Cordingly can fuck off and should be kept the fuck away from the team. His age and experience add nought. He has a glass foot, is slow and his decision making poor. We're living in the past with this clown.

I agree that he shouldn't have been selected for the tour, although I'm sure Deans has his reason. I'm not sure why he is a 'clown' though.

Good point.

There's nothing funny about his selection.