Dingo gives a few clues

[Gagger]

From Foxsports

[size=10pt]Australia coach Robbie Deans plan to inject youngsters into Wallabies squad[/size]

By David Beniuk
April 14, 2009

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has foreshadowed an injection of youth into the Australia side for 2009, saying he'll begin his second year in charge with a "clean slate".

Far from disheartened by average seasons for Australia's Super 14 teams, Deans says he has more depth to choose from in 2009 and is pleased with the development of the players he blooded during his first year in charge.

Deans has been compiling an Australian team of the month based purely on Super 14 form and has asked the state sides to do the same to challenge his thinking and that of fellow selectors David Nucifora and Jim Williams.

"It's a living document very much, it changes from month to month," Deans said on Tuesday.

"The only criteria I put around it was that anyone (the states) named was genuinely good to go in terms of international rugby."

And the process is changing the way Deans thinks about his squad after largely inheriting last year's just days after his Crusaders won the Super 14 final.

"There probably wasn't a lot of decisions to be made in June last year but there will be this year which is great," he said.

"We're going to be under pressure in terms of making decisions.

"We will consider everyone, there won't be any preconceived ideas ... we'll consider every permutation in terms of injury and form.

"We're going with a clean slate, a fresh outlook."

The recent appointment of skills coach Richard Graham has come about partly because of the expectation of a younger squad, Deans said.

"When you look at the likely profile of the group ... there is going to be a fair amount of youth in terms of the average age of the squad I suspect, so to have another pair of hands from my perspective will be great because you can't be everywhere," he said.

Eligible young guns like Kurtley Beale, James O'Connor and Rob Horne will be required to represent Australia at June's Under-20 Rugby World Cup in Japan, though, before any senior international call-up.

"We want to see what they bring to that tournament," Deans said.

"We want them to bring and offer exactly what they've done there with us and it will be a great indicator in terms of their ability to lead and initiate and contribute to a team."

Fullback, centre, halfback and tighthead prop are the positions Deans is most concerned about, but he believes Australia's overall depth has improved.

"There's more choice, some of the blokes who got an opportunity last year are showing more than they were this time last year," he said.

But one position Deans is not concerned about is five-eighth.

The former mentor of All Blacks superstar Dan Carter believes Matt Giteau has now mastered the role of No.10.

"You look back 12 months and he's a genuine 10 now where he was learning the trade very much a year ago," Deans said.

"He looks totally comfortable in his own skin now."

The Wallabies' first squad of the year will assemble on the Monday after the Super 14 final to begin preparations for the season-opening showdown with a Barbarians side including Sonny Bill Williams at the Sydney Football Stadium on June 6.

Should an Australian Super 14 side make the May 30 final, it is unlikely players from it would back up against the Baa Baas.

"There's a lot of blokes who have been world class internationals previously and are coming back to international rugby so they're going to have something to prove,'' Deans said of the Barbarians.

The Wallabies will then play two Tests against Italy and one against France before opening their Tri-Nations campaign on July 18 in Auckland.

"I think you'll see the most competitive Tri-Nations ever," Deans said.

So, what other youth is he talking about then.....

 

[fatprop]

Palmer is the only "new" kid that has stood up

 

[Juan Cote]

Laurie Weeks at tighthead?

no. 10 is one area where I think we are doing OK, Gits, Barnes and Cooper

Hooker worries me, Squeaky Moore is the clear starter but after that it gets a bit thin. I'd hate to have to rely on Poly when it came to the crunch.

Other young players Chris Thompson, Pocock obvioulsy, Cummins, Hockings, Lucas

 

[cyclopath]

Laurie Weeks at tighthead?

no. 10 is one area where I think we are doing OK, Gits, Barnes and Cooper

Hooker worries me, Squeaky Moore is the clear starter but after that it gets a bit thin. I'd hate to have to rely on Poly when it came to the crunch.

Other young players Chris Thompson, Pocock obvioulsy, Cummins, Hockings, Lucas

I disagree about TPN - I've been a big critic in the past for his poor lineout work, but it has been miles better this year, apart from this last weekend, and his scrummaging is top notch, as is his general play. I'm not worried.
Cummins is promising, but a little way to go still. Lucas? Hard to say on this year's form. Genia looked sharp until his indiscretion.

 

[TOCC]

TPN's lineouts on the weekend were quite shocking, it is a massive weakness in his game, apart from that he is solid, but as a hooker he should be doing better at lineout time.

I cant think of many new faces in 2009, maybe Cummins, Genia and Higgingbotham, apart from that there arent really any other players outside the U20(JWC) that havent already earned caps before.

 

[Spook]

As I said in another thread, Kimlin was great at lock against the stormer. Hits hard that boy.

 

[Gagger]

As I said in another thread, Kimlin was great at lock against the stormer. Hits hard that boy.

Dynamic lock. Clumbsy 6

 

[Pfitzy]

TPN's lineouts on the weekend were quite shocking, it is a massive weakness in his game,

:nta: Yes, if you completely ignore the other eight games where his throwing has been close to 100%. Stop looking at last season and start looking at this one. Goes for you too Juan

 

[Scotty]

Fullback, centre, halfback and tighthead prop are the positions Deans is most concerned about, but he believes Australia's overall depth has improved.

Does he really have a problem with centre? Surely with Mortlock and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) not to mention Ioane playing well there he will be well served. I guess inside centre is more of an issue though.

 

[RugbyReg]

possible test debutants this year?

- Genia
- Higginbottham
- Weekes
- Caldwell
- Palmer
- Josh Holmes
- Chapman
- Kimlin
- Tyrone Smith
- Hpdgson
- Cummins

Not saying they all will.

Interesting also that Deans is getting his S14 coaches to submit a test 22 every month, just for comparison sake.

 

[fatprop]

Sometimes it is easier to look at who was there last season, I reckon the one I marked with a * are the ones unlikely

Alexander, Ben
Baxter, Alistair
Brown, Richard
Chisholm, Mark * (wounded?)
Dunning, Matt * (wounded?)
Elsom, Rocky *
Freier, Adam *
Hoiles, Stephen *
Horwill, James
Moore, Stephen
Mumm, Dean
Palu, Wycliff
Polota-Nau, Tatafu
Robinson, Benn
Sharpe, Nathan
Smith, George
Waugh, Phil

Backs (13)
Ashley-Cooper, Adam
Barnes, Berrick
Burgess, Luke
Cordingley, Sam *
Cross, Ryan
Giteau, Matt
Hynes, Peter
Ioane, Digby
Mortlock, Stirling
Sheehan, Brett *
Shepherd, Cameron
Tuqiri, Lote
Turner, Lachie

2007 World Cup squad players not considered for selection due to injury:
Holmes, Greg
Latham, Chris *
Mitchell, Drew
McMeniman, Hugh
Staniforth, Scott *
Vickerman, Dan *

So there will be a few holes

 

[naza]

Fullback, centre, halfback and tighthead prop are the positions Deans is most concerned about, but he believes Australia's overall depth has improved.

Does he really have a problem with centre? Surely with Mortlock and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) not to mention Ioane playing well there he will be well served. I guess inside centre is more of an issue though.

Hmmm, I reckon they're probably weighing up the balance of the centres. Individually the talent looks good but pairing AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) & Mortlock doesn't necessarily work, as the Brumbies showed.

 

[disco]

Dynamic lock. Clumbsy 6

Same goes for MMM.

I cant think of many new faces in 2009, maybe Cummins, Genia and Higgingbotham, apart from that there arent really any other players outside the U20(JWC) that havent already earned caps before.

Genia & Higginbotham are more likely but only because Cummins is a winger & we have a stack of good experienced wingers running around.

 

[Scarfman]

:nta: Yes, if you completely ignore the other eight games where his throwing has been close to 100%. Stop looking at last season and start looking at this one. Goes for you too Juan

Can't agree Nicko. His throwing has been dodgy this year too. Lots of near misses, lots of crooked throws, and lots of Waugh catching it at the back.

 

[disco]

Has anyone got the throwing percentages of the aussie hookers? It's not always the thrower at fault but it tends to be his stat.

 

[Ash]

Eligible young guns like Kurtley Beale, James O'Connor and Rob Horne will be required to represent Australia at June's Under-20 Rugby World Cup in Japan, though, before any senior international call-up.

Only J'OC out of that lot really probably would've made the wider test squad anyway.

Dan Palmer might be close to a call up though. Who are the serious tight heads under consideration apart from Baxter? Can't think of any that I would be comfortable with wearing the Wallaby jersey right now - Palmer might be the closest though, but he's still a pup in terms of props and not yet ready for test level.

 

[RugbyReg]

Has anyone got the throwing percentages of the aussie hookers? It's not always the thrower at fault but it tends to be his stat.

Not sure but I am pretty sure that Fainga'a's average is 0%

Ash, Dan Palmer would be my reserve prop for Australia at the moment.

Baxter and Robinson to start, Palmer on the bench.

Meaning the Tahs have:

Baxter
Robinson
Palmer
Dunning
Kepu

Probably the top 5 props in Oz.

 

[Ash]

Noddy true, but Palmer only proved his worth thanks to the long term injuries of Keepu and Dunning, which sort of take Keepu and Dunning temporarily out of the reckoning. And after this year, I don't think that Dunning will be at the Tahs.

It will be interesting to see how the Tahs rotate Robinson, Baxter, Palmer and Keepu next year because they may well be the top 4 props in Aus next year, even if Dunning heads to the Force (which the Force should ensure, in my book). As an aside, should the Force score Tim Fairbrother, Matt Dunning and TPN, they will have a rather good front row for next year.

 

[fatprop]

I just can't see TPN leaving the Tahs, in the end he will get to scrum with the two test props with a bloody good scrum coach at the Tahs or go to the Force with maybe Dunning and Fairbrother, but if not it is Whalley and Cowan .................. and no Giteau

 

[Spook]

Has anyone got the throwing percentages of the aussie hookers? It's not always the thrower at fault but it tends to be his stat.

Not sure but I am pretty sure that Fainga'a's average is 0%

Ash, Dan Palmer would be my reserve prop for Australia at the moment.

Baxter and Robinson to start, Palmer on the bench.

Meaning the Tahs have:

Baxter
Robinson
Palmer
Dunning
Kepu

Probably the top 5 props in Oz.

Noooooooooo. Alexander and Sherperdson have been good this year.