End of Year Tour 2012

[Scoey]

It's Harris' spot to loose at this point.

Exactly, I know Barnes may be the better fullback at the moment, but Harris hasn't done anything worthy of getting dropped and Barnes doesn't offer enough on top of what Harris does to warrant his re-inclusion at Harris' expense.

 

[Braveheart81]

It's Harris' spot to loose at this point.

He showed a decent skillset in the ABs test, had a few decent runs (and one very good one) and made a try saving tap tackle that helped us get the draw in the dying seconds.

I agree. I don't think it will take a lot for Barnes to get the position back though. Barnes also did well at fullback and is better under the high ball. Aside from one shocker, Barnes had a strong overall test season.

I'm pretty certain Barnes will be on the bench for the first test and it will only take one average performance with the boot or around the park from Harris for Barnes to get another chance starting at fullback.

 

[en_force_er]

One thing's for sure, we have a heap of squad flexibility with those two both playing starting XV standard.

 

[Scoey]

It's Harris' spot to loose at this point.

Exactly, I know Barnes may be the better fullback at the moment, but Harris hasn't done anything worthy of getting dropped and Barnes doesn't offer enough on top of what Harris does to warrant his re-inclusion at Harris' expense.

On a slightly seperate note though, with our apparent inability to score tries (12 meat pies from 11 games is it?) and a super accurate kicker in our team, would the NH teams be looking to out score us tries wise for once? They might even order a bunch of the wobbly RWC balls that you couldn't kick straight for the games!

On second thought though, if the AB's couldn't score tries against us then the NH teams won't be running them in with ease either. Scratch that.

 

[Antony]

I was so shocked and appalled when I read this I burst into tears and considered giving up on the world altogether and moving to a non-rugby playing nation like Guatemala...

I'm actually there now. My rugby chat is getting absolute crickets from the locals, but they're all 5'2" so I can forgive their lack of interest.

 

[thierry dusautoir]

At least you are a far away from the clutches of the lord of darkness

 

[mudskipper]

Harris was the difference last week... Barnes wasn't... keep Harris in the starting 15 for now...

 

[TOCC]

3 openside flankers, a northern hemisphere tour and a sharpshooter like Harris...

The benefit to having a kicker like Harris and a long kicker like Beale is that teams will be less willing to push the boundaries at the ruck.. I think Australia has missed that in recent years..

 

[thierry dusautoir]

I reckon we should try a hooper, pocock and palu back row......Hoopers runnign game would work at 6......only problem is lineout

 

[qwerty51]

If Pocock and Hooper play together I'd put Hooper at 7 and Pocock at 8. Hooper makes the tackle and Pocock comes in 1st to the breakdown.

 

[thierry dusautoir]

^^ i suppose it s much of a muchness really isnt it

 

[mudskipper]

3 openside flankers, a northern hemisphere tour and a sharpshooter like Harris.

The benefit to having a kicker like Harris and a long kicker like Beale is that teams will be less willing to push the boundaries at the ruck.. I think Australia has missed that in recent years..

Sadly Deans has given up on tries...

 

[thierry dusautoir]

I think its a matter of horses for courses which he has never really done untill now. We have a sharpshooter, good pilferers and a team with solid defence at his disposal.......a game plan built on penalty goals looks good to me with the crop of players available

 

[Ignoto]

We have a sharpshooter, good pilferers

Have we seen an increase in stolen ball at the breakdown this year over past years? Without having any stats in front of me, I would have thought over the past couple years we've seen a decrease in the amount of stolen ball (I'm happy to be corrected if someone can shed some light on this).

So, rather than thinking it abouts stealing the ball, is the thinking more about having three guys (two at time) to secure our own ball and slow the opposition pill?

 

[thierry dusautoir]

Recent years or this year? when we lost our countries greatest pilferer to injury?

 

[thierry dusautoir]

p.s i dont think playing workhorses liek pcock and hooper is going to harm our chances of securing the pill

 

[TOCC]

Have we seen an increase in stolen ball at the breakdown this year over past years? Without having any stats in front of me, I would have thought over the past couple years we've seen a decrease in the amount of stolen ball (I'm happy to be corrected if someone can shed some light on this).

So, rather than thinking it abouts stealing the ball, is the thinking more about having three guys (two at time) to secure our own ball and slow the opposition pill?

Agreed.. tactics, referee interpretation of rules and extra fitness has scene the rucks become more about securing your own ball and slowing the opposition or preventing clean ball rather then pilfering..

 

[Inside Shoulder]

Isn't another factor the need for clear release: coupled with ref interpretation that adds time to the time between when the tackle is completed and the pilferer can begin his work.

 

[Swarley]

If we did lose a halfback in the warmup, it's really hard to know who the backup would be.

It's not like we have a lot of ball players in the backline. Giteau and JOC (James O'Connor) spring to mind in recent years but they're not there.

Benn Robinson as third choice scrum half?

Realistically it would probably have to be Barnes in the event of an emergency.

Asked who would play halfback if Phipps or Sheehan were injured, Deans said: "That's a good question. Guys like Benny Lucas are back running now. We'll monitor his progress.

"Hopefully, we won't have to cross that bridge.

"Both of these blokes are resilient, Phippsy and Sheeno, they will have no plans of leaving the tour early.

"Poey would make a good back-up. He is a very good passer of the ball. Might break some new ground."


Read more: http://www.news.com.au/top-stories/wallabies-coach-robbie-deans-set-to-mix-and-match-backrow-combinations-on-spring-tour/story-e6frfkp9-1226503703982#ixzz2AOJ49afF

Pocock, a "good back-up" at scrumhalf- my head hurts. Now I understand how Phipps has kept his spot. Let's just hope Dingo and Totality Tony remember how an openside-cum-scrumhalf went for the Italians...

BBC VIDEO: Bergamasco's nightmare at scrumhalf

 

[Scarfman]

I have never seen Poey pass the ball more than 50cms. Deans must be seeing some good things at training.

Please, please let Deans play the world's best 7 at 9. It would make a fitting finale.