End of Year Tour 2012

[Bardon]

The weird thing is that SANZAR will not take the option of using 23 players with the extra front rower for Super Rugby in 2013.
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Interesting piece of information there Lee certainly doesn't make sense not to adopt it next year when that's the way the game is eventually going.

On a side note that hopefully doesn't sideline the thread too much, what are your thought on the various trials of the new laws currently ongoing up here?

Personally I think in some cases it's been good for the scrum although seem refs have somehow managed to make it as time consuming as the "old" way still used in the SH. The 5 second rule for rucks has been good, but there still seems to be confusion with some players advancing on the scrumhalf as soon as the ref call "use it".

Also it was interesting to see some of the officials getting confused between which trial laws were applicable in the Heineken Cup. One incident specifically was where the Ref asked the TMO to adjudicate using the expanded role of the TMO whereas THE HEC still only uses the old "in the act of scoring" guidelines for the TMO unlike the English Premiership.

Will be very interesting to see how this goes on the EOYT and very interested to hear your opinion on the matter.

 

[Lee Grant]

I like the new Law Trials or whatever they are calling them and have always liked the French system of using the TMO differently. It doesn't use up a lot of time as one would think. The 5 second ELV works well and if defenders are counting down and anticipating things, it may persuade scrummies to clear the ball before the ref says "5 seconds."

The scrum seems to be working better without the pause, but we'll have to wait until there's more bad weather up there for 3 months until we can judge it.

There are things the referees could do without changing any laws.

There is too much delay in restarting play, but I think that Nigel Owens is on track in some things to do with time wasting. He gave the players a hurry up in the Sarries v RM HC game, as he can when he is in a bad mood, which is most of the time. He was a like a sheep dog and he had them going.

The trouble with rugby set pieces is that they are becoming a ritual. Players are almost like Sumo wrestlers in their posturing before they do anything. 30-40 years ago they just did stuff.

If referees started pinging scrums automatically for standing up after the crouch, they would stop doing it. Ditto for throwing or kicking the ball away a few metres when pinged; ditto for delay in putting the ball into the scrum - steady doesn't mean steady for 5 seconds. We could all nominate 10 more time wasters.

[Not a time waster - but ditto for putting the ball into the scrum skew on those occasions when a tunnel is credible despite the power hit.]

There are a whole lot of time wasting conventions that players are used to and things should change because it is not their time - it belongs to us.
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[Groucho]

Slipper
Alexander
Robinson
Ma'afu Kepu
Daley Ryan

Moore
Fainga'a TPN*
Edmonds Hanson

Sharpe
Simmons S. Timani
Chisholm Douglas
Humphries Pyle

Mumm Neville

Higginbotham (Samo?)
Elsom Dennis

Pocock
Hodgson Hooper
McCutcheon Gill

McCalman Palu
Brown L.Timani

What huuuuuuuuuuge improvements those are!

 

[Lindommer]

Not even the French teams have 5 props in a 23 though they could do it once in a blue moon in the Top14.

Saddened to see French rugby hasn't followed the lead of Waratahs rugby and picked a team of eight props. If/when the Frogs play the Tahs they should have eight props (with some hangers-on) against our seven scrummies and a few pigs. Should be worth watching.

 

[kiap]

Agree Henry Speight put him on the plane, best overall OZ Super Rugby winger this season. fast with blistering acceleration, good step, good hands, big and strong, very hard to stop in last 10m. Speight is a real weapon out wide.

Speight out wide.

And Auelua up the middle!

 

[USARugger]

Read a piece earlier on another website about what Dingo could possibly be doing concerning who will be playing at 6 with Higgers out. This is my post from there:

Samo makes the most sense at the current time, unless Mowen has become a little more mobile and found a hot streak of form out of nowhere. Anyone calling for Sita to be moved to 6 obviously didn't watch the last time Sita was moved to 6. He isn't mobile enough to be a SuperXV loosie much less an international one. A Hooper/Pocock/Palu back row severely hinders our line out jumping option (an area we actually greatly improved on as TRC wore on). That back row setup would leave us with only one practical jumper (Sharpie) should Sita be one of the locks. The most balanced back row I can see us having right now is 6. Samo 7. Hooper 8. Palu with Pocock coming on as an impact sub for Palu with Samo shifting to 8. There shouldn't be many issues with this as it leaves us with one less line out jumper (which can't really be remedied unless the selectors name another lock/loosie that can jump) and Samo/Higgers play a very similar style of rugby at 6.

**Also Pocock has never been a very strong ball carrier and there is no reason to believe that this has suddenly changed
***Can Samo even play a full match anymore at Int'l level? We'll have to hope so.

Thoughts?

 

[barbarian]

Wallabies squad: Forwards - Benn Robinson, James Slipper, Sekope Kepu, Ben Alexander, Paddy Ryan, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Stephen Moore, James Hanson, Nathan Sharpe (capt), Sitaleki Timani, Kane Douglas, Rob Simmons, Dave Dennis, David Pocock, Michael Hooper, Liam Gill, Wycliff Palu, Radike Samo.

Backs - Nick Phipps, Brett Sheehan, Kurtley Beale, Berrick Barnes, Pat McCabe, Anthony Fainga'a, Ben Tapuai, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Digby Ioane, Nick Cummins, Drew Mitchell, Mike Harris.
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[Slim 293]

Only 30......... not a particularly exciting squad.

 

[en_force_er]

Wallabies squad: Forwards - Benn Robinson, James Slipper, Sekope Kepu, Ben Alexander, Paddy Ryan, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Stephen Moore, James Hanson, Nathan Sharpe (capt), Sitaleki Timani, Kane Douglas, Rob Simmons, Dave Dennis, David Pocock, Michael Hooper, Liam Gill, Wycliff Palu, Radike Samo.

Backs - Nick Phipps, Brett Sheehan, Kurtley Beale, Berrick Barnes, Pat McCabe, Anthony Fainga'a, Ben Tapuai, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Digby Ioane, Nick Cummins, Drew Mitchell, Mike Harris.
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Only 30... not a particularly exciting squad.

Bolded players are new to the Wallabies fold in 2012 (though a couple were capped or toured previously they are just finding their feet) and could use spring tour game time as much as any outlandish selection you could name.

Am I unhappy we aren't seeing someone a bit interesting like Pyle, Neville, or Auelua get a crack? Yes, but we've blooded plenty of blokes this year.

Let's follow through with their development, get some minutes into the experienced guys returning from injury, and most importantly win some games!

 

[barbarian]

Only 30... not a particularly exciting squad.

No. But fucking hell we have blooded more than enough new players this year, don't mind seeing a 'boring' squad for once.
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[en_force_er]

No. But fucking hell we have blooded more than enough new players this year, don't mind seeing a 'boring' squad for once.
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Exactly, when you blood as many blokes as we have this year you'd have to get pretty creative to find a guy that's shown a complete enough performance to rightfully gain a Wallaby jersey. I think the guys I mentioned in my previous post would be nice but like I said, there's plenty of reasons they weren't pick.

Let's search for wins, not 'exciting' prospects.

 

[Slim 293]

No. But fucking hell we have blooded more than enough new players this year, don't mind seeing a 'boring' squad for once.
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Indeed, but it's still fairly conservative compared to previous tours where we take 35-40 players with a load of fringe players.

This is essentially just the TRC squad with a few players back from injury.

 

[Scarfman]

Let's bring Mowin' Ben Mowen back into the mix. I reckon he'll do a Douglas. You know he's class he just needs the opportunity.

Can I get a Like?

 

[fatprop]

No Higgers .. . .. . .

 

[barbarian]

Let's bring Mowin' Ben Mowen back into the mix. I reckon he'll do a Douglas. You know he's class he just needs the opportunity.

Can I get a Like?

No. I don't know that. He's solid, but yet to really wow me at Super level. Whilst he isn't undeserving of a shot, I can't see him being any better than Dennis or Higgers- solid but hardly outstanding.
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[Scarfman]

Wait - it's announced? I missed that in the last half hour.

If you only take 30 players, then there's not too much to argue about there. I can imagine that there will be a few plane trips over to replace injured players.

 

[DPK]

This is essentially just the TRC squad with a few players back from injury.

Do you have a problem with consistency?

 

[Slim 293]

Relax, it's just an observation.

 

[Braveheart81]

An EOYT with no midweek games would be the reason that we aren't seeing a larger squad with more bolters. Somewhat of a shame that some fringe players won't get a touring opportunity but as others have said, this 30 man squad includes a lot of new test players in 2012.

Interesting choice to only take two halfbacks. If one gets injured it will be interesting to see whether they call another player over or try and poach Burgess from France.

Higgers will be regretting his silly behaviour now. It will be interesting to see what happens with the number 6 jersey. Dennis is the obvious option, but there is certainly the potential that Timani could be given a run there again after that trial was prematurely aborted against Argentina due to Douglas' injury. With Pocock returning there is also the prospect of trying to play Pocock and Hooper at the same time. It would seem that the Northern Hemisphere opposition wouldn't be the most appropriate to play two fetchers against.

 

[Bowside]

Backrow will continue to struggle I think.

I am gills biggest fan but 3 opensides in a squad of 30 seems like a bit much.

People talk about politicians making up policy on the run. Well deans is making up strategy on the run - last year he would only pick one open side in his 30 man squad but this year he has 3.