I blame Mitchell

[farva]

All I'm saying is that all the surprises were in one direction. With Pocock on the bench, we could have an all Force backrow. What justifies that? The Force has 10/29 players in the squad. Only 6 from the Brumbies: where's T. Smith or Shepherdson? I don't rate Ryan Cross at all.

And I have seen Cowan play. OK, so I don't know much about scrummaging, but it seemed like Shepherdson had really got it together. A lot more than the Force scrum, at any rate. I would pick Shep ahead of Alexander, too. No TH cover?? WTF??

I tend to agree that Shepherdson should have been in the squad. But I am hearing rumours that Alexander has started playing TH in club rugby. fatprop might be able to provide more info there. I think Cowens selection was based on Deans looking to the future of Australian rugby, as was Alexander last year. I also hear that Kepu is getting fit again, and since there is a final spot open in the squad (Im guessing Elsom will get that though), it may go to him.

In regards to Cross, it was not a bad decision. Stirling Mortlock has been out of form this year to some extent. He is still worthy of a spot in the squad, since if he finds form again it will be devistating. But he is a bit of a liability going in to the tests. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) has not played at 13 this season (or has he?) and is being used as an outside back, and with the obvious back up of Ioane injured, Cross is the obvious choice as a backup since he has a lot of game time there. The other real option is Horne and there is no way in hell that he has done enough this year to warrant a test spot.

Finally, this squad is for the June tests. It is a chance for Deans to try his hand and see how a few players that are from left field, that may have performed well in the S14, step up for test rugby. When the 3N squad is picked, i fully expect to see the more established players getting back into it.

 

[fatprop]

With a stable THP Cowan was OK scrummaging wise this season.

He is another Alexander, very mobile and gets through a lot of work, mainly because they aren't creating enough misery for the opps THP.

 

[Biffo]

I am not at all unhappy with Cowan being in the squad. He has done well this season and has great potential. Bringing that potential into the Wallaby coaching set-up is a smart move for his development. That's the playing viewpoint.

Do not forget the eligibility viewpoint. Last year Robbie locked a few players (Cooper, O'Connor, Lucas, Kepu?) into the Australia warehouse by selecting them for the Wallabies or Australia A. One minute on the field against Italy or France for Cowan will lock him up.

 

[Lee Grant]

farva

Alexander hasn't played for Norths this year acording to team sheets. When Kepu has been named or bracketed for Randwick in the last couple of weeks it has been as LHP. Yeah - for the good of Oz rugby he should be playing with the 3 jersey for the Galloping Greens.




Picking Cowan before Shepherdson was a surprise for the reason Scarfman said. By all means have Cowan in there as he deserved recognition and to get the 'all this could be yours one day son' atmosphere, but his inclusion shouldn't have been at the expense of a specialist THP.

Maybe Alexander is better on the right hand side of the scrum than we think, and maybe Deans and his advisors on the scrum set piece, not necessarily all at the ARU, have given him the good oil.

But the Brumbies scrum finished the season well against the Blues and they dished it up to the Chiefs in the last round, at a time when the Tribe scrum itself was on a roll. The diligent Deans would have seen all of this; so it makes the omisson of Shepherdson all the more puzzling.

Let's all hope that Deans has the last laugh - or with Dingo it will probably be: the last grin.

 

[Biffo]

Let's all hope that Deans has the last laugh - or with Dingo it will probably be: the last grin.

He will. ;D or

I suggested last year that Alexander as a THP was a Deans project.

 

[fatprop]

Alexander was at THP for Eastwood last weekend, Dunning was on the bench

Sheperdson was on the bench for Southern with Palmer starting

 

[Lee Grant]

Didn't know Alexander had switched from Norths - they had Barry Fa'amuasili staring at 3. Knew about the other guys. Dunning has had two games off the bench now. Any idea how he went?

 

[fatprop]

Not yet, someone on PR gets Eastwood's games via a podcast, he said he would let me know how both Alexander and Dunning go.

 

[farva]

Picking Cowan before Shepherdson was a surprise for the reason Scarfman said. By all means have Cowan in there as he deserved recognition and to get the 'all this could be yours one day son' atmosphere, but his inclusion shouldn't have been at the expense of a specialist THP.

I think that this team might be made up of a few projects and eligibility selections. I would be surprised if the squad for the 3N was picked without a backup THP, even if it is someone like Dunning or Kepu who can play both sides. Although playing a rookie in either LHP or THP against an Italian scrum is asking for trouble!

 

[Lee Grant]

Methinks that the infamous Wembley scrum in which both Dunning and Kepu were injured due to the new grass surface shifting, will not have helped Deans this year.

Both Dunning and Kepu should have been getting more practice on the TH side, assisting Baxter, and by the end of the S14 an assessment could have been made on who was the real deal to be a THP with Baxter for the Wallabies - given that Shepherdson was overlooked.

The only benefit Oz rugby got was the blooding of Palmer at a ridulously young age to be a professional Oz prop, let alone a tight head prop. The Tahs were lucky that they weren't affected too much, and that they didn't have a lock injured, but it was skin of the teeth stuff.

 

[hatchie]

All I'm saying is that all the surprises were in one direction. With Pocock on the bench, we could have an all Force backrow.

Some people might remember my predictions at the start of the Super14 - that against the Barbarians, the Wallaby backrow would be the Western Force backrow. I only spelt the name of the blindside different... Ho..rua, instead of Ho...dgson.

 

[Cutter]

If you hadnt been missing for so long Hatchie you could have reminded us sooner. Welcome back.

 

[Ash]

All I'm saying is that all the surprises were in one direction. With Pocock on the bench, we could have an all Force backrow.

Some people might remember my predictions at the start of the Super14 - that against the Barbarians, the Wallaby backrow would be the Western Force backrow. I only spelt the name of the blindside different... Ho..rua, instead of Ho...dgson.

Speaking of Horua, shame he didn't stay at the Force. He didn't really live up to some high expectations of him there, but I would've liked to see him give it a crack for a few seasons. He was improving slowly - I thought so anyway.

 

[farva]

All I'm saying is that all the surprises were in one direction. With Pocock on the bench, we could have an all Force backrow.

Some people might remember my predictions at the start of the Super14 - that against the Barbarians, the Wallaby backrow would be the Western Force backrow. I only spelt the name of the blindside different... Ho..rua, instead of Ho...dgson.

It would have been nice, but I think with Hodgson playing the way he was this season, I dont think Horua would get many opportunities to start. He will spend less time picking splinters out of his arse at Ulster, and good luck to him!
Speaking of Horua, shame he didn't stay at the Force. He didn't really live up to some high expectations of him there, but I would've liked to see him give it a crack for a few seasons. He was improving slowly - I thought so anyway.