Italy vs Wallabies, EOYT 2010

[DPK]

Be afraid: be very afraid.

Italy scrummed the Argies into fetal position yesterday. We dodged the scrum bullet against England, but we may not be so lucky against Italy next week.

Squad predictions, scoreline predictions as usual. Have at it!

 

[cyclopath]

Knowing Aus they will all fire up and put 20 or 30 on them. Or not.
Depends on the team really.
I would put Slipper in for FatCat, Burgess in and Barnes for Crabeau. Maybe Van too?
I doubt we will see wholesale changes, knowing Deans.

 

[chief]

KB (Kurtley Beale) to 10. Cooper out. Hynes at Fullback. Anyone for Giteau. Keep Slipper out, Robinson is not 100 percent. He still deserves a shot. Burgess in for Genia.

 

[RugbyReg]

My team would be:

15 Beale
14 Turner
13 AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
12 Barnes
11 Mitchell
10 Gits
9 Burgess
8 mumble mumble mumble (Higgers possibly after a big one v Munster)
7 Pocock
6 Elsom
5 Van
4 Sharpe
3 Alexander
2 Moore
1 Slipper

16 TPN
17 Ma'afu
18 Mumm
19 Brown
20 Phipps
21 Quade
22 JOC (James O'Connor)

 

[qwerty51]

1. Robinson
2. Moore
3. Slipper
4. Mumm
5. Simmons
6. Elsom
7. Hodgson
8. McCalman
9. Burgess
10. Barnes
11. Mitchell
12. Fainga'a
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. Turner
15. Beale

16. TPN
17. Alexander
18. Chisholm
19. Pocock
20. Phipps
21. Cooper
22. JO'C

 

[cyclopath]

1. Robinson
2. Moore
3. Slipper
4. Mumm
5. Simmons
6. Elsom
7. Hodgson
8. McCalman
9. Burgess
10. Barnes
11. Mitchell
12. Fainga'a
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. Turner
15. Beale

16. TPN
17. Alexander
18. Chisholm
19. Pocock
20. Phipps
21. Cooper
22. JO'C

Italy would tear that pack a new one. Slipper at THP? Not sure about that.

 

[Bowside]

15 Beale
14 Turner
13 AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
12 Barnes
11 Mitchell
10 Cooper
9 Burgess
8 Higgers/McCalman
7 Pocock
6 Elsom
5 Chis
4 Sharpe
3 Slipper
2 Moore
1 Robinson

16 TPN
17 Alexander
18 Van/Simmons/Mumm
19 Mumm/Higgers/McCalman
20 Genia
21 JOC (James O'Connor)
22 Hynes

Second row/number 8 depends on mid week performance.

I think giteau should start against munster and have to earn his spot on the rest of the tour.

 

[Brumbies Guy]

1. Robinson
2. Moore
3. Slipper
4. Mumm
5. Simmons
6. Elsom
7. Hodgson
8. McCalman
9. Burgess
10. Barnes
11. Mitchell
12. Fainga'a
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. Turner
15. Beale

16. TPN
17. Alexander
18. Chisholm
19. Pocock
20. Phipps
21. Cooper
22. JO'C

Losing to England wasn't humiliating enough, now you want to gift Italy a win?

 

[vidiot]

My team would be:
10 Gits

Gits gets his time to shine! About time he got an opportunity.....

 

[Groucho]

Knowing Aus they will all fire up and put 20 or 30 on them. Or not.
Depends on the team really.
I would put Slipper in for FatCat, Burgess in and Barnes for Crabeau. Maybe Van too?
I doubt we will see wholesale changes, knowing Deans.

cyclopath, I think we have to see wholesale changes - we can't have the first team back up for their fifth consecutive test to play France. Like it or not, I think the dirt trackers have to play inthis one.

 

[cyclopath]

cyclopath, I think we have to see wholesale changes - we can't have the first team back up for their fifth consecutive test to play France. Like it or not, I think the dirt trackers have to play inthis one.

I get your point, Groucho. I don't know if Deans will do it though. I would, however, be very wary about putting a suspect pack out there, as Italy will destroy it. So the forward changes I suggested would be about it for me, but if they are going well, get some others on for some meaningful time - e.g. TPN, Higgers (who could start instead of McCalman I guess) and Hodgson. Maybe start Turner too, and rest Mitchell but that isn't going to win or lose it for us.

 

[Richo]

J'OC will definitely start as Deans will want to give him another outing with kicking duties.

Giteau will start because he cannot be dropped. (I would be happily -- happily -- proven wrong on this point).

 

[Bowside]

Can we start a petition to drop Matt Giteau. Seeing as G&GR gets a bit more media attention nowadays, maybe if we posted it on the blog dingo might see it and take note.

 

[Gnostic]

Knowing Aus they will all fire up and put 20 or 30 on them. Or not.
Depends on the team really.
I would put Slipper in for FatCat, Burgess in and Barnes for Crabeau. Maybe Van too?
I doubt we will see wholesale changes, knowing Deans.

Especially as the squad will be cut back to 30 after the Munster game. Any bets on Van going home without a go at the big table.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I think we have to rest some guys, or at least put them on the bench. There is simply no choice with 5 tests in 5 weeks. I'm thinking mainly in the pigs, with guys like Sharpe needing a rest before a very big game against France.

 

[Gnostic]

What I think will happen not what I want to see.

1, Slipper
2. Moore
3. Alexander
4. Mumm
5. Chisholm
6. Elsom
7. Hodgeson
8. McCalman (Brown will start against the Frogs as McCalman hasn't impressed)
9. Burgess
10. Cooper
12. Barnes
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
11. Turner
14. JOC (James O'Connor)
15. Beale

16. Edmonds
17. Robinson
18. Simmons
19. Pocock
20. Phipps
21. Mitchell
22. Giteau

 

[RugbyReg]

I think I would now prefer Gits to start rather than Quade.

 

[Ruggo]

Rest Sharpie for Van. Turner in for Mitchell and Hynes to the bench. Burgess in for Genia. Anthony Fainga'a in for Giteau.

 

[Viking]

The only player Id be resting would be Sharpe as he deserves it and it would be good to blood another lock cos we bloody hell need one ASAP. Maybe rest pocock too but he's probably too valuable so id start him and bring him off around 50mins for Hodgeson. Would do the same for Elsom and Higgers. Our props need as much as game time possible to find form however slipper is doing pretty well and probably deserves a shot too. Drop gits for Fainga or Barnes. Keep the rest of the backs let them grow together as much as possible before next year.

 

[Reddy!]

All good suggestions in this thread. I suspect the Munster game is going to have a fairly big impact on selection - Australia A selection alone should determine who will turn out for the test. A few players here or there will get a "rest". The word "dropped" won't be mentioned as this is Italy we are playing.