James Slipper

[Hugh Jarse]

I love it; provincial baiting has begun early this pre-season!!

It's either that or the big words competition on Everything Else.

 

[Lee Grant]

Slipper has bags of potential, but I think we're at the point where we have to sacrifice a bit around the paddock for a TH who can anchor the scrum.

Think about how many extra wins there would be this season without giving away so many points and/or penalty tries from a poor scrum. I love what Benny A gives us in the loose, but he's not fulfilling his primary job and thus should be told to go away and get it sorted out before he will be considered for selection again.

I think the penny has dropped that Alexander is not a very good THP and that the experiment of Deans in switching him there a couple of years ago has failed, after all. He is not helped by not having a good scrummaging TH lock behind him, nor that the locks don't act as a unit, nor that our number 8s don't push that much, nor that we haven't had a decent 8 man shove since 1984, but as much as we can judge Alexander by himself, he is not going well.

And not to the point, but I don't think he was that great scrummaging at LHP for the Brumbies this year either.

The scrum looked better yesterday when Fat Cat came on and Slipper went over to the right hand side, but in the earlier tests, and even for the Tahs, Cat was moving his arse out to the left and his shoulders in under pressure too much.

The big improver this year has been Slipper and he is living up to the hype the Queenslanders were giving him earlier in 2010, even though he wasn't starting that much. It will be good for Oz if Slipper can be used each week at THP by the Reds and ditto for Weeks in Melbourne. I am not altogether sure why Weeks got such short shrift with the Wallabies and Ma'afu got precedence, but I assume that it was done on Noriega's advice.

Then we can have Fat Cat and Alexander contending for the LHP spot, always knowing that Slipper can switch during a game if needs be.

Then we need Horwill, the only class TH scrummaging lock in the country until young Douglas comes of age, to be added to the scrum mix.

It's probably a bit late to get a Wallaby scrum culture going in the next 9 months. Until fathers and uncles start teaching their young chaps the scrum basics in the village clubs and they progress to be senior players by which time there will be a national scrum programme - attention to some of the above scrum personnel may have to suffice as a band aid.

 

[TOCC]

What a lovely avatar you have there TOCC, very TAH of you

This will be rectified soon...

 

[TOCC]

Deans-Norriega seem to only have time for 120kg+ THP's....heck, I wouldn't be surprised to see Rodney Blake getting called up next year for a THP role.

 

[Joe Blow]

I think a Waratahs scrum of Robinson, Nau, Baxter, Douglas, Vickerman, Mumm, Waugh and Palu is at least as strong as the Wallabies scrum, and will be better coached.

Hopefully the ARU can now see sense and try and bring Foley back into the fold after the Super season.
Vicks will not be there till the end but I guess Mumm will keep his spot warm.

 

[Red Rooster]

Hopefully the ARU can now see sense and try and bring Foley back into the fold after the Super season.
Vicks will not be there till the end but I guess Mumm will keep his spot warm.

Problem is Vicks wont be back till the last round so it may be too late to know

 

[RugbyReg]

TOCC, may I suggest a similar theme:

 

[Ruggo]

Best Wallaby prop this international season by far. He has outshone both of last years test props on both sides of the scrums. He is far to young to regard him as our saviour but he provides much confidence for the future. Yes I am very bias but I also love that he is now going to retur to the guidence of Link and Evens who are regarded as among the beast forward coaches in Australian rugby. Will be interesting to see where he lines up for the Reds in 2011.

 

[liquor box]

Until fathers and uncles start teaching their young chaps the scrum basics in the village clubs and they progress to be senior players by which time there will be a national scrum programme - attention to some of the above scrum personnel may have to suffice as a band aid.

I think one of the "bigger issues" is that Scrums and being a forward are not high profile enough for a lot of kids. They all want to be scoring tries and getting different hair cuts rather than being hard. Big kids used to become forwards but now want to become 110kg centres/wingers.

 

[TOCC]

TOCC, may I suggest a similar theme:

yes that was one considered... im thinking of chasing a avartar which will stand the test of time.. im going to try and rekindle my photoshop skills, it may take a while

 

[TheTruth]

Best Wallaby prop this international season by far. He has outshone both of last years test props on both sides of the scrums. He is far to young to regard him as our saviour but he provides much confidence for the future. Yes I am very bias but I also love that he is now going to retur to the guidence of Link and Evens who are regarded as among the beast forward coaches in Australian rugby. Will be interesting to see where he lines up for the Reds in 2011.

Ruggo - good take in that the kid is only 21 now and cannot be regarded as the saviour by any means but he has stiffened the scrum at each opportunity with or without the Benns. His work around the park is unbelieveable for a prop (of either side). Think he will end up THP for many years and reckon Reds should play him there with either Daley or Holmes at LHP. The local derbys will be interesting with the up-front contest. Bring on Super 15 and GO THE REDS

 

[Richo]

GO THE REDS

Wait, aren't you a Brumbies supporter? You can't get on the bandwagon BEFORE the season starts...

 

[TheTruth]

Wait, aren't you a Brumbies supporter? You can't get on the bandwagon BEFORE the season starts...

Richo

Always liked the ponies but a Reds Supporter I always will be. Canberra is just a shit place to live, work and play rugby at

 

[MrMouse]

Richo

Always liked the ponies but a Reds Supporter I always will be. Canberra is just a shit place to live, work and play rugby at

Then good sir, you misrepresent yourself. Might wanna change your icon to reflect your allegiance.

 

[TOCC]

Dan Cole is only 23yrs old and is quite a formidable opponent

 

[Scotty]

And in two years time I'm sure we will be saying the same of Slipper.

 

[TheTruth]

Then good sir, you misrepresent yourself. Might wanna change your icon to reflect your allegiance.

MM
Didn't mean to misrepresent me - Don't even remember where the icon came from or if I was provided with it - Guess I'm just a sucker for the name and now like it.

 

[TOCC]

And in two years time I'm sure we will be saying the same of Slipper.

Yes, but my point was that you dont need to be 28 or so before you become a decent internatinoal prop, Dan Cole only debut'd in 2010, theres no reason James Slipper couldnt be of a similar standard in 2011. Of course the caveat is that Dan Cole would have benefited from the scrummaging lessons passed on by playing in England.

 

[naza]

Dan Cole is only 23yrs old and is quite a formidable opponent

Seriously ? He looks to be well into his 30s. Unfortunate.

 

[Groucho]

Deans-Norriega seem to only have time for 120kg+ THP's....heck, I wouldn't be surprised to see Rodney Blake getting called up next year for a THP role.

I think Blake has real potential. But he needs to work to unlock it. He will do well next year, I think.