And not tackling with his head would help him too. Don't want him getting Barnes Syndrome.
Mitchell Out Of World Cup?
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Groucho
Greg Davis (50)
He was fully adventurous as a schoolboy. It seems to have been coached out of him. Deans seems unwilling to touch him with a bargepole, because of it.
Viking
Mark Ella (57)
Completely agree with Turner. He has so much pace but hardly ever backs himself. I have never seen any evidence that he has the ability to beat a man one on one. At the moment I think there are better candidates for wing Davies is a much more complete player then he was last year and just as fast as Turner. My pick however is Morahan as he just reminds me of a latham style player, strong and fast and solid. However that drop ball he did against the Tahs was pretty bad. Vuna is just pathetic at defence and the others have not shown enough yet.
Mitchell out is a big blow, he was a game breaker, he had the ability to create something from nothing. Im now backing Digby and JOC (James O'Connor) for the wing, with Barnes at 12.
Mitchell out is a big blow, he was a game breaker, he had the ability to create something from nothing. Im now backing Digby and JOC (James O'Connor) for the wing, with Barnes at 12.
rugbysmartarse
Alan Cameron (40)
Drew just tweeted that his surgery went well, and is expected "back on deck" in a few months. Not sure if that means on deck walking or on deck playing, but probably is good news either way and hopefully the fracture wasn't as bad as we all feared
If it's either, it would be a great outcome. Wait for the full story tomorrow I guess.
O
OLDDOG
Guest
While turner and davies are good wingers, they aint world cup standard, some areas of their game still to develop, and learning during a world cup is not the time, unless its against georgia et al.
its a bad loss to lose drew, him on one wing, JOC (James O'Connor) on the other, KB (Kurtley Beale) at fullback, genia, quade, sook, diggers = dream back line.
me? i would be watching vuna as a bolter to replace drew now.......
ChargerWA
Mark Loane (55)
I'd happily give up all my easter eggs for a fit Schmoo in 8 weeks time.
Viking
Mark Ella (57)
really Vuna? He may have a bit of spark on attack but his defence is one of the worst i have seen in a long time. Worse then Quades even. And I don't think that his defence can be fixed in time, he's way to fresh. Davies and Morahan have time to fix their kinks, Vuna needs a good two seasons.
S
Skippy
Guest
Look at the opposition wingers likely to come up agains the Wallabies in a quarter/semi or WC final - Tommy Bowe from Ireland, Chris Ashton/Mark Cueto/Bannahan from England, Rene Ranger/Sivivatu/Rococoko/Dagg etc from NZ.
So what kinds of winger will excel against these strong runners? And what type of winger will excel in an attacking backline with Beale/Genia/Cooper etc.
In Attack - we need someone who will run inside balls off Cooper. With plenty of width to our backline we need wingers with pace to finish, get on the outside, take the corner and most importantly find the line.
In defence - We need genuine strong tacklers. Ranger and co are not easy to pull down.
Now JOC (James O'Connor) will be one winger... and this is because I doubt Deans will experiment too much in a WC year and it's a big ask to have half a dozen Super 15 games and then a few lead up tests at 12 and then go into a WC and come up against world class centres. JOC (James O'Connor) is a future 12 but I don't think it will be this year.
Digby meets a lot of this criteria above but he is prone to errors and sometimes when he makes one or two early, his confidence get's knocked and he can become a weak line.
The candidates -
Turner - fast. Can tackle. But can fall off also. (Mind you Mitchell did this a lot early last year but turned it around). Can kick and pass... is enthusiastic and aggressive but... I'm just not sure he's 'world class'.
Shephard - Would bring size and better hands than Digby. Would definetly punch holes into the defence off Cooper and this might be useful if we go with a 'small' 12 like Barnes or Gits. Sheps can cover fullback and nowadays the back 3 are a back 3 and interchangeable. He's got a big boot and can goal kick also (but so can most of the Aus backline to varying degrees). He tackles well and as for his pace? Well maybe when he joins the Wallaby camp they can do a 6 week speed training program to get a bit more out of him before the WC.
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) - Yes he's the form 13 'from last year' not this year remember. Yes he's world class, solid and strong. But we could also say that about him at 12/13 and 15.
Personally if Horne and Mortlock are fit and raring to go I see it likely that Mortlock may get a shot at 12 so that Cooper has a big babysitter. And then it comes down to Horne and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at 13... with potentially AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) moving to wing to cover Mitchell's loss. But I also see Gits getting a big chance to reclaim 12 also and perhaps with Morty at 13 or Horne at 13.
Cummins - I really doubt Deans will bring someone along in a WC year from outside the top 25 to starting WC winger in between now and September. He might make the squad now but no, he's a not a WC winger yet.
So who could bring the pace? Davies. Morahan. Vuna. Luke Rooney?
And which of these can defend? Davies goes hard. Morahan. Vuna and Rooney need to change opinions on this area of their game pretty quickly.
Is Davies up to the pressure and does he have the rugby nous to not get caught out in a WC?
Is it expecting too much of Morahan to be lining up in a WC within the next 6 months?
And that's why I think Deans will stick with those who've been in the mix for the last 2 years and not 'bring anyone' in from outside or give someone a rapid rise to WC stardom or 'infamy'.
Davies/Cummins etc might make the trip to NZ but the top team will be a combination of these boys and that's it.
Genia
Cooper
12. Gits/Mortlock/Barnes
13. Horne/AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)/Mortlock
11. JOC (James O'Connor)
14. Digby/AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)/Shepherd
15. Beale
So what kinds of winger will excel against these strong runners? And what type of winger will excel in an attacking backline with Beale/Genia/Cooper etc.
In Attack - we need someone who will run inside balls off Cooper. With plenty of width to our backline we need wingers with pace to finish, get on the outside, take the corner and most importantly find the line.
In defence - We need genuine strong tacklers. Ranger and co are not easy to pull down.
Now JOC (James O'Connor) will be one winger... and this is because I doubt Deans will experiment too much in a WC year and it's a big ask to have half a dozen Super 15 games and then a few lead up tests at 12 and then go into a WC and come up against world class centres. JOC (James O'Connor) is a future 12 but I don't think it will be this year.
Digby meets a lot of this criteria above but he is prone to errors and sometimes when he makes one or two early, his confidence get's knocked and he can become a weak line.
The candidates -
Turner - fast. Can tackle. But can fall off also. (Mind you Mitchell did this a lot early last year but turned it around). Can kick and pass... is enthusiastic and aggressive but... I'm just not sure he's 'world class'.
Shephard - Would bring size and better hands than Digby. Would definetly punch holes into the defence off Cooper and this might be useful if we go with a 'small' 12 like Barnes or Gits. Sheps can cover fullback and nowadays the back 3 are a back 3 and interchangeable. He's got a big boot and can goal kick also (but so can most of the Aus backline to varying degrees). He tackles well and as for his pace? Well maybe when he joins the Wallaby camp they can do a 6 week speed training program to get a bit more out of him before the WC.
AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) - Yes he's the form 13 'from last year' not this year remember. Yes he's world class, solid and strong. But we could also say that about him at 12/13 and 15.
Personally if Horne and Mortlock are fit and raring to go I see it likely that Mortlock may get a shot at 12 so that Cooper has a big babysitter. And then it comes down to Horne and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at 13... with potentially AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) moving to wing to cover Mitchell's loss. But I also see Gits getting a big chance to reclaim 12 also and perhaps with Morty at 13 or Horne at 13.
Cummins - I really doubt Deans will bring someone along in a WC year from outside the top 25 to starting WC winger in between now and September. He might make the squad now but no, he's a not a WC winger yet.
So who could bring the pace? Davies. Morahan. Vuna. Luke Rooney?
And which of these can defend? Davies goes hard. Morahan. Vuna and Rooney need to change opinions on this area of their game pretty quickly.
Is Davies up to the pressure and does he have the rugby nous to not get caught out in a WC?
Is it expecting too much of Morahan to be lining up in a WC within the next 6 months?
And that's why I think Deans will stick with those who've been in the mix for the last 2 years and not 'bring anyone' in from outside or give someone a rapid rise to WC stardom or 'infamy'.
Davies/Cummins etc might make the trip to NZ but the top team will be a combination of these boys and that's it.
Genia
Cooper
12. Gits/Mortlock/Barnes
13. Horne/AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)/Mortlock
11. JOC (James O'Connor)
14. Digby/AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)/Shepherd
15. Beale
Sandpit Fan
Nev Cottrell (35)
Surely your going for the windup here? The same vuna who makes QC (Quade Cooper) look like a brick wall in defence?
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Groucho
Greg Davis (50)
Skippy, I think that for all his inspirational qualities, Mortlock is just too slow to play the Wallabies ensemble game, and he has never been a success at 12, whenever he has played there. He is also a shadow of his former self.
I'm not sure that Turner falls off tackles: his completion rate is the highest of any back in Australia.
matty_k
Peter Johnson (47)
Isn't this the same Vuna who has been called up into the Tongan RWC squad.
Shiggins
Simon Poidevin (60)
Cummins has been great all year and his defense is stop on. I agree he will never be starting but he defiantly deserves a mention for a spot in the squad and I think if he was apart of a firing back line he would look even better.
It's hard being a force fan around here.
Go the force!!!!
It's hard being a force fan around here.
Go the force!!!!
Groucho
Greg Davis (50)
Well, Tonga have selected him. That seems be about the limit of it at the moment.
S
Skippy
Guest
I got to agree that Mortlock is well of the pace... but I live in hope that he will 'improve' and find that yard of pace over the rest of the Super 15, into the Tri Nations and during the WC. Perhaps and I fear I am... I am delusional!! I guess I see him as one of the only players with genuine size and dominant defence who bends the defensive line in attack in Australia and we could really use that... but like you imply, if he's off the pace its not really going to help.
I do think however that Deans isn't a big fan of a big 12 anyway. Mauger was never a crash ball player and Fruen and SBW were not under Deans when he was coach there. I think Deans like Gits and Barnes at 12 because if you look at most of the attacking plays it generally involved Cooper hitting Gits wide as a second receiver or vice versa and playing off the second receiver (2nd distributer).... so I think Gits is still going to be the 12 in reality (with Barnes having lost his footing due to head injury).
I'd love to see Mortlock involved, surely his presence around the team can only be a good influence in terms of a WC. I live in hope he can turn back the clock, I don't think his form is 'that' bad considering he's trying to carry Cips inside and Huxley/Lachie Mackay outside. But perhaps I'm dreaming!
I do think however that Deans isn't a big fan of a big 12 anyway. Mauger was never a crash ball player and Fruen and SBW were not under Deans when he was coach there. I think Deans like Gits and Barnes at 12 because if you look at most of the attacking plays it generally involved Cooper hitting Gits wide as a second receiver or vice versa and playing off the second receiver (2nd distributer).... so I think Gits is still going to be the 12 in reality (with Barnes having lost his footing due to head injury).
I'd love to see Mortlock involved, surely his presence around the team can only be a good influence in terms of a WC. I live in hope he can turn back the clock, I don't think his form is 'that' bad considering he's trying to carry Cips inside and Huxley/Lachie Mackay outside. But perhaps I'm dreaming!
Reddy!
Bob Davidson (42)
With Mitchell out, and JO'C a wing option, I feel Anthony Fainga'a is the man for the no.12 jersey. Call me crazy but he is a destructive defender and stopped a couple of almost certain tries against the Waratahs last night. Momentum stopping tackles. Similar to Horne, but he stays fit and has QLD combinations going for him. To me, he is the man you want in your defensive line in the centres, instead of guys like J'OC and Gits. I don't really see Barnes as an option as he plays bugger all rugby, and doesn't have a point of difference.
I think Quade also works best when he runs the show like a boss.
I think Quade also works best when he runs the show like a boss.
T
TOCC
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