No Sharpie

[BarneySF]

Way too late for anything experimental, but it would be great to have both Moore and TPN on the field as well as Timani as a potential No.8. Would of course require 2 conversions - TPN to prop and the Timani to back row. Both have the mongrel and when combined with the likes of Horwill, Elsom, Simmons, Pocock, you'd have a pretty damaging pack - well at least on paper. Timani ran too upright against Samoa which made him easy to knock over and he can't catch the pill to save himself but definitely worth persevering with. May be something for next year. Still pretty underwhelmed with McCabe. It just seems a downer that we have a guy at 12 who's not comfortable passing the pill. Sure he is happy to run into brick walls and did one good tackle on Mapisua and played ok against the Boks Under-16s, but imagine if we had some centres that actually put the fear into opposition teams? Is he the best 12 running around? Would even prefer Tapuai in there.

 

[Waylon]

Vickerman is definitely the one for collisions, he's not a great ball carrier but he loves collisions. He's work at the ruck and ability to shift bodies is second to none in this Wallaby side.

That's interesting.

My worry is he's a mile off the pace with fitness, strength, endurance and skills.

He hasn't played a lot of professional rugby in the last few years. His 20 mins for the Tahs showed he was well behind the pace of the game

I think this is a mistake

 

[TSR]

This one just has me confused. If Sharpe is seen as being in our top 4 locks, he should be in the 24. Why would you rest a player for Bledisloe? Even if Deans is willing to sacrifice everything else for WC glory (very sad if Bledisloe has been reduced to that), surely the chance to win in NZ should still have been an absolute priority with that aim in mind.

On the other hand, if Sharpe is behind Vickerman & Timani in the pecking order (or even if Deans is just toying with the idea of leaving Sharpe out for Timani) surely he should have retained Timani for the Springbok test. I know we came off a horrid loss to Samoa, but if Deans is looking for an X factor player surely he had to get him on the field and give him the opportunity to show he had that X factor. It is not like he needed another game to see what Sharpe had to offer. If Timani didn't shape up, he could then have returned Sharpe to the squad.

If he had just pushed Vickerman in front of Sharpe in the pecking order I could understand, but leaving him out of the squad for Timani just has me baffled.

 

[fatprop]

So want would Sharpe gain as the 5th wheel on a trip to Auckland? (it is pretty clear he wasn't in the 22)

Realistically Timani is a project unit, he will gain more being there in the squad.

 

[TSR]

I would have thought the main reason to take 24 for a Bledisloe is to make sure you are coverred for injuries before the game. In that case you would want to best 'next option' - which I would have thought was Sharpe given he was in the last test team.

In saying that FP, your explaination is really the only way it makes sense.

 

[BDA]

I don't think this means that Sharpe is out of the WC. There is no way Deans would prefer Timani over Sharpe in curmcstances where Timani played one (poor) test match against Samoa. Deans, like everyone else, knows we need to up our aggression to beat the kiwis so i think Vicks is the logical choice, and similarly if Vicks or Simo go down injured before the game, Timani is the logical back-up if we're goign for sheer agression. Plus I think Deans so it as a good opportunity to take Timani on a trip to NZ (as I cant see him on the plane in September).

As I currently see it Horwill is the only certainty at the world cup. 2nd row is really an area for us where we have quite a bit of depth at the moment so the key will be rotation over the next month. I would be surprised if Sharpe and Timani didn't both get some good game time in SA. Against the All Blacks I think Deans will go with his strongest combinations. Ultimately I think that will turn out to be Vickerman/Horwill but for now I think Vickerman will bide his time on the bench. Sharpe really didn't make much of an impact for the bench last week so why have him on the bench this week. I'd rather see him rest up for a bstarting spot against the Boks. I'd maybe go with Sharpe/Vicks (bench - Timani) for the boks game to give Simo and Horwill and chance to hang back in Aus and freshen up.

I like the competition among the locks and I don't think we have seen the last of any 5 guys in this tri-nations....

Lets all just be thankful Dean Mumm is nowhere near the 22.

 

[Reddy!]

I think Deans so it as a good opportunity to take Timani on a trip to NZ (as I cant see him on the plane in September).

If he isn't going to be at the World Cup, what's the point? Surely playing our best players, and having a settled team and winning some trophies is more important going into a World Cup than developing a plank because he was cut down from a red wood forest.

 

[Scarfman]

I've got to give it to Robbie - he has been a boon for this site. Every time he picks a side we have half a dozen threads trying to figure out what he was thinking.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

This one has me flumoxed. Deans would take Vicks and Timani to NZ over Sharpe? For real? I think Timani is a talented young footballer and that Vicks is class, but FFS we have a Bledisloe to play this weekend!

Every time I think I have the blokes strategy worked out he throws a new curve ball. He's a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, that fella.

 

[Rebel rouser]

My theory is Sharpe is considered a starter or nothing. Impact off the bench is one thing the wallabies have been missing for a while now, and it was particularly noticeable against the boks.

What Sharpe brings to a game is his tactical ability in calling the lineout,his ball carries and his leadership. Between Horwill and Simmons you have those attributes covered. What Sharpe is lacking is immediate game impact, particularly around the rucks and breakdowns. So if he is pushed out of a starting berth, Robbie is looking for someone who does bring impact on the bench, hence Vickerman.

Most likely if Simmons gets injured, Sharpe starts ahead of everyone. Otherwise, he's not in the 22.

 

[BDA]

If he isn't going to be at the World Cup, what's the point? Surely playing our best players, and having a settled team and winning some trophies is more important going into a World Cup than developing a plank because he was cut down from a red wood forest.

somebody should tell PDV that

 

[Waylon]

My theory is Sharpe is considered a starter or nothing. Impact off the bench is one thing the wallabies have been missing for a while now, and it was particularly noticeable against the boks.

I think you're spot on.

 

[Mr Doug]

No Sharpie = big mistake! Off the bench "when the chips are down" there is none better! He still has plenty of mongrel, and is a natural leader. When Robbie took over he initially didn't consider Sharpie, however, he soon saw the error of his ways...maybe history will repeat?!

 

[Groucho]

I've got to give it to Robbie - he has been a boon for this site. Every time he picks a side we have half a dozen threads trying to figure out what he was thinking.

Admittedly, we've been wondering it for a few years and yet, behold, we seem to have a good team now.

 

[JJJ]

Possibly a scrum thing? The only time our scrum has garnered international respect in recent times was with Horwill and Chisolm locking. Of course our lineout went to shit, but you can't argue that out scrum was much stronger. Chisolm didn't offer much else around the field, but was still preferred to sharpie.

I wonder how sharpe would do as a number 8? Ballrunning? Check. Workrate? Check. Lineout option? Check.

 

[tranquility]

Sharpie in the backrow??

I think I just split my sides...

 

[Shiggins]

My concern is the Lineout. Never mind about mongrel and all of that it's about calling the lineout. Sharpie is one of the best in the world in the lineout. I Spose we will have to wait and see how the line out goes against the all blacks. If it goes pair shaped and ruins our set piece then we all know that Robbie made a
Mistake. Fuck the world cup ATM!!! The bledisloe is just as important in my opinion.


Go the force!!!!

 

[DPK]

What about:

4. Simmons
5. Sharpe
6. Horwill
7. Pocock
8. Samo.

I originally wrote this as a joke, looking at it now doesn't seem so farcical.

 

[TSR]

I don't like the idea of moving our best TH lock to flanker.

 

[fatprop]

I would have thought the main reason to take 24 for a Bledisloe is to make sure you are coverred for injuries before the game. In that case you would want to best 'next option' - which I would have thought was Sharpe given he was in the last test team.

In saying that FP, your explaination is really the only way it makes sense.

As someone else said, I wonder if Sharpe is the best bench option,

Timani struggled in his first test to know what/where to do - he seemed not up to pace and/or understand is role - but he wasn't alone out there, but in the S15 he was was making things happen.

His defence was creating turnovers, his attack was sucking in defenders, he was very mobile and athletic - all in a 2.02m, 119kg frame.

Now is he ready for test match rugby this year? Maybe not, but Deans has a history of bringing players through he thinks can make it by starting them/giving them time in the early test and then giving them extended time in the squad and a little time off the bench in November.

It seemed to work with Cooper, Beale, McCalman, Slipper etc