No Sharpie

[Richo]

Nucifora said he lasted very well was still hitting rucks hard at 79m.



http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8279517

Nucifora must have been watching a different game. Vicks played hard and with aggression but was clearly stuffed in the later stages. Hand on hips etc. Struggled to get back onside and into the defensive line at times.

 

[Ruggo]

Nucifora must have been watching a different game. Vicks played hard and with aggression but was clearly stuffed in the later stages. Hand on hips etc. Struggled to get back onside and into the defensive line at times.

Serious question, what would be more benificial for him? A cameo from the bench in highest level rugby or another full 80 for Uni again. Both have there pros and cons but it poses an interesting question in the context of building his match fitiness.

 

[Athilnaur]

Serious question, what would be more benificial for him? A cameo from the bench in highest level rugby or another full 80 for Uni again. Both have there pros and cons but it poses an interesting question in the context of building his match fitiness.

Plowing 15 mins in vs the ABs >>>> 80 mins vs a local team, and a lot more informative to coaches I'd expect.

 

[fatprop]

Serious question, what would be more benificial for him? A cameo from the bench in highest level rugby or another full 80 for Uni again. Both have there pros and cons but it poses an interesting question in the context of building his match fitiness.

We know from a lot of comments from the players they were absolutely flogged last week in Southport for two sessions a day. (same as before the Samoa game) No tapering, just get through the fatigue and keep working.

For Vickerman to get through at decent intensity for 80 minutes was important.

 

[Richo]

I reckon seeing how he mixes it with the ABs matters most. If he's off the mark in terms of physicality, that's that. If not, more conditioning, a club game or two and maybe even 80 minutes in Durban will be just the ticket.

 

[qwerty51]

Plowing 15 mins in vs the ABs >>>> 80 mins vs a local team, and a lot more informative to coaches I'd expect.

Can't agree. A 15 min game would not test a player's muscle endurance. A game for Uni might not be at the same intensity and he would have a much lower workrate during the game considering the opposition but playing and running around for 80 minutes is very important.

That is if match fitness is the only problem. I've seen nothing wrong with his rugby performance - only a few lineout bundles but that would happen with limited practice.

And just back to the Uni game, that cleanout he did on Cam Crawford early on is probably exactly why he is there and Sharpe is not. Although it was probably illegal but not called.

 

[Braveheart.]

20 minutes vs AB's or 80 minutes for Uni is a highly subjective debate.

While 80 minutes will build his match fitness, I think Dingo is more interested to see how Vicks goes against the AB's. It's looking likely that Vicks is turning into the "impact off the bench" type lock. In which case, I'd much rather him try himself against the best rather than an 80 hit-out.

In any case, he's been with the camp now for about a month. There'd be a fair few miles in his legs by now.

 

[tigerland12]

Out of all the locks we have, Vickerman seems to be the most suited to coming off the bench (Simmons doesn't have the same brutality and impact whilst Sharpe plays too loose at times). So I have no problems whatsoever with his selection there.

 

[Braveheart.]

Discarded Wallabies veteran Nathan Sharpe's hopes of a third Rugby World Cup have been boosted with the 95-Test lock given a boarding pass for Sunday's trip to South Africa.

Sharpe was this week a shock omission from Australia's 24-man travel party to New Zealand, seemingly leaving him No.5 in the second-row pecking order just a fortnight before Robbie Deans names his World Cup squad.

But Deans on Thursday revealed the 33-year-old Western Force captain would get one last audition when the Wallabies meet the Springboks in Durban on August 13.

Advertisement: Story continues below The early indication is Sharpe would likely play off the bench, as fellow veteran Dan Vickerman will in his Tri Nations return against the All Blacks at Eden Park on Saturday night.

Deans said he'd planned to ensure both have enough match time under their belts by alternating them in the two away Tests and allowing them to play a full club match.

While Vickerman will get 80 minutes for Sydney University the following weekend, Sharpe will line up for Queensland University this Saturday.

"He's getting 80 minutes of rugby this weekend which is important to him and us and then he's already got a ticket with a bag packed to Africa - he's in the squad," Deans said.

Rookie lock Sitaleki Timani, who has signed a Japanese deal which precludes him from playing club football, is in Auckland and is expected to again be picked in the 26-man travel squad to Durban for development purposes.

Only Queensland duo James Horwill and Rob Simmons are the second-row certainties in a hot six-man field, also including Dean Mumm, vying for four lock spots in the 30-man Cup squad.

Horwill has little doubt Sharpe will bounce back from this week's omission.

"He's a quality player and has been for a long time so he'll certainly be around to play Test matches later on this year," he said.

Deans, who included Vickerman as one of three changes to his bench for Saturday night's clash with the All Blacks, likes the towering 203cm Waratah's "relentless approach" as he returns from three years studying at Cambridge and playing in England

Looks like Dean's has revealed his cards.....

Looks like Kevvie Horwill and Rob Simmons are the starting locks with the bench to be either Vicks or Sharpie.

I have no doubt in my mn Sharpie will be on the plane to NZ in September.

 

[fatprop]

Rookie lock Sitaleki Timani, who has signed a Japanese deal which precludes him from playing club football, is in Auckland and is expected to again be picked in the 26-man travel squad to Durban for development purposes.

That makes sense.

 

[qwerty51]

I don't think it does. Seems like a waste of a business class ticket if you ask me. He's not going to play and it's only a 1 game tour. I know he can't play club rugby but he should just train with the other left behind squad. I guess it means he'll definitely line up for the BaaBaas.

 

[Joe Blow]

It's nice to have that depth in the second row going into a RWC.
We have 4 test class locks, much the same as NZ.

Now we need to stock up in the front row with a few returns from injury.

 

[DPK]

I disagree, JB, I'd say we have 2 Test class locks, two unpolished Test class locks (Vicks and Simmo) and one potential TC lock in Timani.

 

[Ruggo]

I would say 4 test quallity locks with the ability to form two experienced combinations. 2 are THL and 2 are LHL. The least experienced of the 4 is keeping the more experienced out on the quallity of his form. That is very healthy.

 

[ChargerWA]

As a big Sharpe fan I was gutted when I realised in the space of 6 weeks he turned from a must be fit for the worldcup or we are screwed to possibly 4th choice lock.

But after a couple of weeks reflection I have come to the realisation, it may be for the best if we want to be a real chance in the RWC. The raping Samoa's forwards gave us at the breakdown has really refocused my attention on the fact we need some nasty mongrel in our forward pack, and as much as I love Sharpe, he just doesn't give us that. Coupled with the winning combination Horwill and Simmons have going on.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I'm starting to feel the same way Charger. It's becoming increasingly apparent that the QLD combination is pretty damned strong. Horwill selects himself. He's athletic, got skill and mongrel and lacks nothing in leadership. Simmons has come along mightily this year and really benefitted from some test selections last year. So long as they perform as well as Sharpie has in the line out, then it could be argued that they should be our first choice pairing. We could certainly do a lot worse. I still think Sharpe needs to be in the mix, as he's easily in the top four locks in OZ, but maybe he's been overtaken. I don't want to believe it yet, but if the results in the next few weeks come up OK, then it's the right call.

 

[Gnostic]

Last thing I will say on this thread (no snide comments required thank you),

in an interview a couple of years ago Matfield rated Sharpe as one of the best Lineout locks in the world, and one he really enjoyed testing himself against. Coming from Matfield, who has been IMO the absolute best Lock in the world by a fair margin since the retirement of Eales, is a huge compliment.

It may even be an indicator of Deans finally starting to play horses for courses, and is something that did not occur to me earlier (as I may have been too caught up in my continuing angst against him). I do not think the ABs have a particularly good lineout and the Wallabies shouldn't have too many problems in that facet with Horwill & Simmons with Elsom as third jumper (I would still have liked to have seen Samo for a 4th option). However the Boks are another matter entirely with the lineout when they actually play their 1st or even 2nd XV and the addition of Sharpe could be a massive factor in such a test especially with the Bok penchant for field position. I also stand by my previous comments regarding counter maul, and this point also supports the above selection idea in that the ABs have not mauled successfully in three years while the Boks do so all the time.

 

[barbarian]

I have to say I feel slightly vindicated in my preference for Sharpe over Simmons and even Vicks. I thought we missed him badly on Saturday, we were desperately short of ball-runners who could get us going forward. Simmons is just not up to top level test footy in my view. His workrate is no better than Sharpies, and he lacks the physicality in both attack and defence that Shape possesses. Not to mention the huge amount of experience Sharpe brings.

 

[Reddy!]

Yeah blind freddy can see that.

 

[qwerty51]

he lacks the physicality in both attack and defence that Shape possesses.

How did you draw that? Sharpe has no physicality. Not saying Simmons is great at it; they both will be fighting it out for the bench spot.