Quade v Barnes... Australia's version of Carlos v Mehrtens?

[FairWeatherAussie]

Barnes is no Mehrtens.never was never will be… Cooper on his day is far better the Spencer.

On the weekend I did think it was interesting that Barnes chose a cutout pass to Horne when McCabe was a safer option on his right in the open. Horne nearly dropped the ball as the pass was average. Did Barnes do this to avoid passing the ball to Pat McCabe who has been holding down the 12 spot and scoring often? Barnes coverts the 12 spot as Cooper will soon be back at Flyhalf. Frankly I thought this was a telling moment in Barnes psyche…

Mudskipper this is a pretty silly comment.

There was a player between Barnes and McCabe who potentially could have knocked the ball down (backwards) or tackled McCabe, Horne was unmarked. Do you really think that with the split second and adrenaline running through his body, Barnes he was coldly calculating what would undermine his selection competition? Uppercut yourself and all that...

 

[barbarian]

On the weekend I did think it was interesting that Barnes chose a cutout pass to Horne when McCabe was a safer option on his right in the open. Horne nearly dropped the ball as the pass was average. Did Barnes do this to avoid passing the ball to Pat McCabe who has been holding down the 12 spot and scoring often? Barnes coverts the 12 spot as Cooper will soon be back at Flyhalf. Frankly I thought this was a telling moment in Barnes psyche…

Muddy I know people have already called you on this, but I feel the need to add my voice to the chorus.

This is probably the stupidest thing I have ever read on this site. And I have read some fucking stupid shit, trust me.

Let's examine what you are saying. Barnes makes the break, and has, what, half a second to make the decision before the defender hits him. In that time, you are alleging he looks to one side, sees McCabe and thinks:

"Jeez with Quade, Kurtley and JOC (James O'Connor) coming back inside back positions will be at a premium. Patty is playing well, and scored a try in the last game. If he keeps this form up the 12 jersey will be really hard to get my hands on. I think passing to him would be damaging to my long-term selection prospects, as whilst I am having a belter here, I would rather risk bungling this opportunity totally than give Patty a leg-up, even though I created the break and will likely receive all the credit for the try. Horney is on the outside, and I am miles ahead of him. Let's try the cut-out".

I seriously admire the man's decision making abilities under pressure if that is the case. Seriously.

So in summary you are batshit crazy. But you keep me coming back, so that's something I suppose.
.

 

[FairWeatherAussie]

My ideal backline has Cooper and Barnes both in it at 10 and 12. I think their skillsets compliment each other, whereas McCabe outside of Cooper during the world cup had a complete lack of chemistry. During the WC the clever teams rushed up on QC (Quade Cooper) completely shutting down his space and causing him to play low percentage moves, throw low risk/reward passes. Having another play-maker outside of him means that when he is stifled he can just shift it on one, especially since shutting him down means creating space for the next player along.

They compliment each other. Quade can set a backline alight and create something out of nothing, but if there really is nothing he will still try an even lower percentage move, where-as Barnes has the conservative nature to take field position when there is nothing on offer. Barnes offers a defensive kingpin to cover QC (Quade Cooper), but doesn't have anywhere near the attacking nous that QC (Quade Cooper) offers.

My ideal backline would be

9. Genia
10. QC (Quade Cooper)
11. Ioane
12. Barnes
13. This is the shitfight. Horne, McCabe, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), JOC (James O'Connor)
14. Mitchell
15. Beale

My ideal backline assumes that QC (Quade Cooper) and Mitchell can return from injuries in the form they had last year. The number 13 shit-fight is a shit-fight everyone would love to have. JOC (James O'Connor) is so good he has to be in the starting lineup and on the field somewhere, although I would rate him below QC (Quade Cooper), Barnes, Beale and Lilo as a playmaker. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) also is so good he should be starting in some position. McCabe adds balance to the backline. A backline that has a lot of creative playmakers needs a hard-hitting, hard tackling line breaker. And Horne, despite the outside-of-NSW haters, is our only specialist 13, and offers a similar skillset to McCabe. Not a creative genius, but in a backline of creative geniuses, he has the ability to run hard and tackle hard.

 

[mudskipper]

Mudskipper this is a pretty silly comment.

There was a player between Barnes and McCabe who potentially could have knocked the ball down (backwards) or tackled McCabe, Horne was unmarked. Do you really think that with the split second and adrenaline running through his body, Barnes he was coldly calculating what would undermine his selection competition? Uppercut yourself and all that.

Frankly Yes, Barnes clearly selected his Tahs team mate rather than the man on his immediate right… and nearly bombed the try with a poor pass... just my honest observation... I wondered why risk it? I feel some of you guys are a little naïve about professional sportsmen…

However.... Perhaps Barnes cut out pass was instinctive and perhaps its was calculated, we’ll never know but he is capable of both and he would have made some these prefered player choices before going onto the field last Saturday night. He didn’t have some sort of epiphany during his line break like Barbs ludicrous epilogue suggested…

Quade Cooper use to do the similar to Matt Giteau at 12. Never gave him the opportunity to do anything with the ball in hand… You see this from time to time at the Wallabies... especially when they come from different clubs...

Wallabies will never be world number one when players think of themselves first before the team result…

Do people here really have problem at G&GR with analsysing a players game? And motivation?

There’s nothing like a good conspiracy theory to flush out the paranoid…

 

[Braveheart81]

First Berrick Barnes and now Quade Cooper?

Who else is involved in this anti-Brumbies conspiracy?

 

[Slim 293]

First Berrick Barnes and now Quade Cooper?

Who else is involved in this anti-Brumbies conspiracy?

Mudskipper........

 

[Scotty]

Frankly Yes, Barnes clearly selected his Tahs team mate rather than the man on his immediate right… and nearly bombed the try with a poor pass. just my honest observation. I wondered why risk it? I feel some of you guys are a little naïve about professional sportsmen…

However.. Perhaps Barnes cut out pass was instinctive and perhaps its was calculated, we’ll never know but he is capable of both and he would have made some these prefered player choices before going onto the field last Saturday night. He didn’t have some sort of epiphany during his line break like Barbs ludicrous epilogue suggested…

Quade Cooper use to do the similar to Matt Giteau at 12. Never gave him the opportunity to do anything with the ball in hand… You see this from time to time at the Wallabies. especially when they come from different clubs.

Wallabies will never be world number one when players think of themselves first before the team result…

Do people here really have problem at G&GR with analsysing a players game? And motivation?

There’s nothing like a good conspiracy theory to flush out the paranoid…

I don't even remember Cooper playing a game inside of Giteau? How many times did that happen?

 

[Braveheart81]

The CIA probably erased your memory.

 

[Brisbok]

Quade Cooper use to do the similar to Matt Giteau at 12. Never gave him the opportunity to do anything with the ball in hand… You see this from time to time at the Wallabies. especially when they come from different clubs.

Geez, it must suck that the other players are always targetting Brumbies players with these sorts of plays! Can you imagine where some of these Brumbies players would be right now if all the other players didn't have these agendas against them?! I reckon you would probably have close to 12 or 13 Brumbies players in the starting XV for the Wallabies if the other players learnt to put the team ahead of themselves!

 

[waratahjesus]

I think mudskipper is right, it's not just anti brumbies though. I can't tell you the number of games I saw gregan wait at the back of rucks just so he could pass directly to larkham so he didn't have to pass the ball to Burke.

 

[BPC]

Just because you haven't been formally diagnosed with paranoia doesn't mean that the Anti-Brumbies aren't out to get you.

 

[Slim 293]

Mudskipper is on the right path, but the conspiracy goes right back to the Brumbies themselves!

Once McCabe is rubbed out there will be no Brumbies players in the starting XV, and therefore less chance of injuries going into their finals run.

We can't take anymore chances after Tomane's injury.

It also explains why Moore is riding the bench.

How else can you explain the top Australian team only having one player in the Wallaby XV?

*iPhone needs emoticons.......

 

[Jiggles]

I seriously admire the man's decision making abilities under pressure if that is the case. Seriously.

I have to agree. What I find amazing is that Barnes can make an in-depth and complex decision like this on the fly in the heat of a test match which will influence Robbie Deans’ selection thinking weeks down the track, yet he can’t get his basic kick, pass, run decisions right. He is like that autistic code cracker kid they always have in CIA spy movies.

 

[Antony]

Pretty crazy theory, but I've always had the vaguest inkling that stuff like this happens at the Blues. Sometimes the Auckland-North Harbour rivalry can be relatively intense, and I sometimes got the sense some of those Blues backs would rather pass to anyone than Rudi Wulf.

I'd be surprised if it was as thought-out as Mudskipper is suggesting (I also think Barnes is a team man), but it's also not exactly unheard of to preference a mate on the field.

 

[Swat]

JOC (James O'Connor) plays for himself too often to be the playmaker, his outsides would only ever get a chance after all his options close

This is exactly why he should be played at 12. It's his best position.

 

[fatprop]

This is exactly why he should be played at 12. It's his best position.

12 is generally a crash unit spot at the moment, not a small stepper.

JOC (James O'Connor) would be up against SBW/Nonu & Steyn/deVilliers in the big games, I believe he would be more effective on the wing

 

[Braveheart81]

If we have a dynamic back three of Ioane, KB (Kurtley Beale) and JOC (James O'Connor) and a solid midfield of Barnes, McCabe and Horne or AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), I can see it working pretty well.

Have a game built strongly on field position and defence with an excellent attacking back three. Theoretically, the more of a field position game you play, the more the opposition should kick giving your back three counter attacking opportunities.

In today's game, few tries are scored in test rugby against set defence. Tries are scored by consistent pressure inside close to the line, mistakes, and counter attacking.

 

[Swat]

12 is generally a crash unit spot at the moment, not a small stepper.

JOC (James O'Connor) would be up against SBW/Nonu & Steyn/deVilliers in the big games, I believe he would be more effective on the wing

JOC (James O'Connor) is more effective at getting over the gain line than any of our other 12 options IMO and has the distributing ability to take on the line and put people into gaps better than any of those listed.

 

[Slim 293]

JOC (James O'Connor) is more effective at getting over the gain line than any of our other 12 options IMO and has the distributing ability to take on the line and put people into gaps better than any of those listed.

Maybe if he's strapped to McCabe's back?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

12 is generally a crash unit spot at the moment, not a small stepper.

JOC (James O'Connor) would be up against SBW/Nonu & Steyn/deVilliers in the big games, I believe he would be more effective on the wing

I understand what you're saying, but it's not necessarily the case. It's the current fashion in some teams, but it doesn't have to be a rule. With a JOC (James O'Connor) or Barnes at 12 you have a second playmaking option or a boot to relieve pressure on your five-eighth when the defence are rushing up.

As long as there is that balance between the crasher and playmaking distributor in the midfield I reckon it's fine. Having McCabe or AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) outside of Barnes or JOC (James O'Connor) at 12 would fulfil all of those criteria.