There is no way QC (Quade Cooper) will be selected for the Wallabies squad (IMO) and those two charge downs tonight were dreadful.
However, even with those two charge downs taken into consideration he outplayed the guy who has been anointed as the Wallaby #10. That is not the result of an outstanding game by QC (Quade Cooper), it's a reflection of how poor JOC (James O'Connor) was. I have said before, and I still believe, that JOC (James O'Connor) can be a really good #10 but he needs a lot more time there to develop.
Problem is Barnes was dreadful last night as well. Beale will be #15 - surely not even Deans would select him at #10 without any recent game time there.
Cannot start with Foley or To'omua at #10 even though they are the form players in that position - I reckon it's too big an ask to throw a rookie in for their first test in the cauldron of a Lions test. Same goes for Lealiifano.
So Deans will have to work with JOC (James O'Connor) or Barnes - if it were me and I had to choose between those two I'd go Barnes as he has at least performed reasonably (no better than that) under pressure at #10 in test matches before.
The #10 jersey is a major worry for the Wallabies.
Yes.
Cooper showed why he should be the Wallabies 10 in the second half, and why he should not be the Wallabies 10 in the first half. Either way, Deans won't pick him so the point is moot. Cooper's battle against the BILs next week will still be interesting, though.
On the other hand, we have no real other option at 10. The three best Aus 10s in Supe rugby this year have been (in no order) Cooper, To'omua and Foley, two of which are rookies, the other is deemed too risky, and thus none will be part of the Lions series.
JOC (James O'Connor) was almost absent for long stretches of the game, and as mentioned above tended to give more short hospital passes than any real direction. Like Cooper, JOC (James O'Connor) spent nearly the whole game at 15 on defence and, seemingly, 10 on attack although he looked missing a lot. JOC (James O'Connor) does have the all round ability, but lacks the vision to make his runners look good and game control to get the ball when he needs it. JOC (James O'Connor) is an individual runner still more than a play maker, and is best in wider channels until the other abilities come (if they ever will).
JOC (James O'Connor) is not a 10. At least, not yet.
That leaves Beale (who I think still shouldn't be picked, yet he will), Barnes, and Lealiifano. Let's rule out Lealiifano, who is a rookie, has been playing (very well) at 12 and did not look too great in his one game at 10.
That leaves Barnes and Beale. Beale has barely played all season, and played 15 for Randwick and apparently did not stand out. Factoring in that Beale has barely played all season and will not play Supe rugby again this year, is just out of rehab, where his head is probably at, and that he has barely played at 10 since last year's EOYT, then he really shouldn't be in the team, let alone at 10. I suspect he will be at fullback anyway.
That leaves Barnes, who is being kept on the bench for the Tahs by Foley. A few nice cameos, up to last night where he took the Tahs backwards when he came on.
All in all, 10 is a very weak position right now for the Wallabies, probably our weakest position in the backline, and it's the most important one.
