Rugby Championship 2012: Our Backline

[Brumbieman]

Rubbish. Prove one actual example of that happening in the last 18 months and i'll doff my cap to you.

The times I remember him 'charging out of the line' most memorably were to smash Pieterson in SA, then winning the penalty which changed the momentum of the game and gave us our first win in SA for many years. Or the 5 on 1 overlap against NZ last year he shut down singlehandedly by charging out of the defensive line at the correct moment and smashing Nonu....or the game against NZ a couple of years back he charged out and clobbered Jane, got up and won the penalty which gave us 3 points..?

 

[Sully]

Pat McCabe.

You can keep repeating his name hundreds of times a day in every backline position it won't make him the best defensive centre in the country.

 

[Slim 293]

Rubbish. Prove one actual example of that happening in the last 18 months and i'll doff my cap to you.

The times I remember him 'charging out of the line' most memorably were to smash Pieterson in SA, then winning the penalty which changed the momentum of the game and gave us our first win in SA for many years. Or the 5 on 1 overlap against NZ last year he shut down singlehandedly by charging out of the defensive line at the correct moment and smashing Nonu..or the game against NZ a couple of years back he charged out and clobbered Jane, got up and won the penalty which gave us 3 points..?

He did it in both matches against the All Blacks he played in last year.

 

[Slim 293]

You can keep repeating his name hundreds of times a day in every backline position it won't make him the best defensive centre in the country.

McCabe makes more tackles with a better completion rate.

 

[Athilnaur]

That statement is just plain wrong. There is no better defensive centre in this country than Ant Fainga'a.

your red is showing!

 

[Richo]

The trouble with Ant is that, great defense aside, he makes no impact at Test level. His 45 minutes on Saturday were a good example. 2 runs for 9m.

Obviously he brings a lot to the table but he takes a lot off it too.

 

[Brumbieman]

He did it in both matches against the All Blacks he played in last year.

As Sully said, saying it all the time doesn't make it true.


Provide video proof please, and as you say he rushed out and let in a try, the incidents in question will certainly be viewable.

And I hope you're not talking about the semi-final? The first try? When Rocky Elsom was skinned alive standing out in the centres and the AB's ran straight through, 10m infield from Fainga'a, who didn't even have time to register how badly Elsom was shown up before the AB's were away?

 

[Sully]

McCabe makes more tackles with a better completion rate.

And what percentage of them are fatties running straight at him? Fainga'a plays a harder defensive position than him. Wins more turnovers and more penalties than him. It's no contest.

 

[Brumbieman]

The trouble with Ant is that, great defense aside, he makes no impact at Test level. His 45 minutes on Saturday were a good example. 2 runs for 9m.

Obviously he brings a lot to the table but he takes a lot off it too.

And I could probably agree with that. When we have KB (Kurtley Beale), Beiber, Ioane, Cooper and Genia in one backline though, I don't think its a bad thing having someone who is there to axe people in defence, and be a journeyman in attack. Afterall, Beale and Cooper are hardly defensive rocks are they? They're there for their attack...

 

[Slim 293]

And what percentage of them are fatties running straight at him? Fainga'a plays a harder defensive position than him. Wins more turnovers and more penalties than him. It's no contest.

Really?

 

[Slim 293]

Interesting trivia.......

Horne has copped a lot of flak for being up there in the missed tackles stats this year........

But guess which player was in the top 20 for 2011 for missed tackles?

 

[Sully]

Really?

Yes. Really.

 

[barbarian]

This has turned into one of the silliest threads I have seen. Pointless hypotheticals degenerating into yet another McCabe/Horne/Fainga'a/AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) "which of our mediocre international centres is the least mediocre" debate.

Snore.
.

 

[Slim 293]

This has turned into one of the silliest threads I have seen. Pointless hypotheticals degenerating into yet another McCabe/Horne/Fainga'a/AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) "which of our mediocre international centres is the least mediocre" debate.

Snore.
.

Silly?

Surely there's nothing silly in claims that Fainga'a would've changed history by setting up a try instead of attempting to score a try....... that was....... uh....... scored by Horne?

Or that Pat McCabe has never been in a position to make a tackle on a forward playing in the inside backs?

Where's the silliness in all that?!

 

[Sully]

Or that Pat McCabe has never been in a position to make a tackle on a forward playing in the inside backs?

Where's the silliness in all that?!

Can you even read?

 

[Brumbieman]

Silly?

Surely there's nothing silly in claims that Fainga'a would've changed history by setting up a try instead of attempting to score a try... that was... uh... scored by Horne?

Or that Pat McCabe has never been in a position to make a tackle on a forward playing in the inside backs?

Where's the silliness in all that?!

My argument is that Fainga'a is a team player, and know's his limitations. His first instinct there would be to pass it, which is the perfectly correct option.

Horne went for glory and came within a whisker of fucking it up. Would anyone be defending him if he had?

Who will defend him yet again, when against the AB's he ball-hogs again and fucks up a scoring opportunity, and it turns out we don't get another chance? Or, its a game-changing moment? Puts the AB's back into contention and then they come roaring back to win?


We've seen it all happen before, and Horne going for glory is exactly the kind of thing that usually costs us. The fact that it was his 2nd offence in 3 games is unforgiveable.

 

[Slim 293]

Can you even read?

Sure can........ with both eyes open.

 

[Slim 293]

My argument is that Fainga'a is a team player, and know's his limitations. His first instinct there would be to pass it, which is the perfectly correct option.

Horne went for glory and came within a whisker of fucking it up. Would anyone be defending him if he had?

Who will defend him yet again, when against the AB's he ball-hogs again and fucks up a scoring opportunity, and it turns out we don't get another chance? Or, its a game-changing moment? Puts the AB's back into contention and then they come roaring back to win?


We've seen it all happen before, and Horne going for glory is exactly the kind of thing that usually costs us. The fact that it was his 2nd offence in 3 games is unforgiveable.

To be fair, Horne only stuffed up one try in the first game.

Otherwise he was solid.

And his defence has been perfect. So, I hardly think it warrants subbing him for a player with less attacking capabilities.

 

[Sully]

Sure can.... with both eyes open.

You should try it.

 

[Slim 293]

You should try it.

And with that.......

Snore.