Rugby Championship 2012: Our Backline

[Slim 293]

At this stage, I think the inside backs for the RC can only go two ways:

10. Barnes (or maybe Cooper if he can return to 2011 Super Rugby form)
12. McCabe
13. Horne

or

10. Cooper
12. Barnes
13. McCabe

Shifting McCabe to 13 is hardly the riskiest selection move Deans has ever made.

Particularly for a player who was shifted from the outside backs to inside centre and wound up becoming the incumbent Wallaby 12.

Anyways, his strong running and defence could easily be moved to the 13 channel (and potentially flourish with more space), and unlike Horne and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) he knows how to set up his outside backs.

The first option is the safer one at this point with the current injuries we have, and all 3 of those guys played well throughout the Welsh series.

The second option might be a better attacking option, or it could be a case of too many cooks with Beale and JOC (James O'Connor) also in the side.

 

[Viking]

I know I'm a bit late on this one but:

9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Ioane
12. McCabe
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. JOC (James O'Connor)
15. Beale

Or, in the event that Cooper still doesn't want to grow some balls in defense:

9. Genia
10. Barnes
11. Digby
12. JOC (James O'Connor)
13. Horne
14. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
15. Beale

My thoughts exactly. Both teams nicely balanced on attack and defence. Both with X-Factor players spread out over the backline.

 

[Scotty]

BH & Barbar,

I'd agree if they had just got up from the ruck directly before it, but it was actually the one before they were involved in. The onus was on them to get to a ruck that was formed that long after the last they were involved in.

 

[Brumbieman]

I disagree. The try was scored right in front of us. Horne had a clear run to the corner and I think he should take that every time.

I think the try would be butchered far more frequently by passing it to the player outside him.

I don't think the wing coming from a deeper position was in any better position to score the try. The cover defence has an easier time pushing the player into touch who is running directly down the touch line.

Rubbish. If he's not skilled enough to make a 10m pass, then what the fuck is he doing in international rugby?


He did exactly the same thing as the first test: got white line fever and ran on a fucking 60 degree angle across field to ball hog and try and score. He came within about .2 of a second (thats all the extra time needed before that ball spilled loose) of fecking up both of them, when both times he should have caught the ball, taken 1 step to straighten up and commit the closest defender, before passing to his outside man.

He got away with the 2nd one, but I guarantee that against NZ that would have been dropped. People wonder why we keep losing, and its things like that that make up the last 10% difference between us winning the test and not winning it.

Horne should be keel-hauled for that.

 

[DPK]

Horne should be keel-hauled for that.

But not dropped?

 

[barbarian]

He got away with the 2nd one, but I guarantee that against NZ that would have been dropped. People wonder why we keep losing, and its things like that that make up the last 10% difference between us winning the test and not winning it.

How would that have been dropped against NZ? Are the rules of physics different in the Bledisloe?

And the second sentence is let down by the fact that:

a) Horne scored the try; and
b) We won the game.

Honestly I don't understand the problem. He scored the try, and in roughly the same position Digby would have. How it looks doesn't matter one fucking jot, 5 points is 5 points. You don't get style points.
.

 

[DPK]

The only "style points" would be the 2 points gained by Barnes if he'd run it around closer.

 

[Braveheart81]

Diggers would have been diving for the corner as well.

I think there was far more likelihood of the try being stuffed up by Horne passing to Digby. Horne was already at pace and if his pass had slowed Digby down at all, the defender would have likely got a better shot on Ioane than he did on Horne with less momentum needed to push him out.

This is such a hypothetical. The only facts we have are that Horne didn't pass and he scored the try.

 

[Brumbieman]

But not dropped?

Goes without saying.

How would that have been dropped against NZ? Are the rules of physics different in the Bledisloe?

And the second sentence is let down by the fact that:

a) Horne scored the try; and
b) We won the game.

No, the laws of physics are the same. My point is that if we were playing NZ and he'd tried that, you just know that that ball would have come loose. Its the sort of thing that always happens, that we lament afterwards, and immediately start a rabid civil war with each other trying to work out why we keep losing.

Moments like that.


You think Conrad Smith would have run 30m across field just so he could score himself? Not a chance. That ball would have been passed. Its the little things like that which cost us so dearly, and I don't want a player who has demonstrated very clearly he will be part of those little things and cost us test matches.


Think about it like this: what if he had dropped it? Then what would you be saying?

 

[Brumbieman]

Diggers would have been diving for the corner as well.

I think there was far more likelihood of the try being stuffed up by Horne passing to Digby. Horne was already at pace and if his pass had slowed Digby down at all, the defender would have likely got a better shot on Ioane than he did on Horne with less momentum needed to push him out.

This is such a hypothetical. The only facts we have are that Horne didn't pass and he scored the try.

Seriously?

If Horne isn't capable of executing a simple catch-draw-pass with 30m of open field, then how the hell can he be an international rugby player?

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I'm with Brumbieman here. We seem to have a systemic problem with outside centres who won't pass the bloody ball at the moment. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) would have tucked it under the arm and run for the line too. It's a basic skill, so why aren't our backs doing it better? It was fair enough in the second test, when he had a clear and fairly straight run at the line. On the weekend though, I thought the higher percentage play was to pass.

I don't say this to be overly critical of Horne. I like him as a player, but am getting increasingly frustrated with our midfield choking our attack. I maintain only one of he and McCabe can start in the centres.

With all of that said, I would almost bet the house on the same 9/10/12/13 combination for the first game of TRC.

 

[Schadenfreude]

For those who didn't study Pythagoras at school. Digby had a MUCH shorter run to the line.

If Horne can't pass he should be dropped.
If Horne can't work out the correct play when it's so obvious he should be dropped.
If Horne can't perform a draw and pass, he should be dropped.

 

[Slim 293]

I'm with Brumbieman here. We seem to have a systemic problem with outside centres who won't pass the bloody ball at the moment. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) would have tucked it under the arm and run for the line too. It's a basic skill, so why aren't our backs doing it better? It was fair enough in the second test, when he had a clear and fairly straight run at the line. On the weekend though, I thought the higher percentage play was to pass.

I don't say this to be overly critical of Horne. I like him as a player, but am getting increasingly frustrated with our midfield choking our attack. I maintain only one of he and McCabe can start in the centres.

With all of that said, I would almost bet the house on the same 9/10/12/13 combination for the first game of TRC.

Actually, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) would've dummied (even if there was no one was outside him) and then gone for the fend.......

Unfortunately this tactic hasn't really fooled anyone since 2008.

In fact, I often wish that AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) would just tuck the ball under his arm if he's going to try and run it up.

There seems to be a lot of support for AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) to be the Wallaby outside centre, but I've seen nothing in his play over the past year to justify such a selection.

He's still a solid utility back, but not starting material unless there's injuries.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Slim, tend to agree.

I've always been a big supporter of AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) in the centres, but the bloke needs to remember to pass occasionally. It's disappointing, as I think he's a terrific player.

 

[Brumbieman]

I'm with Brumbieman here. We seem to have a systemic problem with outside centres who won't pass the bloody ball at the moment. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) would have tucked it under the arm and run for the line too. It's a basic skill, so why aren't our backs doing it better? It was fair enough in the second test, when he had a clear and fairly straight run at the line. On the weekend though, I thought the higher percentage play was to pass.

I don't say this to be overly critical of Horne. I like him as a player, but am getting increasingly frustrated with our midfield choking our attack. I maintain only one of he and McCabe can start in the centres.

With all of that said, I would almost bet the house on the same 9/10/12/13 combination for the first game of TRC.

I'd put my house on it that Fainga'a wouldn't have gone for glory, and that is precisely why I rate him so highly.

 

[Slim 293]

I would only be playing AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at wing or fullback as we have far better attacking and defending centre options these days.

 

[Slim 293]

I'd put my house on it that Fainga'a wouldn't have gone for glory, and that is precisely why I rate him so highly.

Hypotheticals are fun.......

I would put your house on Fainga'a rushing out of the line one too many times and letting in a try.

 

[Sully]

I would only be playing AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at wing or fullback as we have far better attacking and defending centre options these days.

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

 

[Richo]

I'd put my house on it that Fainga'a wouldn't have gone for glory, and that is precisely why I rate him so highly.

But he wouldn't have completed the pass and there wouldn't have been a try and we would have lost.

Hypotheticals are fun.

 

[Slim 293]

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

Pat McCabe.

But I don't know what that has to do with AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)?