RWC 2011 - Quarter final 3 : Springbokke v. Wallabies CLOSED

[Slim 293]

drop horwill and play sharpe and vickers, there both leaders in there positions.

What's Vickerman leading in aside from the penalty count?

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

Replacements: Tatafu Polota Nau, James Slipper, Nathan Sharpe, Ben McCalman, Luke Burgess, Berrick Barnes, Anthony Fainga’a.

Replacements: Bismarck du Plessis, C.J. van der Linde, Willem Alberts, Francois Louw, Francois Hougaard, Butch James, Gio Aplon.
.

that is an outstanding bench for the boks. particularly in the forwards.

I'd say Butch, Hougaard and Aplon all add more than the wallabies back subs (barnes excluded of course).

I'd agree that the physicality brought by BDP, Alberts and Louw will be immediately effective.

I'm going go to predict smit is off after 30..as he begins to tire...and BDP comes on and has a barnstormer.

 

[Richo]

I prefer Mumm at 23.

 

[Scotty]

I doubt Louw will see any time except for injury.

 

[waratahjesus]

What's Vickerman leading in aside from the penalty count?

Playing well.

 

[FANATIC]

I personally would have gone barnes over Mccabe at 12. Steady head, steady boot, steady defense and quality attack.
that said, I can see why AFaainga is on the bench. as mentioned there is plenty of cover on the pitch for 11,14 and 15. Don't need anymore. Mccabe could do his shoulder, so you slot barnes on. if anything happens to AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), Ioane or Coooper, Faainga can come on at 13 or 12. Ioane can play 13, Barnes can play 10 and AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) wing, fullback or 13.

What I don't like is vickerman still in the starting. Should be Sharpe to counter matfield. Vickerman doesn't offer it and horwill isn't quite there (as far as lineouts go - don't get too riled up reds fans).

I'm not convinced vickerman's 'grunt' outweighs his penalty count and his sometimes inexplicable ineffectiveness.

It's going to be a tight one though.

YES!

As I predict the outcome of this game to be based on penalty goals Vickers is a big gamble when the short odds are with Sharpe.

 

[Slim 293]

Playing well.

Really? Better than Sharpe?

I haven't seen it...

 

[waratahjesus]

I dontthink vickers is a myth at all, I wasn't convinced he would make the side when he came back, but he along with sharpe and horwill are the best three locks in the country and I'm more than happy with any combo of th em being on th park. they each have weaknesses as well as attributes and none of them are complete freaks, but they all get a part of he job done. Sharpe is a liability at scrum time still, so him coming on later makes sense to me.

As for him being ineffective, what the fuck?

 

[vidiot]

The most effective pack the wallabies have taken the field with this year was in Brisbane in August against the ABs.

By far

They're all fit again. I'm happy to see them run on again.

Sharpe is desperately unlucky and the lineout is a risk, sure, but if 1-8 reaches the level of performance we saw in Brisbane I have no doubt of the outcome.

 

[FANATIC]

I rate both Barnes and McCabe very highly but my preference was for Barnes to start and McCabe be on the bench. They both offer a great deal to the side and have a different skill-set. What makes me the most nervous about RD's selection is Barnes will not be on the field to take any shots at goal from the get go. None of "first choice" kickers have been kicking consistently well this international season and was hoping that Barnes' efforts kicking against Russia last weekend would have got him in the run-on side for this week. We all know that these big finals matches have a tendency to be decided on field goals and penalties - even RD had talked to the boys during the Super 15 season about this and encouraged them to take some shots. Barnes would have been another option in that regard and I would have liked to see him lining up for the penalty shots from the get-go. Maybe Barnes will come on with 30 min to go, have a good run and then get a start next week - maybe RD has a "horses for courses" mentality about the two and feels a McCabe more suited to dealing with the Boks and Barnes more suited to a wider running AB side? Who knows? All that said, I believe the boys will get the job done this weekend. They have all the talent they need, and them some. They just need some passion and commitment - and that starts with the piggies. Piggies need to lead the way and backs will cut loose behind them. I know the Kiwis are nervous with loosing Carter, McCaw being 50/50 and the other injuries popping up.....so a really dominant performance by AUS this weekend may help us a little in the mind game department heading in to next week. (not being arrogant - just optimistic)

Maybe, it is getting harder, not easier, to work out just what Dingo is up to.
Leaving demonstrated quality play like Barnes out seems akin to dropping the likes of say Larkim out of a 2003 world cup; [scratch head] shouldn't happen.
Anyhow.
Beer is already in the Fridge, so I am ready, lets hope (and/or pray) our mighty Wallabies are also.
Looks like every game is now a final
and
I AM EXCITED!

 

[Ruggo]

Our lineout will be fine.

Still lots of pissing and moaning about individual players. I know it makes the forum tick over but just get behind the blokes that have been selected to represent OUR team.

 

[FANATIC]

But it's much easier to to blame an individual...

There is only ever ONE individual that can be blamed for losses in a Rugby game; and we all know what his name is.

 

[Bowside]

I don't see what Higginbotham has done to justify a position on the bench?

Higginbotham has not been given nearly as many opportunities to prove him self despite showing better form at provincial level. He is often times criticised for playing too loose, but when our backline is lacking powerful runners I don't think its such a bad thing. If our pack had any semblance of team work it wouldn't be a problem anyway as they would pick up the slack left by him playing a looser game like the reds pack does.

I dont think he is the be all and end all of our forwards problems, but when tossing up between him and benny mac I'd take higgers any day of the week and twice on sundays.

 

[DPK]

Not having had opportunities is not a reason to select someone.

 

[Joe Mac]

Our lineout will be fine.

Still lots of pissing and moaning about individual players. I know it makes the forum tick over but just get behind the blokes that have been selected to represent OUR team.

What would be the point of a forum if we all agree the Wallabies are perfect and Robbie Deans actually knows what he is doing?

 

[FANATIC]

It's just PMT RugbyReg.....PRE-MATCH TENSION!!...."Matter of fact, I've got it now", as John Meillon often said!

LOL - I suffer from accute PreMatchTension and if past RWCs are any gage by Sunday morning I should be totally insufferable.
I plan to calm my PMT with early laps in the pool followed by long walk away from other human beings.

Why Does it take 100 hardcore Wallabie fans with PMT to change a lightglobe?

 

[qwerty51]

I dontthink vickers is a myth at all, I wasn't convinced he would make the side when he came back, but he along with sharpe and horwill are the best three locks in the country and I'm more than happy with any combo of th em being on th park. they each have weaknesses as well as attributes and none of them are complete freaks, but they all get a part of he job done. Sharpe is a liability at scrum time still, so him coming on later makes sense to me.

As for him being ineffective, what the fuck?

Why bother? Vickerman's been the best forward every time he's been on the field this year.

 

[cyclopath]

The problem for Higginbotham is that he has been used poorly, and has not really been exposed at Test level lately to playing a tough, tight, grinding style of game. He always seems to be brought on against teams when the game is done, and is not required to graft. As a consequence, we don't really know if he can. I don't think he is best served playing him the way he was used by Qld. Before Reds fans get all worked up at me, I admit, sure it worked well for them, no argument, but it will not build him into the type of 6 I think we really need. If nothing else, this RWC is showing that hard-nosed, uncompromising type loose forwards are needed far more than those playing it looser. I don't blame him at all, I think he has been asked to play like this. We have not seen the best of him at Test level, by any stretch.

 

[Bowside]

Not having had opportunities is not a reason to select someone.

Provincial form is however.....

 

[BDA]

In my view this is the best 22 the wallabies have named this year. Sharpe and Barnes on the bench are a plus for us, and i think Slipper and TPN should be much better now that they have a few games under their belt.

Go Wallabies!!