RWC - Wallabies v Italy - 11th September 2011

[Slim 293]

I don't know if the stats are correct yet but apparently he only made the one tackle?

If it's the one I'm thinking of it was pretty good, but otherwise he had no real impact on the game and made two pretty bad mistakes.

I think it's enough justification Deans will give himself to bring back JOC (James O'Connor).

 

[Braveheart81]

Fingers' biggest problem was that he had no one to tackle.

When most of the reason you're in the team is to defend and the opposition doesn't run the ball, it's hard to have much of an impact. If we were playing the ABs tomorrow I'd probably still pick him.

 

[RedsHappy]

Hmmm...might be more team changes than JO'C's return to starting if Diggers' hand injury turns serious:

http://m.smh.com.au/rugby-union/uni...ld-miss-rest-of-world-cup-20110912-1k53j.html

 

[jimmymac]

I'd like to see this backline for the finals

9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Ioane
12. McCabe
13. Horne
14. OConnor
15. Beale

20. Burgess
21. Barnes
22. Mitchell

RWC comes along once every four years and you want to blood a new backline sometime into the finals? AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is our most potent attacking 13, strong defensive centres are a massive positive but we need to scores points as well. Mccabe has a lock on the 12 jumper but hasnt looked like scoring of late.

I dont understand how people can still want to give Horne a shot mid tournament - what wallaby formed is it based on? i think he'll be bidding his time until next WC if he can get a couple of full seasons of S15 under his belt.

 

[No4918]

I don't see how your happy to throw Horne into the mix who hasn't played that well in Gold and more importantly, he hasn't played in Gold in what, 18 months if not longer?

Mitchell and Barnes are seperate cases, they've both played a lot of Super rugby and International rugby, so I can understand the case for them to be included, but Horne coming into the starting team would have a huge affect on the teams combinations.

Horne was chosen as 22 in Brisbane so Deans feels different which is why i put him there. Not necessarily my personal choice either.

 

[No4918]

RWC comes along once every four years and you want to blood a new backline sometime into the finals? AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is our most potent attacking 13, strong defensive centres are a massive positive but we need to scores points as well. Mccabe has a lock on the 12 jumper but hasnt looked like scoring of late.

I dont understand how people can still want to give Horne a shot mid tournament - what wallaby formed is it based on? i think he'll be bidding his time until next WC if he can get a couple of full seasons of S15 under his belt.

Its no secret there will be a few changes for Russia and USA , possibly even a couple for Ireland given there result vs USA. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) has had one good game all year and it wasnt at 13.

 

[Slim 293]

RWC comes along once every four years and you want to blood a new backline sometime into the finals? AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is our most potent attacking 13, strong defensive centres are a massive positive but we need to scores points as well. Mccabe has a lock on the 12 jumper but hasnt looked like scoring of late.

I dont understand how people can still want to give Horne a shot mid tournament - what wallaby formed is it based on? i think he'll be bidding his time until next WC if he can get a couple of full seasons of S15 under his belt.

Except against South Africa...

 

[antipodean]

Also, I think this is the first time we've won three tests in a row with Deans as coach.

The first time since 2009.

I'd like to see this backline for the finals

9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Ioane
12. McCabe
13. Horne
14. OConnor
15. Beale

20. Burgess
21. Barnes
22. Mitchell

I'm yet to see anything from Horne that suggests he should displace Two-Dads, even with the drop in form. I'd also prefer a fit Mitchell on the field to any other Australian winger. Apart from that, I think you're pretty much on the money.

 

[BDA]

Most of the discussion here seems to be revolving around who will be our no.22 for the Irish game. I think everyone agrees that JOC (James O'Connor) should be in the run on side.

I'd be minded to put ANT on the bench for a few reasons. Firstly, he has done a very good job for us over the past month and I think he is allowed one poor game. He was not alarmingly bad. Like many of our guys he seemed a bit flustered early on, but probably would have been fine if he'd been around for the final stages of the game. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) actually made more errors. Also, I don't think any one player stands out particularly in terms of who would replace ANT. Mitchell needs a few more games before I want to see him in the first choice 22. Horne is a possible alternative but again he lacks game time and doesnt offer much more than ANT. Barnes is the only change that is a possibility in my eyes. He offers something different on the bench, if cooper is struggling, but given the Irish have a particualrly good centre pairing perhaps ANT's defense is the way to go.

 

[vidiot]

I feel a bit sorry for Ant Fainga'a because he didn't have a bad game at all. He did two poor things (dropped ball with no pressure and conceded penalty for obstruction), but made some big hits (one resulting in a turnover) and did one good crash ball that I can remember.

He didn't have a great match but it was far from the shocker that some are making out.

I turned to my bro-in-law when he dropped that pass from Pocock - which I see in the replay was to his face, but still should have been taken - and said he just dropped his spot in the run on side. The obstruction thing I thought was pretty forgivable, support play and bodies in motion Bob Dwyer-style, but proved once again that he has no special understanding with Cooper.

Fainga'a made one really good surge later (as Barbarian mentions above) in the 1st half that Clarke labelled as AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), but as pointed out didn't get his hands on it much otherwise.

I think that, as much as anything else, is his weakness - players like O'Connor, Ioane, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper), McCabe are able to get involved, whether they catch the eye of genia or cooper at the right time in the right place or run off Samo or Moore. As FP has pointed out, maybe that is just plain hard to do from 13 as Cooper runs the game.

I would agree that this was hardly a game for him to shine - Italy didn't exactly send a lot of attack through his defensive channel, and were never going to.

Noice to see all the reserves get a hit out - TPN! Burgess was busy as always. Simmons was actually effective, after personally starting to write him off on the last couple of performances - he hit a ruck in a meaningful way for a turnover and got well over the advantage line with a pick and drive. Higgers didn't kick. Hoo-ray.

 

[Sully]

Doesn't anyone think Cooper should have given Ant the ball. He was screaming up field running great support. It's not his fault Cooper hung on to it.

 

[fatprop]

Doesn't anyone think Cooper should have given Ant the ball. He was screaming up field running great support. It's not his fault Cooper hung on to it.

or Beale

 

[jimmymac]

Doesn't anyone think Cooper should have given Ant the ball. He was screaming up field running great support. It's not his fault Cooper hung on to it.

couldn't agree more, someone mentioned before something along the lines of Ant should know what Cooper is doing given his Reds experience - i dont think anyone should have expected Quade to keep hold of the ball, Ant was doing the right thing supporting him

 

[saulih]

Beale needs to learn to pass the ball

100% agree with this.

 

[Shiggins]

Very late but my thoughts

The ref was shit. I thought he was just putting a stamp on the game at the start but as the game went on it seemed as though he thought everyone had came to watch him.

It's funny how jocs kicking routine confusing the fuck out of the chases (penalties,conversions). He always gets a few blokes running when he starts swinging his arms. Lol

Also JOC (James O'Connor) seams to have that do it for a mate attitude when he plays. I think Beal , Quade and JOC (James O'Connor) all do it for each other. Almost trying to be better then the other, and it realy works for the team.

Samo's hands are brilliant. He must have a hand the size of my torso!!

The scrum was great. 3 years ago we would of been trailing by a good 10 points at half time in that weather but with the scum doing well and the forwards stopping the rolling maul Italy had no answers. I'm realy happy about this part of the wallabies game. Let's hope it can improve more in the coming weeks

Vicks surprised me alot. His line-out work was as good as Sharpe if not better. I never thought I would say this with sharpe being in brilliant form.


Go the force!!!!

 

[Sluggy]

Would have liked to see Finger get more ball and maybe a shot at 12 before giving him the flick but with Barnes, Mitchell and Horne all waiting that was maybe his last chance, certainly in the XV. Shame as the backline defence looks so much better with him at 13 than AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper). Horne should fix this though. It's still going to be a tough call to drop the guys that have done so well for us this year in the place of Barnes and the others. Who'd have thought we could win the 3N's with a second choice centre pairing and minus Mitchell on the wing.

Third choice - McCabe in for the then injured Barnes, then AFinger in for the suspended JOC (James O'Connor) (with Mitchell not quite available). Great in defence up to the point where the AB centres scored two tries in Brisbane, pretty predestrian in attack on Sunday. The backs clicked with JOC (James O'Connor) back on and he's not individually that good, its the sum of the parts.

I'd like to see this backline for the finals

9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Ioane
12. McCabe
13. Horne
14. OConnor
15. Beale

20. Burgess
21. Barnes
22. Mitchell

Combinations are now working and to bring Barnes and Mitchell back into the XV this late could be asking for trouble.
McCalman and Higgers look to be playing off for the flanker bench spot.

With Digger out, more likely next start:

9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. Mitchell
12. McCabe
13. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
14. OConnor
15. Beale

20. 5th forward
21. Burgess
22. Barnes

 

[fatprop]

I think they may go a bit differently

9. Genia
10. Cooper
11. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
12. McCabe
13. Faainga
14. OConnor
15. Beale

reasoning, covering Digby's defensive work at 10 will be difficult, I think they may have Faainga or AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) there with Mitchell on the bench and getting plenty of game time in the following two games

 

[Lee Grant]

They could go for a straight swap of KB (Kurtley Beale) and QC (Quade Cooper) on defence. It will be interesting to see what happens there.

Shiggins - yeah Vickerman has surprised me too. To be honest I think he is playing better that in the 2007 RWC - only one game I know, but add in the Bledisloe in Brisbane and you know what I mean.

I could understand the Tahs wanting him but couldn't work out why folks thought he was a chance to make the RWC squad. I had seen him play a couple of games for the Saints and he did well considering his down time but the RWC squad was a bit of a stretch. Then I saw him come on for the Tahs v the Brumbies at Homebush in the last pool game. He didn't do much but he look trim and as fit as a trout. Then in the Samoa game he literally shifted bodies.

He got in the squad with Sharpie and I thought that getting a start in the Brisbane Bledisloe was just a rotation. Maybe it was; whatever, but he has the 2nd starting lock spot now and having two specialist TH locks in the scrum has to help the props. Sharpie doesn't provide that; never has.

 

[qwerty51]

Don't want to sound arrogant but I was pretty pissed off when people started doubting Vickerman. I saw all I needed in that 30 min bench performance for the Tahs. He still had his physical presence that moves bodies in the ruck, that was all that was needed to show he had the goods again. He wouldn't have come back if he didn't think he was up to it. Loved him proving the doubters wrong. Then people started having a go at him for his lineout work..

 

[barbarian]

And I need to give credit where credit is due Qwerty, you picked it a long way out. Good to see someone other than me making insanely accurate predictions about rugby.

Welcome to the forum genius club, Qwerty. It's just you and me at the moment. Hopefully everyone else can lift their game a bit and get to our level one day.