Take Captaincy off Elsom: Tim Horan (Foxsports article)

[disco]

Wallabies great Tim Horan believes Robbie Deans should relieve Rocky Elsom of the Test captaincy for the Rugby World Cup.


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FOX Sports commentator Tim Horan fears Elsom's recurring hamstring troubles and the "burden" of leadership will prevent the Australian skipper being the back-row force he needs to be to lift the World Cup.

Elsom has missed the first six weeks of Super Rugby this season and is not expected to return to action until the Brumbies face the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein in round 11 (April 29).

The 28-year-old would then have six matches to prove himself worthy of his Wallabies No.6 jersey, but Horan said there would be a question mark over his form and fitness at the start of the Test season against Samoa on July 17.

The 80-Test back and former Wallabies selector felt a naturally "insular" Elsom, crowned the European player of 2008-09 after a barnstorming season with Leinster, was inhibited by leadership in 2010 and needed the extra weight taken off his shoulders.

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"I believe the captaincy burdens Rocky too much," Horan told AAP.

"The only way I think you see the best from Rocky Elsom is when he doesn't have the (c) or (vc) next to his name.

"I want to see the same Rocky Elsom that played over in the UK.

"If I was Robbie Deans I'd be giving the leadership to a couple of other players and let Rocky get back into form because, to win the World Cup, you need Rocky Elsom to be playing at 100 per cent."

Horan would rather Queensland duo Will Genia and James Horwill take the reins, allowing Elsom to deal with the pressure of retaining his Test spot ahead of Force forward Ben McCalman and Reds flanker Scott Higginbotham.

Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan denied Elsom was struggling in his recovery and hoped to see him back for round nine against the Western Force.

But it appears the most realistic return date is during the Brumbies two-match trip to South Africa after a week 10 bye.

While Fagan was confident Elsom would take little time to return to his best, Horan said the late return and risk of aggravating the recurring problem left a cloud over his Test place.

"At best he's only going to play five or six games and is that enough to get him where you want him at the start of the Test season," Horan said.

"I'm sure he's good enough to play for the Wallabies and be captain but is that a distraction to him and preventing him from being the best player he can be."

 

[disco]

I really don't agree with Tim Horan on this at all I think if Rocky is fit & back playing then he should be captain why would Deans change this only 3 months out from a world cup.

I thought Rocky started to play his best rugby & showed really good leadership towards the end of last year changing the captaincy now would be crazy & if Rocky was to get injured I'd probably have Sharpe as captain also.

 

[Viking]

Pocock for Captain!

 

[DPK]

Missing 11 rounds of rugby isn't a good look. I agree with Horan, scope out our options.

Can we attach a poll to this thread?

 

[Richo]

I like that Timmy happens to have two alternative candidates, who both happen to be Reds. (Not that they're undeserving, mind you... but still...).

I think the last thing the Wallabies need is another captain whose own position is tenuous. That's one of the key reasons that Pocock makes so much sense, aside from the part where he is made of awesome.

 

[daz]

Too late for a change now, unless Deans feels Elsom will damage the RWC campaign (or indeed, is not fit to be selected).

For mine, it should be Sharpe as back-up Captain.

 

[cyclopath]

Missing 11 rounds of rugby isn't a good look. I agree with Horan, scope out our options.

Can we attach a poll to this thread?

Yes. Have done.

 

[jay-c]

i wouldnt wanna burden a young player like genia or pocock with thoughts of captaincy in a wchas a new captain (in a wc year) ever won a wc? i doubt it
horwill cannot be relied upon to stay on the park
the only one who has runs on the board and is in no position of losing his position is sharpe
(i recon he'd have been wallabies captain by now had he not left the reds)

 

[todd4]

I voted for Rocky because Sharpe was not offered as an option.

Going into a World Cup you need the most experienced captain in charge. I can't imagine Deans dropping Rocky at this stage but if he did Sharpe would stand head and shoulders above the rest.

There will be plenty of time after the World Cup to give apprentice captains like Pocock and Genia a go.

 

[Novocastrian]

Assuming he's fit, make Pocock the captain. Last year it often appeared he was the captain - querying decisions with the ref, pulling the team in and giving them a talking to after we'd conceded a try etc - so I reckon make it official.

 

[waratahjesus]

Assuming he's fit, make Pocock the captain. Last year it often appeared he was the captain - querying decisions with the ref, pulling the team in and giving them a talking to after we'd conceded a try etc - so I reckon make it official.

he also cheats at the breakdown and were not given richie mccaw like ref favours here, so lets not draw attention by getting him to talk to the ref more. Elsom is captain and has done nothing to lose it.

 

[El Gamba]

he also cheats at the breakdown and were not given richie mccaw like ref favours here, so lets not draw attention by getting him to talk to the ref more. Elsom is captain and has done nothing to lose it.

Cheats at the breakdown? Pocock is the future, Elsom will go to Europe after this world cup. A decision will need to be made for the future of the Wallabies and I reckon make the change sooner rather than later.

 

[Slim 293]

Elsom hasn't done anything to lose his position or the captaincy, and it's just poor form from Horan to write this kind of rubbish about a player who is currently not playing due to injury.

Any criticism about his form or leadership should only be made once he's back playing again.

And what makes this article more cringeworthy is that he conveniently offers up two Reds as alternatives.

 

[barbarian]

Cheats at the breakdown? Pocock is the future, Elsom will go to Europe after this world cup. A decision will need to be made for the future of the Wallabies and I reckon make the change sooner rather than later.

Are you drunk? Is everybody drunk?

You don't change your captain in a world cup year unless he loses his spot in the XV. That won't happen to Elsom, and as a result he will lead us to the world cup.

Fuck the future, our only focus should be the RWC.

 

[El Gamba]

You don't change your captain in a world cup year unless he loses his spot in the XV. .

Is that in some "how to win a world cup" manual? No wonder he hasn't bothered playing yet at the Brumbies this year, nothing to prove.

 

[DPK]

Elsom hasn't done anything

I agree. How can he be the form 6?

 

[Scotty]

Are you drunk? Is everybody drunk?

You don't change your captain in a world cup year unless he loses his spot in the XV. That won't happen to Elsom, and as a result he will lead us to the world cup.

Fuck the future, our only focus should be the RWC.

And my belief is that Pocock would be a better captain in the the RWC than Elsom. He appears to handle referees much better than Elsom and also give more of the one field talks. I also suspect that the players would react better to him.

 

[TOCC]

And what makes this article more cringeworthy is that he conveniently offers up two Reds as alternatives.

yes how dare he suggest a player from the Australian team currently sitting on top of the table be captain..

 

[Slim 293]

yes how dare he suggest a player from the Australian team currently sitting on top of the table be captain..

Currently sitting on top of the Australian table...

It reeks of provincial bias... it's just like when Bob Dwyer suggested in 2006 that the entire Australian forward pack should be Waratahs...

 

[barbarian]

Is that in some "how to win a world cup" manual? No wonder he hasn't bothered playing yet at the Brumbies this year, nothing to prove.

Well if you look at every team to ever win a RWC they have come into the tournament after a long period of stability and continuity. No team has ever won the RWC with a captain appointed that year.

And my belief is that Pocock would be a better captain in the the RWC than Elsom. He appears to handle referees much better than Elsom and also give more of the one field talks. I also suspect that the players would react better to him.

Possibly. But it is too late to change now IMO. It would affect the balance and team dynamic hugely, and after a succesful spring tour it seems to be working OK. I don't want to tamper with the dressing room dynamic in a World Cup year.