Like why isn't Beau even there as well...I don't get how Reds players - and good ones at that - can miss out a squad to play the All Blacks even though the Reds beat every single NZ Super Rugby team, bar the Hurricanes, and beat the Blues and Crusaders twice.
IMO Beau was the best 7 from Oz in Super Rugby by a country mile and also the best in the whole tournament. Schalk was superb on the openside, though wearing 6 on his back as SAffers do, but he didn't really play as an open side flanker.
The only reason I can think of as to why Hodgson is preferred is because Deans thinks he is better for test match rugby. Beau did a couple of clownish, trying too hard, things in his stint against Samoa; so maybe Deans marked him down for that. A bit strange though - I thought Hodgson was on the outer with Deans but he was preferred to Beau to start against Samoa and for the bench against the Boks.
Even ignoring Beale I count 4 options at 10 and up to 5 at 12.
10 Cooper, JOC (James O'Connor), gits, barnes
12 gits, JOC (James O'Connor), barnes, McCabe, AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) (could even throw fa'ainga in there as well - but not proven yet)
When I said that Oz had 3 players who could play 10 and 3 who could play 12, with Barnes healthy, (although it involved only 4 names) I meant players who would realistically be selected by Deans at 10 and 12, as I defined realism.
I therefore didn't think that Deans would play JOC (James O'Connor) in either position, nor AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) as a 12, nor that A.Finger would be considered, nor Beale as a 10. But I notice that Ant is in the squad for NZ and not Giteau; so I am surprised too.
Remember, there's a lot of factors to enter into this selection. Timani may have been training the house down. Deans may want Sharpe to have more rest, and may want Timani to have a go too. Vickerman may be back to match fitness, so maybe Timani was always going and the selection was Vickerman over Sharpe.
Sharpie will be devastated but shouldn't be surprised as Deans has dropped him before. Watching Vickerman against Samoa, for Uni against Norths and even for Northamption - he does shift bodies around, albeit from the side of the ruck sometimes.
I see it as Vickerman for Sharpe and maybe just as a comparison, because looking at the participation stats for his stint against the Boks, Sharpie was doing the work.
Timani is an odd choice because taking 4 locks is itself odd - unless someone has a niggle. In that case Samo made more sense to cover 6 or 8 as well if there are a couple of injuries between arriving in NZ and start of the game.
I didn't think that Timani made a strong case for himself against Samoa though at the stadium I was looking through my fingers and shaking my head half the time. Timani was snatching at ball like in his bad old days. Still he has outstanding attributes and has done much better this year than I thought possible. In hindsight it even makes Kane Douglas look better because it explains his demotions at the Tahs from time to time.
And DPK could be right: training the house down is highly regarded.
