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Wallabies 2012

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Bowside

Bowside

Peter Johnson (47)
Swarly do you not rate Mowen?

I know dennis was capped on the EOYT but IMO on form Mowen should be picked before him.

It's still early days so I'm not going to try and pass it off as fact that one is better than the other (or that either is better than Vaea) but at this stage I know who I would pick first.
 
Braveheart81

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
Currently I'd pick Dennis over Mowen as a 6 but reverse that for an 8.

I like the idea of either:

6. Higgers
7. Pocock
8. Mowen
Res: Palu

or

6. Dennis
7. Pocock
8. Palu
Res: Higgers or Vaea.
 
Swarley

Swarley

Bob Loudon (25)
Bowside said:
Swarley do you not rate Mowen?
Click to expand...
I rate him, but I don't think he's as good at 6/8 as Higginbotham, Dennis, Palu or Vaea. Next cab off the rank though and I wouldn't have any real problem with him making the Wallabies squad as I can see he's got potential.

Fatprop, the Wallabies play Scotland on June 5th. That week the Reds and Force have a bye, whilst Rebels vs. Brumbies is on the 1st and Waratahs vs. Hurricanes is on the 2nd. Of the 21 players you named 13 of them will (providing they are in their team's 22's) be playing within 4-5 says before the Test. Keeping in mind both the schedule of Super Rugby and Deans' previous approach to national selection, I'd expect to see a team that looks more like this:

15. Adam Ashley-Cooper
14. Dom Shipperly/Nick Cummins
13. Ben Tapuai
12. James O'Connor/Berrick Barnes
11. Digby Ioane
10. Quade Cooper
9. Will Genia
8. Ben McCalman
7. David Pocock
6. Scott Higginbotham
5. James Horwill (c)
4. Rob Simmons (I'd have Sharpe but this is Deans we're talking about here)
3. James Slipper
2. James Hanson
1. Pek Cowan
--------------------
16. Stephen Moore
17. Sekope Kepu/Ben Alexander
18. Hugh Pyle/Nathan Sharpe
19. Matt Hodgson
20. Nic White/Ben Lucas (if Lucas is fit)
21. Berrick Barnes/James O'Connor
22. Kurtley Beale

It's dominated by Reds and Force players but seeing as it's being played straight after the other teams have games there isn't a lot of choice. This game could be a great opportunity to test players like White, Tapuai Pyle, O'Connor at #12 etc. and see what they offer at Test level. But if we pick a completely second-string team we run the risk of Samoa II.
 
GaffaCHinO

GaffaCHinO

Peter Sullivan (51)
I think Pek Cowan isnt getting his dues he must be the Form LHP in the aus con. Say what you want about hm but he has been outstanding for the Force this year and has really stepped it up a gear on past years.

Remember the guy is only 25 still a baby in prop year and will only get better.
 
kiap

kiap

Steve Williams (59)
Swarley said:
...It's dominated by Reds and Force players but seeing as it's being played straight after the other teams have games there isn't a lot of choice. This game could be a great opportunity to test players like White, Tapuai Pyle, O'Connor at #12 etc. and see what they offer at Test level. But if we pick a completely second-string team we run the risk of Samoa II.
Click to expand...

Yes. It's going to be a fine balance. The team for Scotland still has to be a Test side and good enough to win. It won't be full strength but still needs experience. They can't just go overboard handing out caps. Start with Sharpie as the captain - even though it is his final year he is still a 1st XV player and should also play a role against Wales in the later tests. He'll be needed against the Scottish tall timber.

I think the XV for the first test against Wales needs to be chosen at the same time, and with the majority of the first string players. Hard to have overlap in the starting lineups (possibly only an underused player on the Tuesday bench made available for the bench again on the weekend, perhaps).

Given the Rebels and Brumbies are playing each other, I still think one or two from each side could be called up against Scotland instead of playing Super rugby (tough on those sides but affecting both teams roughly the same). If really warranted, a player could also be taken from the Tahs for the Scotland game, although it would be more difficult for them.

Starting with Australia for Wales, I suspect we might see something like:
Code: 
1. Benn Robinson
2. Stephen Moore
3. Sekope Kepu / James Slipper
4. ?
5. James Horwill (c)
6. Scott Higginbotham
7. David Pocock
8. Wycliff Palu
 
9. Will Genia
10. Berrick Barnes / James O'Connor    (?? QC (Quade Cooper) won't be back at this stage ??)
11. Digby Ioane
12. James O'Connor / Berrick Barnes
13. Ben Tapuai
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper
15. Kurtley Beale
 
16. Tatafu Polata-Nau
17. James Slipper / Sekope Kepu
18. ?
19. ?
20. ?
21. Pat McCabe
22. ?

Australia for Scotland would then be based around the Force pack and Reds backline with maybe 4 or 5 from Rebs/Brums/Tahs.
 
W

What2040

Guest
GaffaCHinO said:
I think Pek Cowan isnt getting his dues he must be the Form LHP in the aus con. Say what you want about hm but he has been outstanding for the Force this year and has really stepped it up a gear on past years.

Remember the guy is only 25 still a baby in prop year and will only get better.
Click to expand...

I think he probably is the form LHP over incumbent Ben Robinson but I also think he would be behind Slipper, Kepu and Alexander if those guys played LHP and not THP. The thing about those 3 blokes is they all can play both sides.
 
Swarley

Swarley

Bob Loudon (25)
Pek Cowan's definitely Australia's form LHP in Super Rugby. If he keeps up his form then I think he should definitely be selected for the Scotland game. His team will have a bye that week and his form has warranted selection. But we are still months away.
 
suckerforred

suckerforred

Chilla Wilson (44)
Swarley said:
Pek Cowan's definitely Australia's form LHP in Super Rugby. If he keeps up his form then I think he should definitely be selected for the Scotland game. His team will have a bye that week and his form has warranted selection. But we are still months away.
Click to expand...

And we can not discount the Deans factor. If he is selected he will be selected as THP.
 
The_Brown_Hornet

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
On current form, I think you could make strong cases for around five Force players in the pack: Pocock, Sharpe, Hodgson, Cowan and Charles. McCalman will also come into consideration too I'm sure.

The backline is far more problematic, mainly due to injury. Of the Reds, I would only pick Taps right now and probably Genia. But get Cooper and Diggers back and then things start to look better. We'd also be stacking the bench with players who are normally first XV material I would have thought too. We should be taking no chances there.

I can't believe we're playing Scotland on three days rest.
 
Brumbieman

Brumbieman

Dick Tooth (41)
Swat said:
Your first choice line-up strangely has no Rob Horne...
Click to expand...


Why the hell would it?

He's been utter shite this year, and average since his debut season, when he played about 5 decent games, and has been living off that reputation since.

His average form of course, is the handful of games he's managed to play.
 
The_Brown_Hornet

The_Brown_Hornet

John Eales (66)
Brumbieman said:
Why the hell would it?

He's been utter shite this year, and average since his debut season, when he played about 5 decent games, and has been living off that reputation since.

His average form of course, is the handful of games he's managed to play.
Click to expand...

Correct. He's well down on his best and the most disappointing thing has been his defence. He's fallen off way too many tackles for my liking and has been rarely sighted with ball in hand. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) at 13 for mine.
 
cyclopath

cyclopath

George Smith (75)
Staff member
Pity is, TBH, that AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) has not played 13 this year, which I think might be his best position. Overall, he has been in only average form too.
He'll be picked, as he invariably plays better in Tests for some reason. But he wouldn't be a form pick.
 
kiap

kiap

Steve Williams (59)
Possibles/Probables at this stage for the first two tests?

Forty-odd spots available. With injured excluded, the players below must be some chance (increasing from outside to in). Those on the far left or far right would be real bolters - but there could be a few more missing, too.

2012-April-Aus_Rugby.jpg
 
Inside Shoulder

Inside Shoulder

Nathan Sharpe (72)
kiap said:
Possibles/Probables at this stage for the first two tests?

Forty-odd spots available. Injured excluded, the players below must be some chance (increasing from outside to in). Those on the far left or far right would be real bolters - but there could be a few more missing, too.

View attachment 2160
Click to expand...
I love the "graphic": did you devise it or is it taken from some other context?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
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