Wallabies announced

[DPK]

Anyone know if there are any Australian players in the Barbarians squad to take on England and Ireland in the next few weeks?

 

[Viking]

Wallabies:

15 Adam Ashley-Cooper
14 Drew Mitchell
13 Rob Horne
12 Matt Giteau
11 Digby Ioane
10 Quade Cooper
9 Will Genia
8 Rocky Elsom
7 David Pocock
6 Matt Hodgson
5 Nathan Sharpe
4 Dean Mumm
3 Laurie Weeks
2 Tatafu Polota-Nau
1 Ben Alexander

16 Saia Fainga'a
17 Ben Daley
18 Mark Chisholm
19 Richard Brown
20 Luke Burgess
21 James O’Connor
22 Peter Hynes

I very much like that side noddy. But some how i have a feeling that Dean's won't want to switch Elsom to 8. I have a bad feeling that hoiles is going to start and hodgson we go to the bench. Lets hope im wrong.

 

[RugbyReg]

my only thinking on the Chisholm selection is that Deans wants the youngies (Douglas and Simmons) playing more game time, against a fairly tough pommy pack. All Chis will be doing is sitting on the bench whilst Mumm and Sharpe play most of the game. I would think that if one of Mumm or Sharpe gets injured then Douglas would be the man most likely to replace them, rather than Chisholm.

 

[Ruggo]

Like most here, Chisolm WTF. Van got screwed and for Douglas to only make the Ba ba's is disapointing. Seeing as we need to fix our ordinary lineout, I would of rated Van as the man. Douglas would of been far better off as the reserve lock for the Wallabies. Serious game time against the Poms would have stood him in good order as a genuine blooded option come tri nations.

It has me thinking that Robbie may be eyeing off a Rocky at 8 and Chisolm at 6 option with brown and Hodgeson on the bench. Fark knows what any of them are thinking.

 

[RugbyReg]

only one Rebel in the squad.

 

[#1 Tah]

my only thinking on the Chisholm selection is that Deans wants the youngies (Douglas and Simmons) playing more game time, against a fairly tough pommy pack. All Chis will be doing is sitting on the bench whilst Mumm and Sharpe play most of the game. I would think that if one of Mumm or Sharpe gets injured then Douglas would be the man most likely to replace them, rather than Chisholm.

Chizz to get injured & douglas to replace him.

There are 2 BaaBaas games for Douglas and Fitzpatrick to stake their claims

 

[Rugby Rat]

Hoiles has lost a bit of zip yet that may mean he's bulked up. We could ( I hope) see something a little special in his return.

Comments about Houston are spot on. Get him in there, get him super fit, training with the best and see how he goes.

 

[tranquility]

I would really like Van to get a Wallabys cap. He deserves it.

 

[Lance Free]

Anyone know if there are any Australian players in the Barbarians squad to take on England and Ireland in the next few weeks?

George Smith and Paul Warwick (Munster).

Barbarians:

15 Paul Warwick (Munster), 14 Paul Sackey (Wasps), 13 Casey Laulala (Cardiff Blues), 12 Florian Fritz (Toulouse), 11 Cedric Heymans (Toulouse), 10 Jean-Baptiste Ellisalde (Toulouse), 9 Byron Kelleher (Toulouse), 8 Xavier Rush (Cardiff Blues, captain), 7 Martyn Williams (Cardiff Blues), 6 Rodney So'oialo (Hurricanes), 5 Ben Kay (Leicester), 4 Ross Skeate (Toulon), 3 Julian White (Leicester), 2 Benoit August (Biarritz), 1 Rodrigo Roncero (Stade Francais).

Replacements: 16 Ken Owens (Scarlets), 17 Census Johnston (Toulouse), 18 Jerome Thion (Biarritz), 19 George Smith, 20 Pierre Mignoni (Toulon), 21 21 Fabrice Estebanez (Brive), 22 David Smith (Hurricanes)

 

[Gagger]

Picking a team of players not picked (either because of injury or just not picked)

15 Luke Morahan
14 Rodney Davies
13 Mitch Inman
12 Ryan Cross
11 Pat McCabe
10 Matt To'omua
9 Brett Sheehan
8 Wycliff Palu
7 Phil Waugh
6 Scott Higginbotham
5 James Horwill
4 Van Humphries
3 Al Baxter
2 Tatafu Polota-Nau
1 Benn Robinson

That's a pretty damn good pack! Get some gold on that lot

As for Quade in the WBs starting lineup (except against Fiji) I still think Deans'll bench him behind Barnes and Gits.

While Hoiles' selection isn't inspiring, what would you be picking Houston on? Potential demonstrated in a handful of games at the beginning of 2009?

Van is 34, bit late to be debuting, even if deserved.

Go forward is a perennial problem without Palu. Hodgson did it for the Force at S14.

 

[MrMouse]

Having read Noddy's awesome blog post (http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/wallaby-squad-announced/) I have only one thing to say...

Quota....Quuuuooooooota. Quota Quota Quota, oi oi oi, Quota Quota Quota, oi oi oi, Quota, oi, Quota, oi, Quota Quota Quota, oi oi oi!!!

Quite quota quenching quokka quelling quixotic qforcemunchers! Quit? :fishing

Quite like Noddy's team, but I agree with Seb, Deans will not select them, more likely:

15 Adam Ashley-Cooper Hynes
14 Drew Mitchell
13 Rob Horne Adam Ashley-Cooper
12 Matt Giteau
11 Digby Ioane
10 Quade Cooper
9 Will Genia My bloody (fucking useless) Valentine
8 Rocky Elsom Hoiles
7 David Pocock
6 Matt Hodgson Elsom
5 Nathan Sharpe
4 Dean Mumm
3 Laurie Weeks Salesi Ma'afu
2 Tatafu Polota-Nau Saia Fainga'a
1 Ben Alexander

16 Saia Fainga'a Huia Edmonds
17 Ben Daley Pek Cowan
18 Mark Chisholm
19 Richard Brown Matt Hodgson
20 Luke Burgess
21 James O’Connor
22 Peter Hynes Rob Horne

Benchies will be assigned minutes in descending order based on jersey number :banghead

 

[Jethro Tah]

Picking a team of players not picked (either because of injury or just not picked)

15 Luke Morahan
14 Rodney Davies
13 Mitch Inman
12 Ryan Cross
11 Pat McCabe
10 Matt To'omua
9 Brett Sheehan
8 Wycliff Palu
7 Phil Waugh
6 Scott Higginbotham
5 James Horwill
4 Van Humphries
3 Al Baxter
2 Tatafu Polota-Nau
1 Benn Robinson

Of the above uninjured and after the U20s games , might some (To'omua, Morahan, McCabe, Inman) pop up in the Currie Cup like To'omua did last year? No disrespect intended against their local club sides but IMO the experience would be invaluable.

 

[tranquility]

The notion that Cummins is McCabe with talent is redundant.

Cummins could be a very good footballer, yes. However McCabe is a far more complete footballer at this stage of his career and has plenty of improvement in his game based on his age as well.

However it does not bother me that Cummins is in the squad, as he has great potential I just think that McCabe could be the type of footballer than you could bank a house on. Very Peter Hynes ish.

 

[chief]

For me, I don't think there needs to be another halfback even on the bench. We have Gits and Genia who can both cover it. I think its worth the risk adding another forward.

 

[Scarfman]

I'm with you Mouse. And I blame Deans!

 

[disco]

A couple of wow! selections in Chisholm and Cummins, too.

I really have never understood what Robbie is trying to do. Not ever. And I don't understand what he says either

Don't you like how he starts to answer a question then pause's & then nods his head when re-starts his answer & then pause's again?

Yeah Chisolm over Douglas is a joke I hope Noddy is right about the game time for the mid week games.

We've got a lot of injuries to key players who are walk up starters especially in the pack so there is bound to be a lot of debate.

Benn Robinson, Stephen Moore, James Horwill & Wycliff Palu would all be in the 1st 15 if fit so we're doing alright considering the above aren't available.

 

[topo]

5 Joeys old boys out of 40 players selected in the two squads.
Not bad.

 

[Gagger]

I'm liking the size of Robbie Horne. Have we found our next Morty?

 

[waratahjesus]

horne is a strange unit, he doesnt look big in person at all but he runs so strong that he seems impossible to pull down at times.

 

[fatprop]

People question the Tahs rehab, but it appears they put Horne through the the same bio mechanical process that worked with Elsom (and they wanted Tahu to complete)

Deans hails steely young Waratahs centre
May 27, 2010 - 5:26PM

Robbie Deans lauded Rob Horne for his unbendable mental steel after recalling the luckless young centre to the Wallabies squad.

The uncapped Horne endured months of rehabilitation to overcome a chronic hamstring injury which threatened to end his international career before it even began.

Doctors initially suspected Horne's hamstring troubles were back-related but, after undergoing a battery of tests and visiting countless specialists, the classy No.13 was diagnosed with a rare physical imbalance.


"It was unconventional. There was a weakness in my structure," Horne said after being named in Australia's 30-man squad for the June Test series with Fiji, England and Ireland.

"It was really just a fundamental lack of core functioning and glute control and glute firing.

"We had to develop a program where I could start switching on my glutes so that, when I'm running, my glutes are firing and I'm more pushing off the ground rather than pulling."

After being forced home from Australia's under-20 World Cup campaign in Japan in 2008 with a groin strain, Horne suffered further heartache when he broke down again in Tokyo before the first game of the Wallabies' spring tour last year.

"It was a tough period, to experience the emotional high of getting selected for my first (Wallabies) tour and then having to fly home by myself," he said.

Horne is still not out of the woods and must devote each and every day to carefully managing his body to ensure he is right to play on weekends.

Earmarking the 20-year-old as a potential long-term replacement for injured former Test captain Stirling Mortlock, Deans said Horne's woes would be "incomprehensible" to most players.

"What Rob has had to overcome just to put himself back out there on the playing field, let alone in the frame, has been significant," Deans said.

"When you have an imbalance - which resulted in recurring injury - there's an awful lot of work that's got to go in just to get you back to square one.

"First of all you've got to nut out what the need is, then you've got to do all the work and, ultimately, you've got to start believing again.

"It was a tough moment for him in Tokyo last year when he tore his hamstring.

"He'd just got himself back into the frame, having had an injury history, and then to get the injury at that point before he had his moment and having that realisation that he'd slid back down the mountain ... he was almost below the start point again.

"But in a pretty short period of time, really, he's been able to turn that around.

"That adversity will serve him well going forward and I think that shows in the way he's playing.

"He's actually stronger for the experience he's been through and he values what he's got. He'll never take anything for granted."

Deans said Horne possessed all the qualities required to fill Australia's "critical" No.13 role.

"He's obviously got speed, which is a great asset as a player, but also he's very good in the way he uses his speed," the coach said.

"Defensively, he's willing. He's aggressive. He plays above his weight to that end.

"And obviously when you've got the ball, speed is a great asset as well. He runs great lines.

"He's got a great opportunity now and the opportunity to push on.

"There's no doubt given his age profile that anything's possible for him."

AAP

Good luck to the guy.