Wallabies Number 8 for the RWC

[fatprop]

Samo has been great, but he ain't an 80 minute player anymore. In the S15 final he was struggling by the end making a few unforced errors.

 

[Keithy]

I agree Kuta88 and I believe the Big Dog could help his cause by not starting flat footed. The opposition knows he doesn't pass and from a standing start you can double team him in defence, knocking him over.

 

[Joe Blow]

Samo has been great, but he ain't an 80 minute player anymore. In the S15 final he was struggling by the end making a few unforced errors.

I think that is probably right FP.

If you have a fit and firing Palu and a fit and firing Samo you would choose the former every time.
The questions are
1.Can Palu get there in a couple of pool games?
2. Would you throw an underdone Palu in against the Irish?

If Deans selects him, which I think he will, he cannot just replace him when the knockout stages come because he has not found form.

 

[fatprop]

Dunno, I just think Samo will need to and planned to be replaced. Palu? dunno if he is right yet - we will see this week I guess, but having him sharing 80 minutes with Samo makes sense to me as the 8.

 

[Cutter]

Comments on your criteria:

B any of the backrow can perform that role and so can the 9

Each back row position runs different lines which become instinctive. You don't want to have to think about where you should be going, you want to be half way there by then.

 

[Scotty]

Each back row position runs different lines which become instinctive. You don't want to have to think about where you should be going, you want to be half way there by then.

Sorry, more referring to the cover for fullback part.

 

[Joe Mac]

Im nont sure why people think Samo isn't an 80 minute player. The line-out steal in the last minutes of the Super 15 grand final won them the Reds the game. I would actually go so far as to say that Samo is the only proven No8 in Australian Rugby to play a full 80 minutes against top opposition.

That said, the impact of some fresh legs is always valuable...

 

[fatprop]

Im nont sure why people think Samo isn't an 80 minute player. The line-out steal in the last minutes of the Super 15 grand final won them the Reds the game. I would actually go so far as to say that Samo is the only proven No8 in Australian Rugby to play a full 80 minutes against top opposition.

That said, the impact of some fresh legs is always valuable...

yep but there were quite a few errors just before that steal, he was blowing damn hard

 

[naza]

Samo is too error prone, honestly that guy makes me worry when it comes to the back end of the game.. on another note, the best 8 I've seen was Jared Waerea Hargraves (spelling?) in the Oz 19s a few years ago.. where is he now? the guy was a gun when I saw him running around

He plays league for the Roosters.

 

[Nusadan]

Vaguely read somewhere that Waerea Hargreaves is soon off contract with the Roosters and considering a return to rugby...perhaps Tahs are keeping a spot open for him not Elsom?

 

[Richard D. James]

yep but there were quite a few errors just before that steal, he was blowing damn hard

Definitely, I think during last couple of weeks of the S15 he was showing some major signs of fatigue. He was pulled of in the Semi after missing a few tackles. That said, everyone was showing signs of fatigue, it's a long season and Samo did bloody well for a guy in his mid-thirties.

I still think the Samo/Higgers tag team is our best bet of the currently available players.

 

[tigerland12]

Definitely, I think during last couple of weeks of the S15 he was showing some major signs of fatigue. He was pulled of in the Semi after missing a few tackles. That said, everyone was showing signs of fatigue, it's a long season and Samo did bloody well for a guy in his mid-thirties.

I still think the Samo/Higgers tag team is our best bet of the currently available players.

He had injured his shoulder after mis-timing a big tackle.

 

[Richard D. James]

Fair enough, but he missed a number of those big hits before he came off. His timing was horrendous.

 

[Cutter]

yep but there were quite a few errors just before that steal, he was blowing damn hard

I don't think there was a starting player on the field not blowing hard. As I recall, they were all out on their feet, Crusaders included.

 

[Motorboater]

Fair enough, but he missed a number of those big hits before he came off. His timing was horrendous.

He was concussed and didn't even make it to half time. He most certainly was not hooked.

 

[Lindommer]

So McCalman, Palu and Samo all get a guernsey. And Higgers (and, I suppose, Rocky) can play at the back of the scrum in an emergency. Isn't that one 8 too many?

 

[No4918]

Any chance Rocky has been dropped from the captaincy to make way for Higgers with Samo/Palu at 8? Here's hoping.