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SportsTragic
Guest
In attack Cooper's been one of our best, but I blame his poor defensive reads & efforts for Giteau, Horne, etc being under extra pressure & holes & overlaps happening in our backline.
Wallabies Tri Nations
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D
daz
Guest
No different to me; I want the entire Reds line up in Gold. So far, so good!
Sorry, impartiality now restored.
#1 Tah
Chilla Wilson (44)
Yeah, you are one to talk about being bias.
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daz
Guest
Nasty. Best up your medication as QC (Quade Cooper) will be in the 10 jumper for quite some time. The fact he is a Red is completely irrelevant; the kid has skills and his performances have been top shelf so far. S14 Player of the Year, 2 MOTM awards in June tests. What more do you want?
Ruggo
Mark Ella (57)
A Tahs conversion like Barnes. Look how that wound up.
On a serious note, when these boys pull on the Green and Gold, they are playing for one nation and not individual states. I know I am badly Reds bias but this is how I try to look at the international season. Like it or not, when the team is named, chuck all the other shit out the window and support them. Come on mate, have a bit more pride in your country than that.
HG
Jimmy Flynn (14)
Rubbish!
RedsHappy
Tony Shaw (54)
I guess one of the serious points here is that, for QC (Quade Cooper) in the Wallabies, you need to choose a clean strategy for the back line:
Either (a) give QC (Quade Cooper) the complete package of back line players that have developed instinctive running and co-operation patterns that work with him OR
(b) use a new back line combo, but where intensive back line training and coaching with loads of off-game practice with QC (Quade Cooper) is done so to build the right QC (Quade Cooper) support AND
(c) whatever you do, don't put him in a playing style battle with another no 10 who's not happy being elsewhere (we know who that is).
A key problem is that RD has done none of the above, to this point. (Re (b), see Austin's posts on this, it's not happening.)
D
daz
Guest
Ok, what did I miss here? I said it was irrelevant that QC (Quade Cooper) was a Red but why should I apologise for being happy that he is? I'd be happy to see anyone in the Oz rugby system play 10 for the Wobs if they were better than QC (Quade Cooper). What on earth has that got to do with not supporting my national team?
HG
Jimmy Flynn (14)
I know that. what you were calling into question was his poor defensive reads and blaming Cooper for holes in the backline further out.
This is what I call rubbish! and still do.
Ash
Michael Lynagh (62)
I think that not supporting the Wallabies just because you may not like the selections is a bit much. At the very least, hope for a win and the players you do not agree with to struggle (that's what I do with selections I don't agree with, but am always accepting for them to prove me wrong, especially if it means a victory).
To be fair, Cooper has been, fair and away, the best 5/8 in Australia this year, despite his defensive frailties. The big question is how he goes defensively in the 3N, and how hidden he can remain. Until he is exploited defensively though, there's no reason he does not deserve the 10 jersey.
Of course, there's plenty of provincialism from the Reds supporters right now too, but let's see what teams gets selected for the first test before going off the deep end. Make some predictions, and hope to be able to say "I told you so" at the end.
Going back to Mitchell / Turner, I would've kept Mitchell in the squad. I have not been sold on Turner's effectiveness in tough, physical games yet, which Test matches are, and I feel that Turner has not gotten over his problem of tending to go missing / unnoticed. Oh, and I don't really see anyway Davies would've made the squad this year.
To be fair, Cooper has been, fair and away, the best 5/8 in Australia this year, despite his defensive frailties. The big question is how he goes defensively in the 3N, and how hidden he can remain. Until he is exploited defensively though, there's no reason he does not deserve the 10 jersey.
Of course, there's plenty of provincialism from the Reds supporters right now too, but let's see what teams gets selected for the first test before going off the deep end. Make some predictions, and hope to be able to say "I told you so" at the end.
Going back to Mitchell / Turner, I would've kept Mitchell in the squad. I have not been sold on Turner's effectiveness in tough, physical games yet, which Test matches are, and I feel that Turner has not gotten over his problem of tending to go missing / unnoticed. Oh, and I don't really see anyway Davies would've made the squad this year.
Ash
Michael Lynagh (62)
The Gits / Barnes combo has never really clicked at test level, although due to Barnes being often crocked it was maybe not played as often as it could have been. I was a supporter / hopeful, but am unsure it would work. I think that Cooper offers more than both Gits or Barnes at 10, especially since both Gits and Barnes weren't exactly in shit-hot form this year.
Gits, in particular, has not recreated the form he showed a few years back at 10 for the Force, and I think has since shown he is not a natural 10. Gits' play at 10 for the Brumbies this year was often poor, and often Gits looked better when he was at 12.
Gits, in particular, has not recreated the form he showed a few years back at 10 for the Force, and I think has since shown he is not a natural 10. Gits' play at 10 for the Brumbies this year was often poor, and often Gits looked better when he was at 12.
As Cooper was being hidden in defence with the blindside winger defending in his place I don't think that matters
Scotty
David Codey (61)
Good comeback. Right up there with 'I know I am, but what are you'...
Lee Grant
John Eales (66)
Turner and Mitchell are a tad unlucky; Turner because he hasn't had much of an opportunity and Mitchell because he was the best Oz winger in the S14 IMO. Can't argue with dropping Mitchell on Wallaby form though.
On the other hand I think that Beale and Horne are a tad lucky. I was gob-smacked when Kurtley tried to grubber that ball through to Giteau against Ireland because he would have taken that step off the right foot every time in his school days. He's changed: he's not trusting his instincts when everything is at the margin and that's when you want Wallabies to show the difference between them and the guy sitting in the stands. He could have been dropped for that act alone.
Robbie Horne hasn't done a lot and got crocked during a game again. I'm more worried about the 2nd matter and if that comes right the 1st matter will be OK also.
Good to see A. Finger in the frame. Both brothers stepped up this year after a few years of building their game at the pro level and who is to say they won't take another step up as well? It just goes to show that we shouldn't judge players 5 minutes after they leave the school gates as we are wont to do.
This brings me back to another lucky guy: JOC (James O'Connor). It's not his fault that he was chosen for S14 and international rugby before his time, but I don't want to see him start at fullback in a 3N game again until he's proven that he can be safe under the high ball and in other situations that require defensive certitude. Defensive; half the game at least is played without the ball. Despite his attacking brilliance I would have liked to have seen him go through the Finger process and emerge as an all-round footie player rather than just a tap dancer.
Simmons is in the Finger category also. Before this year I was regretting that he was going to be yet another AWH or Alister Campbell NAP Oz forward. He needs to get on the park sometime as we know what the usual suspects can do.
Mumm is a fine player but as I said when he was at school: he won't be an international lock unless he has a final growth spurt, as some lads do. Well I was wrong: he has played in the 2nd row in test matches, big ones, but as many of us have said over the years: S15 should be his top level in that position. On the other hand I would back him to succeed as a lineout 6 in a hard test match and to be ideal as the lock/6 reserve.
Also good to see that Higgers is well enough to be considered but one hopes that he doesn't get on the park until he has some club games under his belt. The Oz coaching staff should prepare him to be Palu's long term backup at 8 with Brown and McCalman as next in line. In that vein it is good to see McCalman elevated. To me he is a valid alternative to Brown and he may as well get a shot on the park in a year where our expectations deserve to be low and we have precious little to lose. Would love to see more weight on his bones though.
I remember Higginbotham being clumsy as an 8 picking up the pill from the scrum. If I were Deans I would have him practice that for 2 hours a day and forget the other stuff. Sounds hard to organise but it should be possible to get enough local academy players and volunteer club players together to form two scrums so that he and the other no. 8 candidates can practise scrum pick up variations.
And he is the only Oz S14 backrower who has anything close to the physical attributes of Palu.
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On the other hand I think that Beale and Horne are a tad lucky. I was gob-smacked when Kurtley tried to grubber that ball through to Giteau against Ireland because he would have taken that step off the right foot every time in his school days. He's changed: he's not trusting his instincts when everything is at the margin and that's when you want Wallabies to show the difference between them and the guy sitting in the stands. He could have been dropped for that act alone.
Robbie Horne hasn't done a lot and got crocked during a game again. I'm more worried about the 2nd matter and if that comes right the 1st matter will be OK also.
Good to see A. Finger in the frame. Both brothers stepped up this year after a few years of building their game at the pro level and who is to say they won't take another step up as well? It just goes to show that we shouldn't judge players 5 minutes after they leave the school gates as we are wont to do.
This brings me back to another lucky guy: JOC (James O'Connor). It's not his fault that he was chosen for S14 and international rugby before his time, but I don't want to see him start at fullback in a 3N game again until he's proven that he can be safe under the high ball and in other situations that require defensive certitude. Defensive; half the game at least is played without the ball. Despite his attacking brilliance I would have liked to have seen him go through the Finger process and emerge as an all-round footie player rather than just a tap dancer.
Simmons is in the Finger category also. Before this year I was regretting that he was going to be yet another AWH or Alister Campbell NAP Oz forward. He needs to get on the park sometime as we know what the usual suspects can do.
Mumm is a fine player but as I said when he was at school: he won't be an international lock unless he has a final growth spurt, as some lads do. Well I was wrong: he has played in the 2nd row in test matches, big ones, but as many of us have said over the years: S15 should be his top level in that position. On the other hand I would back him to succeed as a lineout 6 in a hard test match and to be ideal as the lock/6 reserve.
Also good to see that Higgers is well enough to be considered but one hopes that he doesn't get on the park until he has some club games under his belt. The Oz coaching staff should prepare him to be Palu's long term backup at 8 with Brown and McCalman as next in line. In that vein it is good to see McCalman elevated. To me he is a valid alternative to Brown and he may as well get a shot on the park in a year where our expectations deserve to be low and we have precious little to lose. Would love to see more weight on his bones though.
I remember Higginbotham being clumsy as an 8 picking up the pill from the scrum. If I were Deans I would have him practice that for 2 hours a day and forget the other stuff. Sounds hard to organise but it should be possible to get enough local academy players and volunteer club players together to form two scrums so that he and the other no. 8 candidates can practise scrum pick up variations.
And he is the only Oz S14 backrower who has anything close to the physical attributes of Palu.
.
Scotty
David Codey (61)
If Hynes or AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) are the fullback then he can hide there in defense. If Beale or JOC (James O'Connor) are the fullback, then I wouldn't bother swapping them.
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