T
Train Without a Station
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You lost me when you described Spiro Zavos as a "great sports columnist".
That will just about do me!
That will just about do me!
Wallabies v France 3rd Test - 21 June Sydney
- Thread starter kickingtee
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I'm surprised Spiro didn't publish a Bring Back Robbie Deans article he's had sitting in the bottom drawer after Saturday night.
T
Train Without a Station
Guest
He certainly stuck the boot into Link over the game on the roar anyway!
gel
Ken Catchpole (46)
What the hell does Murdioch press have to do with what I said?
Way to go off on a tangent and be ireelevant.
Judging by the responses from @Qwerty51 and @Cyclopath, others have quite clearly seen the point I was making and went straight to the heart of the matter.
I said I wouldn't respond further, but posts like yours just push my buttons - but i guess that was your aim. Well played and well done.
Scrubber2050
Mark Ella (57)
I honestly think Horwill's run on career is over. He will stay on the edges until the end of RWC then revert to a Super 15 player or head OS. Question about Kevie is, will he retain the Captaincy at the Reds when there are lots of rumours floating around the playing group at Ballymore - interesting times but I just hope they get it right
As soon as Carter regains fitness, he will retake the starting spot.
All players eventually lose their spot (and a minority retire on top) Recent examples are White for Genia, Slipper for Robbo, Kuridrani for AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and so on. Thats not to say they cannot get it back but I think it is fairly rare.
As soon as Carter regains fitness, he will retake the starting spot.
All players eventually lose their spot (and a minority retire on top) Recent examples are White for Genia, Slipper for Robbo, Kuridrani for AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) and so on. Thats not to say they cannot get it back but I think it is fairly rare.
kiap
Steve Williams (59)
If you could add in the finest Herald product of them all, Greg Growden, then you'd have an outstanding stable of rugby journalism!
T
Train Without a Station
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That last comment is a ridiculous statement. Competition for spots is good. In a good national team with good depth players who get complacent should have other players pushing them for their spot. Phil Waugh and Smith fought over a starting position their whole careers.
Nathan Sharpe was in fact dropped multiple times by Deans alone yet came back and became captain and people wouldn't stop raving about him in his farewell season, saying how good locks peak at a later age.
Samo came back 7 years later, as a back rower after not lasting as a lock.
In one breath people seem to say things like Douglas and Pyle going overseas now is good, they'll be hitting their peak as tight forwards when they come back, yet are happy to say James Horwill's best days as a tight playing lock are past him at 29.
I think Braveheart is spot on. Horwill isn't at his best, but he seems to be getting closer as the year goes on.
Players have enough work trying to stay at their best when they are past it due to age, they don't need is hanging them out to dry when they go through a slump in their 20's also.
I find it interesting that all in sundry now want to questions his captaincy at the Reds. It was great when we were shit, it was even better when we were great, now the world is crumbling all around him and it's all his fault. I think the previous 5 years of doing a great job earns him the right to be given the benefit of the doubt about whether he is inadequate now.
TahDan
Cyril Towers (30)
I think McKenzie and the coaching staff were hoping that Horwill's poor form for the Reds was more about the team around him, but that he'd get back to his old standard in the Wallabies setup.
Unfortunately judging by his efforts on Saturday this just isn't the case... It's a shame the Tahs have lost Douglas, because he's really been the form lock of the Aussie conferences and I'd have loved to have seen how he'd have gone against the French.
Scrubber2050
Mark Ella (57)
Ridiculous you say - bullshit - you named 2 blokes only and possibly 3 with Smith and Waugh.
Samo made some appearances.
What I said is dead right. They can come back but its rare.
Give me another half a dozen good examples TWAS and I will happily recant.
In respect of Kevie's captaincy, this year was not so good. The culture was great, now not so good. Its just time for a change UNLESS the bloke can get back to his best. I really hope he does but ????
Ignoto
Peter Sullivan (51)
Backwards cap = Horwill. Looks like Hansen is throwing in for the reserve line out and I can't see Charles?
BDA
Jim Lenehan (48)
@Tahdan - calling Douglas the form lock of the Aussie conference is a bit rich. He's been good this season. He makes the occasional bone crunching tackle, but the form lock?
The stats show that Douglas's tackle and run count are no-where near the likes of Jones, Carter, Simon or Horwill. He's also a bit of a non-event in the line-out. I realise there are other intangibles that stats don't capture (like effectiveness of runs, dominant tackles etc)
The stats show that Douglas's tackle and run count are no-where near the likes of Jones, Carter, Simon or Horwill. He's also a bit of a non-event in the line-out. I realise there are other intangibles that stats don't capture (like effectiveness of runs, dominant tackles etc)
Richo
John Thornett (49)
I don't think Genia is done and dusted. His ceiling is significantly higher than any other 9 in Australia and there's no reason to think he won't get back there, especially since we've learned he's been playing injured. AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) wasn't dropped -- he's starting on the wing and might well be starting at 13 if our wing stocks were better. Kepu has been in and out of the 23 for years now, starting some games and then not getting a guernsey at all for big chunks of time. In the last two years, even Stephen Moore has been held on the bench for chunks of time by TPN, but I think now almost everyone would say that a fit Moore is easily first choice.
We have good competition in a number of positions now, and that means that blokes can be selected on form, rather than the Wallabies needing to ride out the bad patches. I suspect that come RWC we'll have a somewhat different starting 15, and some of the differences will be the return of familiar faces.
Richo
John Thornett (49)
This has been Douglas's best season, no doubt about that. But I think it's no surprise he's heading overseas. I have no doubt that he (or his people) discussed the matter with the ARU and it became clear that he was lower down the pecking order. With Jones and Carter both younger, Simmons with one position on lockdown and Horwill still very much in the mix for his experience, leadership and potential physicality, and even Skelton showing the capacity to be a game breaking, Douglas would have known that he'd have to find an entirely new level of performance to stake a claim for a Wallaby jersey.
T
Train Without a Station
Guest
Benn Robinson
Stephen Moore
Ben McCalman
Quade Cooper
Drew Mitchell
Sekop Kepu
All current players who debuted, were overtaken and dropped back to the bench or of consideration before forcing their way into consideration. Would you like me to go into detail for each one?
T
Train Without a Station
Guest
The issue is that generally stars don't like to be dropped. And they'd rather throw their toys out of the cot than prove their doubters wrong.
1. James Slipper (vc - Queensland Reds - 51 caps)
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW Waratahs – 48 caps)
3. Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs - 40 caps)
4. Rob Simmons (Queensland Reds - 39 caps)
5. Will Skelton (NSW Waratahs – uncapped)*
6. Scott Fardy (ACT Brumbies - 12 caps)
7. Michael Hooper (c - NSW Waratahs - 30 caps)
8. Wycliff Palu (NSW Waratahs – 50 caps)
9. Nic White (ACT Brumbies - 12 caps)
10. Bernard Foley (NSW Waratahs - 6 caps)
11. Nick Cummins (Western Force - 14 caps)
12. Matt To'omua (ACT Brumbies - 12 caps)
13. Tevita Kuridrani (ACT Brumbies - 10 caps)
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper (vc - NSW Waratahs - 93 caps)
15. Israel Folau (NSW Waratahs - 17 caps)
16. Nathan Charles (Western Force – 1 cap)
17. Scott Sio (ACT Brumbies – 4 caps)
18. Laurie Weeks (Melbourne Rebels – 1 cap)
19. James Horwill (Queensland Reds – 50 caps)
20. Ben McCalman (Western Force - 31 caps)
21. Nick Phipps (NSW Waratahs – 16 caps)
22. Kurtley Beale (NSW Waratahs - 41 caps)
23. Rob Horne (NSW Waratahs - 15 caps)
Congratulations to Will Skelton on his debut!
Good to see Sio and Horne getting a crack as well. A little sad that Hodgson doesn't get a go in this series, but understandable seeing as Hooper is captain and will play 80 minutes unless injured.
Good to see Sio and Horne getting a crack as well. A little sad that Hodgson doesn't get a go in this series, but understandable seeing as Hooper is captain and will play 80 minutes unless injured.
T
Train Without a Station
Guest
Disappointing to see Jones dropped for the sake of giving Skelton a run now the series is over. If Jones was good enough to try when the series was on the line, surely he would be more deserving of a start now.
Good to see Sio come in, Cowan didn't have a lot of impact.
A shame McCabe has to drop out for Horne to be able to come in though I'm not sure on his injury status.
Good to see Sio come in, Cowan didn't have a lot of impact.
A shame McCabe has to drop out for Horne to be able to come in though I'm not sure on his injury status.
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