Wallabies vs Scotland - 5 June 2012

[qwerty51]

Yes it's been announced.. it's official.

 

[Reddy!]

It's a pretty un-cohesive looking team. Should be a good game if Scotland turn up to play. Happy for Sharpe to continue his test career, and is one of the few players in that team that actually deserve to be there on form. I'm probably most excited about seeing Tomane play.

Who takes kicking duties? Harris or Barnes?

 

[Sully]

I have a concern with Moore starting here. I think he should start against Wales.

 

[Slim 293]

I have a concern with Moore starting here. I think he should start against Wales.

I think he'll be starting both games...

 

[aussie1st]

Congrats to Morahan, has a good chance to get himself a bench spot if not a wing spot. Also well deserved call up for Tomane. Would have preferred White over Phipps as he has one hell of a boot on him which is a point of difference between most halfbacks.

 

[Penguin]

Barnes at Flyhalf?! seriously, have they not been watching the tahs. This would have been the perfect game for Coops to find some form

The choice of Harris is interesting, and perhaps suggests that he'll be in the 22 (possibly starting against Wales). I'm not sure there is enough creative attacking players in that backline. Probably enough for scotland but i hope there's changesfor the wales game

RE: Barnes at 10, didn't you watch games against Wales in the last game at teh World Cup ? Barnes at the Tahs does not equal Barnes at the Wallabies.

 

[What2040]

RE: Barnes at 10, didn't you watch games against Wales in the last game at teh World Cup ? Barnes at the Tahs does not equal Barnes at the Wallabies.

Shit Peguin - I agree BUT that was a million years ago

 

[cyclopath]

Shit Peguin - I agree BUT that was a million years ago

So was Quade Cooper's last test, and indeed almost his last game.
I think we should wait and see how players go at the next level before assuming their Super Rugby form is the be-all and end-all. Different team-mates, different structures, and most likely a different style of game than Super Rugby.
Besides, who else is going to play 10 at the moment?

 

[Gnostic]

As much as I don't think Barnes deserves the spot, I am reluctant to name anyone else lest it destroy a contender's Super Season or their chances of playing against Wales. To be honest this Sctoland "test" even looks like an "A" side as well as its timing.

Cooper if up to lpaying two games in a week, he has barely played a single game. He would've played here except for the injuries to Beale and JOC (James O'Connor). Maybe Lucas could have been tried. That is about it.

I am more concerned that given the obviously unfit state of the Tahs how are they going to back up with the required intensity when they couldn't muster it for the Super game last night.

 

[What2040]

So was Quade Cooper's last test, and indeed almost his last game.
I think we should wait and see how players go at the next level before assuming their Super Rugby form is the be-all and end-all. Different team-mates, different structures, and most likely a different style of game than Super Rugby.
Besides, who else is going to play 10 at the moment?

Suppose only real alternative would be Lucas - don't think Harris is up to it (at 10.)

 

[twenty seven]

I will probably be howled down for this but I really do not rate Timani. The Waratahs scrum was under pressure until he was replaced when it became dominant. Yes he carries over the advantage line but on half the occassions he does he drops the ball or gets turned over. Not a fan at this stage. Need significantly more development and not at test level, as shown in last year's Samoa game. He is a new Deans favourite and unless he is hospitalised with injury and cant manage to drag his IV around the field he will get selected.
.

Agreed. He is also too slow into the air in the line-outs.

 

[troxler]

I actually like this team!. The lack of team cohesion with the limited preparation time they have had is the only reason Im thinking it may be closer than a 20pt+ win to the Wallabies.

 

[hammertimethere]

if you want numbers

1. Slipper
2. Moore
3. Palmer
4. Timani
5. Sharpe
6. Dennis
7. Pocock
8. Higginbotham
9. Genia
10. Barnes
11. Tomane
12. Harris
13. Fainga'a
14. Ioane
15. Morahan

16. Fainga'a
17. Alexander
18. Simmons
19. Hooper
20. Phipps
21. McCabe
22. Ashley-Cooper

Dingo has done as well as could be expected with selection, and better than I thought he would, given the enormity of the task at hand. Obviously there are questions (Barnes at 10, Inclusion of Timani, Dennis over Mowen at 6 with the wales game on sat, Tomane over Vuna/Shipperley, Phipps over white) but all of them are minor and the reasons behind them fairly understandable when you look at Super rugby form, background (an appropriate dingoism here, though it sickens me to say it) in Test rugby under deans and the logisitcal situation we are dealing with here.
- Barnes at 10: Has a reasonably good history under deans in tests, just a shit one at the tahs. Will be served by the best pass in australia (not the shit Sarel was sending his way last night) giving him an extra second to make a decision and execute. Has sometimes played well this season when given license to play, not a rigid game plan to follow
- Tomane over Vuna/Shipperley: He had to choose one and did. Vuna tried his heart out on friday night and I'm sure that wont have been forgotten. Shipperley has gone alright and would have been a good bench selection but maybe that would have been too much reds flavour to handle. Besides, Tomane looks to have the most natural talent out of all of them.
- Timani inclusion: He must have been on the lookout for a big, strong, tight head lock to balance the row with sharpe. Probably backs his coaching ability to get the best out the big man, who has shown flashes of good form.
- Dennis over Mowen: this is a puzzler. I am hoping to see this game's backrow repeat on saturday with Palu on the bench. resting Dennis would have made that a little easier plus would have given mowen a deserved test cap. Possibly Dennis will be moved to the bench for wales with Palu into the starting side, which while not ideal (for mine) is acceptable.

The rest have really just been dictated to him by the schedule. Not too much to complain about here (when was the last time we could honestly say that about dingo's selections) and I'm over the moon that Ma'afu seems to have been put out to pasture.

 

[Bruwheresmycar]

Happy with this side. Robbie has done alright, now hopefully this team of young players competiting for a spot smash scotland off the park.

 

[RedsHappy]

Here's the full ARU media release; I won't paste the text as it'd overwhelm Moses' server quota in its length.

QC (Quade Cooper) looks out of the June Tests, at least by these statements:

http://www.rugby.com.au/wallabies/News/NewsArticle/tabid/1516/ArticleID/6753/Default.aspx

 

[Scotty]

This could be the game which determines whether Barnes will play any part in the squad for the remaining tests...

I expect McCabe to return to 12 for Wales with Cooper at 10...

Tahs props to come in, and possibly AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) somewhere in the back 3 (probably fullback?)...

I would like cooper at 10 with Barnes and McCabe in the centres.

 

[BDA]

Don't get me wrong I think Berrick Barnes is a very good test player. A fair selection in any wallabies 22. But the man is ideally a no.12. It really shows the dilemma Deans is facing with so many flyhalves injured, Barnes appears to be the only option. I a bit surprised that Deans didn't chuck Lucas on the bench. No backup flyhalf (Harris is not a test no.10).

Overall I am okay with the side Deans has picked. I'll save my criticism for when Deans names the team for Saturday.

This game will certainly be the proverbial acid test for a few players. Timani, Tomane, Morahan and Palmer need to step up. Of those three I think everyone agrees that Timani has the most to prove. Deans obviously see potential in him (given his size and strength) but in my view "potential" should largely be left in the Super comp.

Also It looks like Higgers and Dennis will both play 80 minutes. Does that mean one of them will have to play 80 minutes against Wales also?

 

[spectator]

That is a decent side, although it would have been good to see Lucas in the 22, assuming he is fit. Well done to Joe Tomane who really has made a dream return to rugby, and I do like the look of the back three in the scrum.

 

[Gnostic]

How the hell does Timani make the side and Pyle drops out of the squad altogether?

Timani has really shown potential at Super Level and nothing else while Pyle has actually performed and against the best that NZ and Sa have to offer.

More and more I am concvinced that Deans doesn't care at all what happens in SUper Rugby. He picks his favourites in the squad and then looks at how they run at training with him. I would go further and say that unless the pretender does exceptionally at training the incumbants or those who have already been christened by Deans will always start. No other factors matter.

How else do we explain the facts that players totally out of form make the squad and those who deserve a go on demonstrated form do not even get a chance?

 

[Slim 293]

Horwill, Quade Cooper and Salesi Ma’afu will all be released from the national training squad in the morning. Melbourne Rebels lock Hugh Pyle and Brumbies fullback Jesse Mogg are the other training squad members who won’t be assembling in Newcastle.

So let me get this straight...

Pyle has been dropped... Carter wasn't even selected...

But Timani and Douglas are in the mix with Timani earning a starting cap against Scotland?

Right...

Anyhoo... if Quade is gone that leaves the flyhalf stocks quite bare and I would assume that it's going to be Barnes with Harris as his deputy?