I don't care about shelf lifes. If he's good enough pick him. As for age, remember how old Jim Williams ws when he debuted?
Wallaby Backrow - The Way Forward?
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I don't care about shelf lifes. If he's good enough pick him. As for age, remember how old Jim Williams ws when he debuted?
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tranquility
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Everyone who doubts Higgers at test level is incredibly short-sighted. It was the same rubbish when he was starting to play good rugby at super level. He is the best 6 in the country by so far, and he is only 25. He has the potential to be the best 6 in the world and his work at the front of the lineout both on our ball and defensively is absolutely first rate. I believe his lineout work is better than Elsom's ever was mainly due to his superior athletic ability.
The only reason he is struggling is because he is getting his defensive lines mixed up, breaking off scrums and what have you because he is not an 8-man. The moment we play someone else at 8, Denis will be dropped.
Shatz I believe is the long-term Australian 8. People who think he is a 6 have not seen him play any of his junior football, he is just not big enough / physical enough to play 8 at senior level. However he has all the Harinordiquy-like specialist 8-skills, which Australian rugby desperately needs.
I hope I am just being overly senstive and a generalist, but when certain partys on this forum talk about forward-play and 'tightness' as if they understand it so much better than the rest of us it really makes me happy that the Waratahs languished at the bottom of the table this year with an outdated game plan.
The only reason he is struggling is because he is getting his defensive lines mixed up, breaking off scrums and what have you because he is not an 8-man. The moment we play someone else at 8, Denis will be dropped.
Shatz I believe is the long-term Australian 8. People who think he is a 6 have not seen him play any of his junior football, he is just not big enough / physical enough to play 8 at senior level. However he has all the Harinordiquy-like specialist 8-skills, which Australian rugby desperately needs.
I hope I am just being overly senstive and a generalist, but when certain partys on this forum talk about forward-play and 'tightness' as if they understand it so much better than the rest of us it really makes me happy that the Waratahs languished at the bottom of the table this year with an outdated game plan.
A
AlexH
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He will probably be good enough to step up from Super Rugby next season. No arguments from me on that front. However, it takes a long time to establish yourself and become truly competitive at the international level.
Lets assume we end up picking him. He will still be finding his feet at the international level when the Lions tour rolls around. Eventually, he will develop a knack for the international game but how long do you think he is going to stick around when he reached that point? Do you think it is likely he will make it to the next RWC?
Personally, I would rather invest our player development resources in Scott Higginbotham who, admittedly, still has a long way to come as an eight but has the physical ability and the mongrel in him to, eventually, challenge Kieren Read for the title. The best part is he is twenty-five so we will get at least another World Cup out of him plus an extra year or two.
BarneySF
Bob Loudon (25)
Samo?
Swat
Chilla Wilson (44)
No one actually know how old Samo is, he was born before they kept birth records
Brumbies Guy
John Solomon (38)
Let Auelua have a full preseason with the Brumbies and he'll be good to go next year.
It'll be similar to this, only against a different sort of Lions team:
It'll be similar to this, only against a different sort of Lions team:
GaffaCHinO
Peter Sullivan (51)
there is alot to like about Lachlan McCaffrey according to his stats he is 2cm shorter than Higgers and 2KG lighter but is only 22. He looked good in the second half of the year. he will only get better very good with ball in hand and great in tight defence.
wamberal
Phil Kearns (64)
He is a very skillful player. But our relatively weak tight fives seem to need a very big 8 behind them. If one Timani can make the grade, maybe the other one can.
vidiot
John Solomon (38)
Almost good enough for origin.
Having just rewatched to halftime, Higginbotham was certainly better than the week before, and I thought had a solid go physically. He goes into contact too erect or at least high, and he can be wastefully inaccurate, but I honestly think he is making progress.
As an aside, I've enjoyed watching Slipper when he gets his chance in both games (I've only seen to 50 minutes of Bled II). He seems to have a vendetta against McCaw and attempts to clean him out with extreme prejudice. Easier said than done, but he doesn't hold back and unlike many of the wallaby pack he has some timing and accuracy.
ACT Crusader
Jim Lenehan (48)
That's all the Wallabies need, another loose forward that loves to play wide of the ruck and has a love for grubber kicks....
A tad defensive. The general vibe re: Higginbotham in Tests seems to be that he should be the goods, but hasn't really been yet. I don't think that's contentious, and, as Richo said, most of us questioning think he's more a 6.
Your last paragraph just makes no sense. Do you really mean anyone's ability to understand forward play in any aspect is dictated by where their Super Rugby team finished on the ladder? Really?
As for Shatz, time will tell, as he really has not played a whole lot of Super rugby yet. He looks promising.
tigerland12
John Thornett (49)
I think alot of the players being suggested would do worse then Higgers and Dennis right now. Mowen would fail to make an impact, Shatzie is inexperienced, Auelua is an unknown if he could handle the intensity fitness wise, Samo is running on his last legs (despite a couple of good bench appearances, he isn't reliable enough).
I think Shatz is the only one I'd be giving a shot at this stage.
I think Shatz is the only one I'd be giving a shot at this stage.
Agreed. As upsetting as it is, we need to accept that this is an area of weakness at the moment and we have to persist with the players who have shown themselves to be the most likely. Higginbotham and Dennis were both consistently excellent throughout the last two years of Super Rugby.
None of the players below them are suddenly going to come in to test rugby and make Kieran Read look average.
None of the players below them are suddenly going to come in to test rugby and make Kieran Read look average.
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