Contrary to the popular view, I believe that Australia’s World Cup squad for this year’s championship is looking decidedly healthy. After five rounds of Super Rugby, the Crusaders, the Stormers and the Blues look the teams to beat, with all the Aussie teams dragging the chain somewhat, but I’m sure that Robbie Deans will not be seeing doom and gloom at all.
The Queensland Reds started slowly, but are beginning to find form of late. The Waratahs have produced some fine patches – although not many against the Cheetahs, one week ago. The Brumbies and the Force have had their moments and even the tyro Rebels may yet turn up one or two contenders for the squad.
I guess that this will sound obvious, but during the recently completed Six Nations Championship, it occurred to me how vitally important accurate selection really is. Selection is not an exact science, I know, but it does surprise me just how wrong some selectors seem to get it. Indeed, when some countries finally got around to making what seemed to me obvious choices, their performances improved dramatically.
- England chose Ben Youngs at scrum-half in Australia last July, and have hardly looked back since. They have finally settled on Toby Flood and Tom Palmer, with similar success. These choices looked blindingly obvious from my position on the outside.
- When James Hook took over, belatedly, at fly-half for Wales, the team played infinitely better.
- With the season 80 per cent completed, Ireland at last realised that fullback Luke Fitzgerald was a huge problem for them. When they gambled on Keith Earls in the position for the last match against the previously unbeaten England, they were able to reveal something of their true potential. The final selection of the talented Jonny Sexton ahead of the steady Ronan O’Gara also helped enormously.
- Meanwhile, across the Channel, the French selection of Chabal at No. 8 ahead of the huge talent of Harinordoquy beggars belief.
All of this got me to thinking about the selection of the Wallabies squad and how vital this will be.
For most people, it is essential that the form players are selected. Certainly there is no place for sentiment, and past performances should not guarantee inclusion; but for me, there is more to it. For example, ‘Player A’ may be the player in the best form in a certain position, and would be a popular selection. I may think, however, that his peak form will not be good enough to take us where we want to go. So I will look for the player who, while not at the top of the pile at the moment, has the qualities and the potential to become world class – and I will back my ability, as the coach, to help him to achieve just that. There is no value in settling for the security of an average performance!
Robbie Deans has shown some ability to do just this – his belief in James O’Connor comes immediately to mind – and I think that there are one or two more still to come, even at this late stage. History shows that John Eales played in our winning 1991 World Cup team in his first year as a first choice player for Queensland. Willie Ofahengaue was a revelation for Australia before he had even represented NSW.
In looking through our five Super Rugby teams, I have seen plenty that should give some confidence that we will be super-competitive come October in New Zealand.
At prop, Benn Robinson’s availability is vital, and James Slipper and Ben Alexander are in fine form. Sekope Kepu is improving and may eventually reveal his phenomenal physical potential. Pek Cowan continues to punch well above his weight, and he, Salesi Ma’afu and even Al Baxter are still not out of the question. The ranks are a bit thin, but there’s real quality at the top.
With Stephen Moore and Tatafu Polota-Nau, we are world-class in the hooking spot. Huia Edmonds has real talent and Saia Fainga’a is still there, but I rate a few youngies: James Hanson, on the bench for the Reds, and the two from the Force, Nathan Charles and Ben Whittaker, have what it takes, I reckon. Including size!
Our locks, like our props, are real quality at the top but also a bit thin on numbers. Nathan Sharpe has never played better, following a large dose of John Mitchell and a real wake-up call from Deans a year or so back. A healthy James Horwill is of similar class. Dan Vickerman’s return, hopefully in his top form, will be a godsend, and Mark Chisholm and Dean Mumm have qualities. There are a couple of wild cards: I was most impressed with the performance of Adam Wallace-Harrison when he started recently for the Reds, and Hugh Pyle, from the Rebels, has real talent. He is big, strong, fast and skilful, and well worth a look.
In the back row, we have David Pocock, Wycliff Palu, Rocky Elsom and Ben McCalman, all of whom can play at any level, and we also have good backup from workhorses Matt Hodgson and Richard Brown. Ben Mowen is in a similar vein and Scott Higginbotham could be anything. I really think that Dave Dennis could be our Kieran Reid and I have great hopes for the Rebels’ Jarrod Saffy. He was in my Waratahs Academy a few years back and he has it all – I would put him in the extended squad! Oh, and by the way, there are still Smith and Waugh – we could do a lot worse.
At scrum-half, Will Genia is back on track after a slow start – thank goodness! Luke Burgess is way off-key, to my mind, but has qualities that good coaching will reveal again. Brett Sheehan is in form and I really like both Nick Phipps and Richard Kingi, again from the Rebels. As a real wild card, Southern Districts (Sydney) scrum-half Dewett Roos can play very well at this level – for certain. He actually plays like a proper scrum-half!
The final selection of fly-half will be difficult. Quade Cooper was excellent last year, but I’m not 100 per cent convinced that he’s the right choice. O’Connor looks more complete to me, but he can also play everywhere else in the backline. Berrick Barnes would be an excellent choice and Matt Giteau has previously been outstanding in the position. I would go for O’Connor – and I’m sure that Deans would have also written down the name of Michael Harris, who had a brilliant cameo off the bench for the Reds, a week ago. He looks good!
In the centres, we have Barnes and Giteau left over from the fly-half selection and Adam Ashley-Cooper was excellent there last season. James Horne is a real talent, when fit, and Anthony Fainga’a has also been given opportunity. I don’t think, however, that he can be effective at this very top level. I think that Ryan Cross has plenty to offer and don’t discount Stirling Mortlock – he is slowly showing signs of his old, excellent self. Tyrone Smith was not out of place when selected last year and Nick Cummins is perhaps the form centre of all of the Aussie franchises. Will Chambers showed great potential last season, but so far this season has not been able to repeat it. Deans may also want to use the huge talents of Digby Ioane at centre.
Apart from Ioane, at wing there are also many top quality choices. Drew Mitchell and Lachie Turner, from the Waratahs, are serious world-class players. Rod Davies is a complete player with genuine pace – always a nice quality – and Peter Hynes and Cameron Shepherd are equally at home at wing and fullback. Great to see Shepherd back fit and in top form; he is also an excellent goalkicker. Cooper Vuna is catching on very quickly and Luke Rooney is starting to settle in at last. I wouldn’t write either of these off just yet.
Apart from Hynes and Shepherd, we have world-class fullbacks in Kurtley Beale and Adam Ashley-Cooper. Pat McCabe, from the Brumbies, is in top form and Mark Gerrard is back, this time with the Rebels, and looking very good.
I’ve probably left one or two out, but this has the potential to be a top-quality squad, capable of taking on anyone – and I mean anyone. Not bad actually, for a country that many said were not capable of forming a fifth Super Rugby franchise. The biggest selection problem will be whom to leave out!
