4. Slipper under the radar
I was trawling through some Super Rugby statistics last week in order to pick my (rapidly declining) fantasy rugby team. While these things aren’t always reliable indicators of a player’s performance, James Slipper is holding a fairly comfortable lead in points for props. And on closer examination, his stats are certainly impressive: 32 runs with 5 tackle busts, 73 tackles with 5 misses (94% success rate), only 2 penalties conceded (impressive for a tighthead) and a tighthead win.
It seems to be the consensus that he is not really on the Wallaby starting radar, stuck behind Alexander, Palmer and Robinson (well… to some, anyway). But I think he is well and truly in contention. The Reds scrum is functioning well and his performance around the field is very good. He is stepping into a leadership role and will be a key player for the Reds in the next few years.
This may not be news to some, but Slipper is quietly developing into a very good player and I look forward to seeing him tested against the Lions (with two props allowed on the bench, you would think he will feature).
