While the starting team performed considerably better than the one that took to the field last week, there was a worrying drop in precision and intensity when the bench was emptied. This allowed the Bokke to make the score look a little more flattering than it should have.
But the analysis is for another post. Here are the player ratings:
| Player | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Kurtley Beale | 8 | Another good outing from the back. Having KB running kick return with Quade and JOC is enough to give defence coaches nightmares. He seemed to enjoy the full focus not being on him after his year at the Tahs. Left the park (and was replaced by Pek Cowan) due to an ankle injury. |
| James O’Connor | 8 | Place-kicking was good and so was his running – scored a great try after collecting a pass that most players would not have managed. Generally dangerous around the park. |
| Adam Ashley-Cooper | 7 | Showed his class has remained while questions over his form were being asked. Seems to lift when dressed in Gold, which is good for us. Forms a good hard-running centre pairing with McCabe. |
| Pat McCabe | 7 | I tweeted during the game that Australia had found their 12. Not the ball-player some like in ‘second five’, but more in the inside centre mould. Has some ball-playing skills when he needs them, but was used to perfection in the hard-running, hard-tackling role that goes so well outside a playmaker like Quade. |
| Digby Ioane | 8 | Always strong in contact and bagged a try for his efforts. Was a little quieter toward the end of the game, may have been a result of the extra tackling his new role of ‘tackler at 10’ required. |
| Quade Cooper | 8 | Quade has built so well on his 2010 season this year, being one of the lynch pins for the Reds’ Super season. In his first outing for the year in Gold, he showed that, gastro scare or no gastro scare, he will attack. It is so good to watch a player with this type of attitude and the skills to make it all happen. |
| Will Genia | 9 | Has picked up right where he left off with the Super season. Has a great passing and running game and always takes the right option at the right time. Marshals his pigs well and was probably a major contributor to their better showing. The G&GR Man of the Match. |
| Ben McCalman | 7 | Solid as always. Got through a ton of the not-so-glamorous work, which is probably why he isn’t so highly rated by some. Never shirks the hard work and is a good solid performer. |
| David Pocock | 8 | Played like the globally superior player he is. Ben Alexander’s try can be traced back to a turnover by Bam, such was his immediate impact on the game. |
| Rocky Elsom | 7 | Much improved for last week’s hitout. Match fitness returning and looking more composed for it. Improved his control of the game and ran well with the ball. |
| James Horwill | 8 | Put in a mountain of work, was huge. We haven’t seen Kevvy in Gold since the 2009 Spring tour, and we sure have missed him. The ‘spine’ was back in our scrum and that has to have helped BA. |
| Rob Simmons | 7 | I love what this locking combination did both at the set piece and across the park. They hit rucks like demons and added a heap of starch to the scrum. Rob continued his lineout calling duties from the Reds and things worked well. |
| Ben Alexander | 7 | Was solid at the scrum, while his work around the field had also improved. Scrum improvement likely down to the locks, but may also be Ben remembering what TH requires. Bagged the first try of the match running a good support line. |
| Stephen Moore | 8 | Another of the hookers to score a try, bagged while running support with a nifty little Quadesque side step and all. Still did his work in the tight. |
| Sekope Kepu | 8 | Did what a prop is supposed to do, and then some. The first time I have ever seen a prop penalised for putting ‘too much pressure’ on in a scrum; this alone earned him an extra rating point. |
Reserves:
It was hard to write much about the reserves, considering that when the bench was emptied the team lost shape and actually lost the last 20 minutes on the scoreboard. That’s not what we want from our bench.
| Player | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Saia Faingaa | 6 | Looked pretty good, I thought. Lineout throwing was good, and did a few good things in the tight. Only hooker on the field not to bag a pie, but can’t really hold that against him. |
| Pek Cowan | 7 | Had a great cameo off the bench, replacing Kurtley Beale… Didn’t actually run at fullback, but still. Did his job, but like the other reserves he lacked the rush of enthusiasm and impact we expect from bench players. |
| Nathan Sharpe | 5 | Should be worried about his spot in the team. Played noticeably looser than the starting locks and looked less effective in general. With Vickerman also circling, needs to provide more bang from the bench. |
| Matt Hodgson | 6 | Was his usual workhorse self, but like the other pine riders, needed to bring more. |
| Scott Higginbotham | 6 | Many who say it is his natural position would have been thankful to see him getting some time on the wing. |
| Nick Phipps | 5 | It is a giant step down from Sanchez, and I think most are beginning to see how much Burgo brings. Didn’t disgrace himself, but looks like a rookie. |
| Anthony Faingaa | 6 | Again, and I feel like I am repeating myself, didn’t disgrace himself personally, but we need more from the bench. Tackled well as we would expect, needs to make more of a claim for a starting jersey. |
The patented G&GR ratings guide:
10 – A legendary performance to go down in the history books
9 – Outstanding performance: Man of the match shoo-in
8 – Excellent all round game
7 – Good game with a few sparkles
6 – Solid performance
5 – Average – ho hum
4 – Below par
3 – Had a bad game
2 – Tell your story walking pal
1 – A complete joke
Did we get them right?
