Darwin
AKA Dingo_Darwin
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- May 30, 2007
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My thoughts on the halfback situation:
Personally I'm happy with the three selected - I wouldn't describe any of them as world class (though I have high hopes for Mathewson), but I do think that they are all more than capable of playing test rugby.
Cowan: I've never been a fan of his (despite him playing for the Highlanders), as his distribution have never been that great. I was pleasantly surprised how well he went last year, establishing himself as the top halfback in the country. He wasn't that impressive during this years tri-nations, though he did play well in the early internationals this year. He's certainly an outstanding cover defender, and is incredibly competitive - I'm hoping he can get back to his best form on this tour.
Mathewson: I'm a big fan of Mathewson, I think he was the standout NZ halfback of the Super 14. He's got a great running game, and also a pretty good pass - whether he can step up to the next level is the only question remaining. I would love to see him coming off the bench with 20-30 mins remaining against a tiring defense.
Ellis: He's a solid rather than spectacular player - he's distributes ok, he runs ok, he defends ok - he doesn't however excel in any off these areas. His big strength is that he reads the game really well, so often makes the right decision, and he also has a strong combination going with both Read and Carter. He's also generally consistent, so you know what you are going to get from him. He's also made more drop goals in the ITM Cup than any other player
Leonard: Great runner (at ITM/Super rugby level), a good cover defender, and can be a good distributor at times. The problem I have with Leonard is that despite him having a very strong running game at Super Rugby/ITM Cup level, we really haven't seen it at test match level. This may be attributed to the increased defensive pressure at test level - it's just a shame that his major strength seems to disappear at test match level. If he was a consistent distributor I would be much more comfortable with him playing tests - sometimes it appears that his passing is world class, while at other times he sprays it all over the place. If he has a strong Super 15 next year I would not be surprised to see him once again force his way into the AB's squad, though he may face stiff competition in the Chiefs from young Kerr-Barlow, who looks to be a player of huge potential.
Personally I'm happy with the three selected - I wouldn't describe any of them as world class (though I have high hopes for Mathewson), but I do think that they are all more than capable of playing test rugby.
Cowan: I've never been a fan of his (despite him playing for the Highlanders), as his distribution have never been that great. I was pleasantly surprised how well he went last year, establishing himself as the top halfback in the country. He wasn't that impressive during this years tri-nations, though he did play well in the early internationals this year. He's certainly an outstanding cover defender, and is incredibly competitive - I'm hoping he can get back to his best form on this tour.
Mathewson: I'm a big fan of Mathewson, I think he was the standout NZ halfback of the Super 14. He's got a great running game, and also a pretty good pass - whether he can step up to the next level is the only question remaining. I would love to see him coming off the bench with 20-30 mins remaining against a tiring defense.
Ellis: He's a solid rather than spectacular player - he's distributes ok, he runs ok, he defends ok - he doesn't however excel in any off these areas. His big strength is that he reads the game really well, so often makes the right decision, and he also has a strong combination going with both Read and Carter. He's also generally consistent, so you know what you are going to get from him. He's also made more drop goals in the ITM Cup than any other player
Leonard: Great runner (at ITM/Super rugby level), a good cover defender, and can be a good distributor at times. The problem I have with Leonard is that despite him having a very strong running game at Super Rugby/ITM Cup level, we really haven't seen it at test match level. This may be attributed to the increased defensive pressure at test level - it's just a shame that his major strength seems to disappear at test match level. If he was a consistent distributor I would be much more comfortable with him playing tests - sometimes it appears that his passing is world class, while at other times he sprays it all over the place. If he has a strong Super 15 next year I would not be surprised to see him once again force his way into the AB's squad, though he may face stiff competition in the Chiefs from young Kerr-Barlow, who looks to be a player of huge potential.
