Australia RWC Preview

[Darwin]

James Horwill is the Captain to the new team.

Huge decision by Deans; personally I think it is the right decision, but I think it should have been made at the start of the international season rather than just before the RWC.

Full squad:
Horwill (c), Alexander, Ashley-Cooper, Barnes, Beale, Burgess, Cooper, Elsom, A Faingaa, S Faingaa, Genia, Higginbotham, Horne, Ioane, Kepu, Ma'afu, McCabe, McCalman, Mitchell, Moore, O'Connor, Palu, Phipps, Pocock, Polota-Nau, Samo, Sharpe, Simmons, Slipper and Vickerman

Only surprise to me (apart from Horwill being named captain) is the exlcusion of Hodgson, meaning there is not much cover for Pocock at 7. Interesting to see Palu included, and Drew Mitchell also included, despite suggestions yesterday that he my have missed out.

 

[Veal]

So in the heat of a QF or SF battle at the RWC we decide to bring on Rob Horne (7 tests, injured most of 2010 and 2010) or Nick Phipps (1 disaterous test) and the opposition go " who ? " .

The option of bringing on Giteau ( 92 tests ) and the opposition immediately take notice - " **** - great sub...what will happen now " is gone. Giteau is a complex character but his form in a crap Brumbies team was actually good alonside Stephen Moore. He still commands respect among opposition teams in both hemisphere. He can cover 9,10 and 12 and 15 in a pinch and can also kick.

This is a dummy spit by Deans. Giteau should be there or maybe Deans is a kiwi trojan horse.....

 

[.me]

Drew Mitchell and Matt Giteau have both hinted on twitter that they haven't been included in the Aussie squad for the WC (the players were told today whether they made it)

The comment Drew made was in regards to Gits, though it isn't too surprising Giteau has been left out, as he hadn't been travelling in the team. Though he is still the highest paid Wallabies player.

Giteau played quite well the past two weeks, and it will be interesting with Barnes at 12 playing Gits at 12 this Saturday.

 

[Darwin]

Given Elsom is no longer captain, I expect we will see Higginbotham given the start in the 6 jersey next week vs the All Blacks. If he takes his chance he may well secure that spot for the RWC. Who will play at Number 8 will be interesting, with a three way battle between McCalman, Palu, and Samo.

I'm also interested to see what they will do with their outside backs; with Mitchell returning they now have 3 very good wing options: O'Connor, Ioane, and Mitchell. There is the option of shifting O'Connor into 12, but Deans seems to favour a more powerful tackling/running option to complement Quade Cooper. Another option is to bring Ioane into centre (head of AAC), though I don't think he has the distribution game to play there. Given O'Connor is the goal-kicker we may see either Mitchell or Ioane sitting on the bench.

 

[Shaggy]

Here's the full squad courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10745856

Wallabies World Cup squad:
Backs - Kurtley Beale, James O'Connor, Drew Mitchell, Digby Ioane, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Rob Horne, Pat McCabe, Anthony Faingaa, Berrick Barnes, Quade Cooper, Nick Phipps, Luke Burgess, Will Genia.
Forwards - Ben McCalman, Radike Samo, Wycliff Palu, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom, Scott Higginbotham, James Horwill (capt), Rob Simmons, Nathan Sharpe, Dan Vickerman, Ben Alexander, Sekope Kepu, James Slipper, Salesi Ma'afu, Stephen Moore, Saia Faingaa, Tatafu Polota-Nau.

 

[Shaggy]

Here's the full squad courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10745856

Wallabies World Cup squad:
Backs - Kurtley Beale, James O'Connor, Drew Mitchell, Digby Ioane, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Rob Horne, Pat McCabe, Anthony Faingaa, Berrick Barnes, Quade Cooper, Nick Phipps, Luke Burgess, Will Genia.
Forwards - Ben McCalman, Radike Samo, Wycliff Palu, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom, Scott Higginbotham, James Horwill (capt), Rob Simmons, Nathan Sharpe, Dan Vickerman, Ben Alexander, Sekope Kepu, James Slipper, Salesi Ma'afu, Stephen Moore, Saia Faingaa, Tatafu Polota-Nau.

lol ... beaten to the punch, wrong paper ... it's the NZ Herald ... can't edit ... I give up!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Wehey, very happy to see Drew Mitchell in there

 

[madflyhalf]

Me too!!!

What is clear, to me, is that Barnes is there because Deans doesn't want a 12 who can play 10, but a pure 10 back-up.
He will continue with McCabe or Ant at 12, with Barnes on the bench.

Unfortunately, Gits is no more an international 10... feel sorry for him btw, a great player, who shaded right in these last months...

 

[TRF_Cymro]

Should Timani really have decided to play for Australia? Should have stuck with Tonga in my opinion.

 

[psychic duck]

Should Timani really have decided to play for Australia? Should have stuck with Tonga in my opinion.

Agree, he's Samo mark 2 in my opinion, but probably without the comeback, he's now gone off to play in Japan (Canon Eagles)

 

[madflyhalf]

I'm reading everywhere about the possible clash in the semi between Australia and England... all the debate who's gonna win, experience or enthusiasm, running rugby or conservative rugby, and nobody really thinks that there is another outcome from the QF and is...

France!

As it stands, I don't see England will win so easy against France. In 2010 I was backing France of course, after 2011 6N I became a little skeptical, though not sure on England.
And now, after the 2 tests played by England against Wales, I'm backing France.


And France could be even more troubling for Australia in the SF...

 

[JW.]

England will beat France at the WC as they always do. England vs Australia semi-final.

 

[Melhor Time]

Huge decision by Deans; personally I think it is the right decision, but I think it should have been made at the start of the international season rather than just before the RWC.

Full squad:
Horwill (c), Alexander, Ashley-Cooper, Barnes, Beale, Burgess, Cooper, Elsom, A Faingaa, S Faingaa, Genia, Higginbotham, Horne, Ioane, Kepu, Ma'afu, McCabe, McCalman, Mitchell, Moore, O'Connor, Palu, Phipps, Pocock, Polota-Nau, Samo, Sharpe, Simmons, Slipper and Vickerman

Only surprise to me (apart from Horwill being named captain) is the exlcusion of Hodgson, meaning there is not much cover for Pocock at 7. Interesting to see Palu included, and Drew Mitchell also included, despite suggestions yesterday that he my have missed out.

The squad is not far from what i went for (see below). Those I didn´t pick are in bold in the above squad. So, I got 22 of the 30 which is pretty good. Injuries have influenced the list a lot though. I am surprized to see Mitchell included. Horwell as captain is a surprize but shows how important Robbie Deans considers form to be. Elsom has not been the same since he returned from Leinster and in 2011 has been as shadow of the man who dominanted in the Heineken Cup Final. I would not have had Giteau in my match day 22 but certainly would have gone for him in the 30. This tells me that Deans will use O´Connor as his third flyhalf if need be. Hodgson missing is the shocking thing. Australia will likely not play Pocock in every match and thus maybe a different player will wear 7 vs the USA who have a strong backrow. The again, maybe there was simply no place for Hodgson because, as pointed out, Elsom looks like being on the bench now that he is not captain.

Interesting to see the changed philosophy. In 2007 when Marcelo Loffreda named 17 forwards and 13 backs in the Pumas squad people were not so happy. In general it was said that its too many and shows a lack of creativity on the pitch. Now we have Australia doing the same and France are set to also name 17 forwards. The difference is backs are increasingly needed to be utility players. Aside from scrumhalves, essentially every other backs needs to be a good player in a second position.

Suggested XV
15 Kurtley Beale (NSW Warratahs)
14 James O´Connor (Western Force)
13 Adam Ashley-Cooper (ACT Brumbies)
12 Berrick Barnes (NSW Warratahs)
11 Digby Ioane (Queensland Reds)
10 Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds
9 Will Genia (Queensland Reds)
8 Richard Brown (Western Force)
7 David Pocock (Western Force)
6 Rocky Elsom captain (ACT Brumbies)
5 Nathan Sharpe (Western Force)
4 Dean Mumm (NSW Warratahs)
3 Benn Robinson (NSW Warratahs)
2 Stephen Moore (AC Brumbies)
1 James Slipper (Queensland Reds)

Reserves
16 Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW Warratahs)
17 Ben Alexander (ACT Brumbies)
18 James Horwill (Queensland Reds)
19 Wycliff Palu (NSW Warratahs)
20 Luke Burgess (NSW Warratahs)
21 Matt Giteau (ACT Brumbies)
22 Lachlan Turner (NSW Warratahs)

Additional Players: 23 Saia Fainga´a (Queensland Reds), 24 Greg Holmes (Queensland Reds), 25 Scott Higginbotham (Queensland Reds), 26 Dan Vickerman (NSW Warratahs), 27 Matt Hodgson (Western Force), 28 Nick Phipps (Melbourne Rebels), 29 Peter Hynes (Queensland Reds), 30 Rob Horne (NSW Warratahs)

 

[Shaggy]

Should Timani really have decided to play for Australia? Should have stuck with Tonga in my opinion.

If Timani had chosen Tonga, it would have effectively ended his playing days in Australia ... the ARU insist that their Super Rugby players must be eligible for the Wallabies, with only one international player from another country allowed (as a marque player) per team allowed. The Melbourne Rebels are the exception - they are allowed a few more until they get more established.

Timani is a player with a lot of potential, but it's doubtful whether NSW or any other Australian team would have taken him as their Marque player. NSW has Sarel Pretorious next season, and could not sign SBW because he fitted into the marque player category as well

 

[TRF_Cymro]

If Timani had chosen Tonga, it would have effectively ended his playing days in Australia ... the ARU insist that their Super Rugby players must be eligible for the Wallabies, with only one international player from another country allowed (as a marque player) per team allowed. The Melbourne Rebels are the exception - they are allowed a few more until they get more established.

Timani is a player with a lot of potential, but it's doubtful whether NSW or any other Australian team would have taken him as their Marque player. NSW has Sarel Pretorious next season, and could not sign SBW because he fitted into the marque player category as well

Timani is off to Japan but its a waste in my opinion.

 

[Shaggy]

Timani is off to Japan but its a waste in my opinion.

I didn't realise that ... my bad ... I agree, it's a waste, but if he is off to Japan, playing for Tonga would have allowed him to keep playing test rugby ... so yes, I agree, Tonga probably would have been the better option

 

[ZeFrenchy]

He's back to the Tahs after Japan, from what I've read.

 

[psychic duck]

This article says he will stay in Australia if he's in the World Cup squad and since he isn't in the World Cup squad I assume he will go to Japan for sure now

http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/wallabies/sitaleki-timani-could-play-on-in-australia-next-season-despite-signing-with-a-japanese-club/story-e6frf55l-1226092819796

 

[Gavin]

O'Connor missed the World Cup squad announcement and team photograph

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Naughty naughty!