Baabaas squad 26/11/11

[Irishflanker]

It's great to see Stringer getting a call up, I hope he plays well, as after some very good pre-season performances he was all but forgotten about with Munster. His pass is still amazingly quick, although slightly less consistent than it was and he bosses a pack like nobody else can as well! Delighted for the guy!

 

[Aedaphon]

1) Perugini
2) Mealamu
3) Marconnet
4) Shaw
5) Matfield
6) Kaino
7) Bergamasco
8) Thomson
9) Stringer
10) Cipriani
11) Kahui
12) Rabeni
13) Fruean
14) Habana
15) Toeava

Quite obvious the team; strength lies in the midfield.

Maybe but that pack is MASSIVE. I hope they play Kahui as a 3rd centre and just let Habana get on the end of any break.

Should be the perfect opportunity for Cipriani as well, he might get a chance to repeat the most glorious move of all time:

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Michalak did the same thing a couple of months later against the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup.... Great thing to see

 

[Gavin]

Team named:

Barbarians: 15 Isaia Toeava, 14 Sam Tomkins, 13 Robbie Fruean, 12 Stirling Mortlock, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Peter Stringer, 8 Adam Thomson, 7 Mauro Bergamasco, 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Victor Matfield (captain), 4 Simon Shaw, 3 Sylvain Marconnet, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Eusebio Guinazu.
Replacements: 16 Adriaan Strauss, 17 Salvatore Perugini, 18 Jason White, 19 Marco Bortolami, 20 Nemia Kenatale, 21 Richard Kahui, 22 Seru Rabeni.

Tomkins may get owned during this match; whatever happened to the Barbarians being about young players with few international honors, especially from 2nd tier sides.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Surprised to see Tomkins start - didn't expect that at all
Don't think he'll get owned though - just needs to avoid getting sucked in to many/any rucks, or else he'll do a Chris Ashton and give away a penalty every.single.time.

He's one of the best runners of the ball in either code in the UK though, so I expect we'll see a bit of that (especially on the counter)

Really looking forward to this

 

[Tricia McMillan]

What time is kick off? 2 or 3? My browser is giving me a hard time.

According to my sources, kickoff is 14:30 UTC+/-0.

07:30 my time.

Totally worth waking up early for on a Saturday.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Aye, kickoff is 14:30 in London, so you can work it out from that

 

[Amobokoboko]

Perfect, now just try find a decent pub

 

[Darwin]

Tomkins may get owned during this match; whatever happened to the Barbarians being about young players with few international honors, especially from 2nd tier sides.

It is going to be interesting to see how Tomkins goes - he will likely be matching up against Digby Ioane, so I'd say he will be severally tested on defense! The Baba's backline looks like it will be good on attack, but I'd imagine it will leak quite a few tries (not that it really matters in this sort of game). Cipriani and Fruean are poor defenders, Mortlock is painfully slow at times, Tomkins hasn't even played Rugby Union, while Habana won't even be in the defensive line as he will be going for the intercept.....

 

[UilamOsa]

It is going to be interesting to see how Tomkins goes - he will likely be matching up against Digby Ioane, so I'd say he will be severally tested on defense! The Baba's backline looks like it will be good on attack, but I'd imagine it will leak quite a few tries (not that it really matters in this sort of game). Cipriani and Fruean are poor defenders, Mortlock is painfully slow at times, Tomkins hasn't even played Rugby Union, while Habana won't even be in the defensive line as he will be going for the intercept.....

I'm not too sure that they'll fire Ioane down Tomkins path, I'd be keen to throw Ioane & O'Connor at Mortlock & Cipriani.

Looking forward to seeing if Ice can light up both Tomkins and Habana. If not, expect heaps of dropped balls and bad passes. Either way - be good to see if the Old man get another one over his friend Robbie Deans. They have such a special connection.

 

[ExcaLiBuR]

15. Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW Waratahs)
14. Lachie Turner (NSW Waratahs)
13. Rob Horne (NSW Waratahs)
12. Berrick Barnes (NSW Waratahs)
11. Digby Ioane (Queensland Reds)
10. James O'Connor (Melbourne Rebels)
9. Will Genia (Queensland Reds)
8. Ben McCalman (Western Force)
7. David Pocock (Western Force, captain)
6. Scott Higginbotham (Queensland Reds)
5. Nathan Sharpe (Western Force)
4. Rob Simmons (Queensland Reds)
3. Salesi Ma'afu (Brumbies)
2. Tatafu Polota Nau (NSW Waratahs)
1. James Slipper (Queensland Reds)

Replacements:
16. Stephen Moore (Brumbies)
17. Ben Alexander (Brumbies)
18. James Horwill (Queensland Reds)
19. Dave Dennis (NSW Waratahs)
20. Matt Hodgson (Western Force)
21. Nick Phipps (Melbourne Rebels)
22. Ben Tapuai (Queensland Reds)​

 

[nickdnz]

I'm not too sure that they'll fire Ioane down Tomkins path, I'd be keen to throw Ioane & O'Connor at Mortlock & Cipriani.

Looking forward to seeing if Ice can light up both Tomkins and Habana. If not, expect heaps of dropped balls and bad passes. Either way - be good to see if the Old man get another one over his friend Robbie Deans. They have such a special connection.

Mortlock is still a very good defender imo. He's a little slower, but his positioning is always good (admittedly usually at 13) and his technique is fantastic and often very hard.

 

[Darwin]

Mortlock is still a very good defender imo. He's a little slower, but his positioning is always good (admittedly usually at 13) and his technique is fantastic and often very hard.

The problem last year was that he was a little slow at the start of the game. By the end of the game he was more than just a little slower - it was like having a prop defending in midfield by the end of the match (no offense to all the lovely props on this forum ). I actually wonder whether he was carrying an injury last season. He still has good defensive positioning, and is a very strong tackler, I just think in a expansive game his lack of pace could be severally exposed in the second half.

15. Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW Waratahs)
14. Lachie Turner (NSW Waratahs)
13. Rob Horne (NSW Waratahs)
12. Berrick Barnes (NSW Waratahs)
11. Digby Ioane (Queensland Reds)
10. James O’Connor (Melbourne Rebels)
9. Will Genia (Queensland Reds)
8. Ben McCalman (Western Force)
7. David Pocock (Western Force, captain)
6. Scott Higginbotham (Queensland Reds)
5. Nathan Sharpe (Western Force)
4. Rob Simmons (Queensland Reds)
3. Salesi Ma’afu (Brumbies)
2. Tatafu Polota Nau (NSW Waratahs)
1. James Slipper (Queensland Reds)

Replacements:
16. Stephen Moore (Brumbies)
17. Ben Alexander (Brumbies)
18. James Horwill (Queensland Reds)
19. Dave Dennis (NSW Waratahs)
20. Matt Hodgson (Western Force)
21. Nick Phipps (Melbourne Rebels)
22. Ben Tapuai (Queensland Reds)​

Some surprises in the team. The obvious selection surprise is O'Connor at 10 and Barnes at 12 - personally I think they should be the other way around, but it will be interesting to see how they go. Good to see Horne starting at centre ahead of Faingaa, as Horne obviously has the potential to be a very good test player if he can survive a few matches without getting injured!

In the tight-forwards I think there are some more interesting selections. Horwill has been left on the bench apparently to 'freshen him up' for next week's Test against Wales, so Simmons and Sharpe start at lock. Surprising to see Polota-Nau and Ma'afu starting over Moore and Alexander. It is the same front-row that started against Wales in the 3rd/4th playoff - I thought they would be destroyed, but the held their own against the (admittedly weakened) Wales front row. Interesting to see Pocock has been named captain.

 

[Super Sub]

I wouldn't say Mortlock is a good defender now. I'm not sure how many missed tackles he had this year but last year and the year before, he had awful tackling stats, almost the worst of all the midfielders in Super Rugby.

I'm just wondering how match fit some of these guys are, particularly the All Blacks.

 

[UilamOsa]

Mortlock is still a very good defender imo. He's a little slower, but his positioning is always good (admittedly usually at 13) and his technique is fantastic and often very hard.

Agreed. I was thinking more in line with the fact that he'll either have to cover alot of ground babysitting Cipriani (which he maybe use to) and whether or not he's agile enough now too not get beaten by better footwork (O'Connor & Ioane). There was evidence during the S15 that it's finally catching up to the old soldier.

I wouldn't say Mortlock is a good defender now. I'm not sure how many missed tackles he had this year but last year and the year before, he had awful tackling stats, almost the worst of all the midfielders in Super Rugby.

I'm just wondering how match fit some of these guys are, particularly the All Blacks.

Don't worry. The Boys will be fit enough where it counts. At the After-Match function.
And with no Guildford/Jane - we won't even know about it.

 

[Darwin]

Ben McCalman has been rules out with an eye infection, meaning Dave Dennis will start for the Wallabies at number 8.

 

[nickdnz]

For New Zealanders, kick off should be around 3:35am.

 

[peanuts40]

Really looking forward to seeing Habana get a decent run, now that he has someone coaching him that actually plan to give him the ball. He's simply a legend.

 

[TNT88]

In the tight-forwards I think there are some more interesting selections. Horwill has been left on the bench apparently to 'freshen him up' for next week's Test against Wales, so Simmons and Sharpe start at lock. Surprising to see Polota-Nau and Ma'afu starting over Moore and Alexander. It is the same front-row that started against Wales in the 3rd/4th playoff - I thought they would be destroyed, but the held their own against the (admittedly weakened) Wales front row. Interesting to see Pocock has been named captain.

I think the selections you mention here are mostly players competing for the starting spot against Wales. Sharpe/Simmons playing for #5. Maafu/Slipper playing for #3. ect...

 

[Tricia McMillan]

Woke up at 7 a.m. to watch this match that kicks off at 7:30 a.m. my time.

Am I a little crazy?