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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ranger" data-source="post: 454768" data-attributes="member: 40555">Haha he has shown enough this year? HE WAS INJURED ALL YEAR. You can count how many games he played in 2011 on your hands buddy.Cowans a big game player. He will step up when the pressures on. He did time and time again in the super 14 this year and lets not forget, the year is 2011 buddy.Its in his general play everytime he touches the ball. Its not all about highlight plays, he doesnt break the line every time, but he commits and confuses the defence.Unlike Slade was able to do. Its not magic, its just good play making. He thinks 2 rucks in advance, He mixes up the length, speed and direction of his passes everytime (like on one occasion he wound up like he was throwing a cutout and popped it short instead, resulting in a big gain. The same tactic resulted in Corey Janes try last week. Its just subtle things that prove invaluable.I encourage you to watch the game again and focus on how Weepu marshals the team and creates compared to Slade. Its night and day.Of course Slade is the number 1 first five now. He was chosen in the squad based on his versatility and now he has to be the backup 10. You can infer from Henrys comments that Slade may not be in this position if Carter was injured before the cup..Intercept passes are not the problem by a long stretch! Freak plays aren't something you focus on. Sure he can spot a gap for himself, no one has ever contested that. What he hasn't shown the ability to do is fix the defence and create for someone else. Also you bring up the fact that he panics against the rush, that was against Canada in a non consequential game in which the team had already qualified. But a weeks coaching and he will be absolutely fine in the do or die knockout rounds?When Weepu came on, Canada dropped the rush. If South Africa play the umbrella defense against Slade. We lose.</blockquote>

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