madflyhalf
Bench Player
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2010
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- 563
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http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3821_7947733,00.html
After an initial 28-man squad without players from the Reds who were approaching SuperRugby playoff, Robbie Deans announced the group of 36 players who will training together until the final 30-man squad announcement.
Backs: Kurtley Beale (Melbourne Rebels), Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW Waratahs), Drew Mitchell (NSW Waratahs), Digby Ioane (Queensland Reds), Cooper Vuna (Melbourne Rebels), Nick Cummins (Western Force), Dominic Shipperley (Queensland Reds), Rob Horne (NSW Waratahs), Anthony Fainga’a (Queensland Reds), Ben Tapuai (Queensland Reds), Pat McCabe (Brumbies), Mike Harris (Queensland Reds), Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds), Berrick Barnes (NSW Waratahs), Will Genia (Queensland Reds), Nick Phipps (Melbourne Rebels), Nic White (Brumbies)
Forwards: Radike Samo (Queensland Reds), Scott Higginbotham (Queensland Reds), Jake Schatz (Queensland Reds), David Pocock (Western Force), Michael Hooper (Brumbies), Liam Gill (Queensland Reds), Dave Dennis (NSW Waratahs), Kane Douglas (NSW Waratahs), Nathan Sharpe (Western Force), Rob Simmons (Queensland Reds), Cadeyrn Neville (Melbourne Rebels), Sitaleki Timani (NSW Waratahs), James Slipper (Queensland Reds), Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs), Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs), Ben Alexander (Brumbies), James Hanson (Queensland Reds), Stephen Moore (Brumbies), Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW Waratahs).
I don't know if this is the exact order Deans & co. named the players, they are sorted by position and you can argue:
- Beale is first option at 15, no more first option at 10
- Ashley-Cooper in plans for Beale cover or wing spot
- Samo, Higginbotham and Schatz are there for the 8 spot, even though they're from the same team, 1 is the starting 8, one is the starting 6, and Samo has recently recalled to bench duty for both backrow and lock roles.
- Seems Dennis is for the 6 spot (which is good IMO, he is very solid and has a tight game more than any other 6 here, maybe Schatz, but he's a bit more unexperienced)
It is clear the Australia doesn't have the same depth of NZ in the whole squad, and SA in the forward pack.
This is, unfortunately, a fact.
People who wants to see Pyle, or Mowen or some other names there, should accept that, maybe (maybe!) they are not ready even for training, after 3 weeks in june and 2 weeks now maybe the coaching staff has a clear idea.
Choices in the tight five are limited, with the injuries of Horwill, Vickerman, Saia Fainga'a, Elsom departing, few players left to pick.
I don't question about that, maybe about the manageing of some players during june tests, that can have built some experience during them.
Wallabies will miss Vickerman so much... again!
I have big, big concerns about the midfield.
Since 2010 season Australia doesn't have a solid, established and creative centre pairing: that year AAC was on fire and well assisted by both Giteau and Barnes, the "Pat McCabe Experiment" though cementified the channel, doesn't offer much more than a few passes or offloads in terms of ball manageing.
But he's solid both in attack and defence, he's growing and picking up confidence, and the fact that injury problems has been scattered to all positions, maybe Deans doens't want to take some risks.
With McCabe at 12, they beat NZ, South Africa Twice and they went through the RWC QF.
It works. Not greatly, but it works.
Good to see Mitch Inman going home, IMO he's a waste of kg, he uses his bodyweight awfully, I really would have liked to see Andrew Smith there.
He played better than Horne, Inman and A Fainga'a for the entire season.
I just can't understand this.
Among these players I'd pick:
- Alexander, Robinson, Kepu, Slipper
- Moore, TPN, Hanson
- Sharpe, Simmons, Neville, Samo
- Dennis, Schatz
- Pocock, Gill
- Higginbotham, Hooper
- Genia, White, Phipps
- Barnes, Cooper
- McCabe, Ashley-Cooper, Horne, A Fainga'a
- Ioane, Mitchell, Beale, Shipperley
But surely Timani will be included, and who knows anything about JOC? Still struggling with hamstring injury? Any update?
After an initial 28-man squad without players from the Reds who were approaching SuperRugby playoff, Robbie Deans announced the group of 36 players who will training together until the final 30-man squad announcement.
Backs: Kurtley Beale (Melbourne Rebels), Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW Waratahs), Drew Mitchell (NSW Waratahs), Digby Ioane (Queensland Reds), Cooper Vuna (Melbourne Rebels), Nick Cummins (Western Force), Dominic Shipperley (Queensland Reds), Rob Horne (NSW Waratahs), Anthony Fainga’a (Queensland Reds), Ben Tapuai (Queensland Reds), Pat McCabe (Brumbies), Mike Harris (Queensland Reds), Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds), Berrick Barnes (NSW Waratahs), Will Genia (Queensland Reds), Nick Phipps (Melbourne Rebels), Nic White (Brumbies)
Forwards: Radike Samo (Queensland Reds), Scott Higginbotham (Queensland Reds), Jake Schatz (Queensland Reds), David Pocock (Western Force), Michael Hooper (Brumbies), Liam Gill (Queensland Reds), Dave Dennis (NSW Waratahs), Kane Douglas (NSW Waratahs), Nathan Sharpe (Western Force), Rob Simmons (Queensland Reds), Cadeyrn Neville (Melbourne Rebels), Sitaleki Timani (NSW Waratahs), James Slipper (Queensland Reds), Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs), Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs), Ben Alexander (Brumbies), James Hanson (Queensland Reds), Stephen Moore (Brumbies), Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW Waratahs).
I don't know if this is the exact order Deans & co. named the players, they are sorted by position and you can argue:
- Beale is first option at 15, no more first option at 10
- Ashley-Cooper in plans for Beale cover or wing spot
- Samo, Higginbotham and Schatz are there for the 8 spot, even though they're from the same team, 1 is the starting 8, one is the starting 6, and Samo has recently recalled to bench duty for both backrow and lock roles.
- Seems Dennis is for the 6 spot (which is good IMO, he is very solid and has a tight game more than any other 6 here, maybe Schatz, but he's a bit more unexperienced)
It is clear the Australia doesn't have the same depth of NZ in the whole squad, and SA in the forward pack.
This is, unfortunately, a fact.
People who wants to see Pyle, or Mowen or some other names there, should accept that, maybe (maybe!) they are not ready even for training, after 3 weeks in june and 2 weeks now maybe the coaching staff has a clear idea.
Choices in the tight five are limited, with the injuries of Horwill, Vickerman, Saia Fainga'a, Elsom departing, few players left to pick.
I don't question about that, maybe about the manageing of some players during june tests, that can have built some experience during them.
Wallabies will miss Vickerman so much... again!
I have big, big concerns about the midfield.
Since 2010 season Australia doesn't have a solid, established and creative centre pairing: that year AAC was on fire and well assisted by both Giteau and Barnes, the "Pat McCabe Experiment" though cementified the channel, doesn't offer much more than a few passes or offloads in terms of ball manageing.
But he's solid both in attack and defence, he's growing and picking up confidence, and the fact that injury problems has been scattered to all positions, maybe Deans doens't want to take some risks.
With McCabe at 12, they beat NZ, South Africa Twice and they went through the RWC QF.
It works. Not greatly, but it works.
Good to see Mitch Inman going home, IMO he's a waste of kg, he uses his bodyweight awfully, I really would have liked to see Andrew Smith there.
He played better than Horne, Inman and A Fainga'a for the entire season.
I just can't understand this.
Among these players I'd pick:
- Alexander, Robinson, Kepu, Slipper
- Moore, TPN, Hanson
- Sharpe, Simmons, Neville, Samo
- Dennis, Schatz
- Pocock, Gill
- Higginbotham, Hooper
- Genia, White, Phipps
- Barnes, Cooper
- McCabe, Ashley-Cooper, Horne, A Fainga'a
- Ioane, Mitchell, Beale, Shipperley
But surely Timani will be included, and who knows anything about JOC? Still struggling with hamstring injury? Any update?