Good signs for the Wallabies if they can settle on a 10 and 12
Roar Pro
By Luke Ringland, 16 May 2008 The Crowd is a Roar Pro
The Wallaby selectors will have more talent to work with when picking this year’s Wallabies than in recent memory. We are still stretched a little too thin with 4 Super 14 teams, but improvements are being made. In my opinion, the fate of the Wallabies will rest with the selections at 10 and 12.
When the Wallabies turn up for the opening Tri-nations test this year, our scrum will have improved from last year, our lineout will be world class, our backrow full of talent, options and depth. Burgess, the shoe-in for scrum half, will add much needed spark. It will be a real shame if we can’t find a place for Mortlock at 13 because in both attack and defence in that position, he is amongst the world’s best. As for the wings and fullback, there is talent and depth in abundance.
Then there is 10 and 12. Those positions are as much about the combination as the individual talent you put there.
I’m not doubting that Matt Giteau has the potential to be a champion fly-half, but he is not there yet, especially in defence. The new laws make the defensive channel around 10 in some ways more important than the channel around 12. The Western Force may have beaten the Crusaders this year were it not for crucial missed tackles from Giteau – besides, what was his head knock against the Waratahs if not an example of poor tackling technique.
If you have a center in the style of Nathan Grey or Tom Carter at 12, then you need some flair and ball playing ability at 13, as they will naturally be getting the ball at first or second receiver at phase 2 after the crash ball of number 12 has been recycled. 13 will therefore have a responsibility to distribute the ball, something Mortlock is not particularly adept at.
If you have a Mortlock at 13, strong runner, who doesn’t like to pass to the wing that often, then you need a ball player at 12, a Tim Horan, a Matt Giteau. I don’t believe having Mortlock at 12 and the likes of Adam Ashley-Cooper or Ryan Cross at 13 will give our attack enough options. The pressure on the number 10 will be too great.
What’s the answer? I’m not sure. But whomever they choose, they must be chosen as part of a combination. I don’t think we have to worry about that to much I suspect; Robbie Dean’s Crusaders are the undisputed world masters of creating winning combinations.
My pick:
10: Beale 12: Giteau, 13: Mortlock.
Stick with it, and dividends will come.
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Frank O'Keeffe said | May 16th 2008 @ 3:04pm | Report comment
I like Beale, but he isn’t quite there for the Wallabies yet. At the start of the Super 14 season I thought he’d never be a Wallaby, and his tackling in particular was wanting. But he’s improved a bit since then. His tackling is better and he’s maturing as a player.
Personally I think another year or two and Curtley Beale will be ready for the Wallabies. I’m not saying he will be a Wallaby, he has to continue maturing as a player. But he has shown signs of maturing.
I think Matt Giteau is pretty easily the obvious choice for number 10. There was a column here recently discussiing a poor game he had, but Giteau had just come back from injury. Just as people were quick to write Beale off at the start of the season, people shouldn’t write-off Giteau at the end.
I do think teams are starting to close Giteau down a bit though, which should be a bit of a concern for Australian rugby. Giteau’s got something Beale doesn’t have – experience at the top level. I think if Beale were a Wallaby today he might falter like Giteau did years ago when he was tested at five-eighth. I can see Giteau doing much better in the Wallaby 10 these days. This isn’t to say he’ll be a great five-eighth – I think Carter is in a different class right now. But I think Giteau will likely be a good five-eighth who’ll do the job well.
I think all likelihood Sterling Mortlock might be called upon to work a few miracles for the Aussies to have a good rugby year. He’s playing exceptionally well for the Brumbies. At first I thought he should be moved to 12 to accomodate Ryan Cross, but not anymore. It’ll be up to Mortlock to make a lot of things happen for the Wallaby backline this year. I think Ryan Cross should go to 12 personally. He’s stepped up this year and I’m inclined to think he’s ready for Wallaby selection.
But for all that, Australia’s can’t go forward until they fix up that wretched front-row.
Glenn Condell said | May 16th 2008 @ 4:38pm | Report comment
I’m with Frank. If you are saying that Giteau’s defence is a bit suss at 10, I can’t see how you’d plump for Beale. Or Cooper for that matter. If not Gits, it has to be Barnes, whose defence has been outstanding all year. If you played him at 10, you could still slip Gits in as first receiver every so often.
Beale may well be the future, but don’t write Cooper off. He has a helluva step and a great pass when his radar is working. He too has made some strides this year.
As for the front row, we are far better placed now than same time last year. Incumbents seem to have hardened up a bit and the up and comers are impressing. I like some of those young Qld props, some good scrummagers, though they need to improve around the park. NSW’s Kepu looked good in the scrum too but dropped the ball almost as often as Digby Ioane, who if he doesn’t put some glue on his hands, won’t wear the Wallaby jersey again.
All in all, I reckon Deans would be quietly confident of having the cattle required to shape a successful team.
wallythefly said | May 16th 2008 @ 5:37pm | Report comment
I agree with you Luke that the Australian side is looking very promising this year, to be honest I’m looking forward to seeing the Australia A just as much as the Wallaby games because there are so many great young players coming through.
I think Beale is no where near ready for the Wallabies, we have two contenders that would easily outplay him in that spot Gitts and Barnes. I say this firstly because of his tendancy to run across the field but also i you’re talking about defence for a number 10 Barnes is easily the best. Having Mortlock at any other position than Outside Centre would be a huge error I reckon.
Earl Sorensen said | May 16th 2008 @ 5:51pm | Report comment
Interesting topic, could we interchange between Barnes and Giteau, given that they both have good experience at playing 10 and 12? Given that Dean seems to like having 2 ball players and 1st and 2nd 5/8, this would seem like a good combination. then maybe test out the other guys in the Australia A team?
Just a thought!
mudskipper said | May 17th 2008 @ 3:19pm | Report comment
“Who’s at 10?” This question has been posted a few times and is a popular topic. I trust when Deans and selectors pick the 2008 Wallabies squad, he doesn’t change key positions every week like Knuckles did which only under minded player confidence and team development…
Matt Giteau should be first choice flyhalf for this 2008 season. My reasoning is; he has the runs on the board, has most Wallabies caps, he has international experience at 9,10 and 12. Giteau is a more matured player. Further more he has spent enough time in the Wallabies and at the Brumbies working along side Steve Larkham to know good flyhalf strategy.
It takes time to develop and create an understanding with a largely new back-line. Can Giteau improve? Well yes and given game time he will.
Barnes at 12, he will do better with stronger players around him unlike currently at the Reds. And during the course of the game will play as flyhalf anyway at times. The only concern I have with a Giteau – Barnes arrangement is their smaller size and vulnerability to large loose forwards, however both have good defence.
Undoubtedly, Luke Burgess at half, (remember he has only had 6 good S14 games but is worth the risk) but who should be back up 9, likely Pat Phibbs.
Mortlock at 13, he is likely the world best at the moment. Lote Tiqiri and Adam Ashley-Cooper wingers and Mark Gerrard at full back. Shepherd on the bench. And include Drew Mitchell and Ryan Cross, when they recover, so until then perhaps Tyrone Smith and/or Clinton Schifcofske.
All the other talent and give them good tough Australia A season and some an Under 20 WRC, this will only make them stronger and perhaps potential Wallabies next year…
mudskipper said | May 17th 2008 @ 9:54pm | Report comment
Barnes tonight slotted a nice left foot drop goal for a preferred right foot kicker. That got him a 2008 Wallabies jersey for sure. Barnes is a good 30% of the Reds team… and keeps is cool… However I would still give Giteau 10.
Frank O'Keeffe said | May 18th 2008 @ 5:37pm | Report comment
I’m suprised there’s a few people here who don’t think the front-row will be a problem. It wasn’t that long ago that the Waratah’s played a great game against the Crusaders, which they lost 33-34 (the best game of that season), and Matt Dunning appeared to have made some ground on Carl Hayman. Later on Dunning played extremely well against South Africa in another desperately close loss.
There was talk Australia had an improved scrum, not a great scrum, but one that was getting better. Then what happened? The Aussie scrum got belted in the second Bledisloe Test of last year. Then for all the talk about the scrum being better, they got absolutely belted in the World Cup quarter-final.
That English side was very limited. It would be lucky to score over 15 points in any game because they couldn’t create tries to save their lives. All England could do was defend well and hope they had some superiority in the forwards. But alas, Sheridan murdered the Aussie pack and it was then that we all knew the Aussie scrum had never really improved. Australia were beaten in the scrum and beaten to the breakdown and lost to a very limited side.
The Waratah’s have consistently been the best scrummagging side in Australia, yet Dunning and Baxter have continually been Australia’s archillies heel. They’re a constant joke in England when they’ve been squashed time and time again. People say Australia have improved in the front-row this year, but it’s history repeating itself. The Aussie props improve every year apparently, yet when it comes down to the moments when Australia needs only a solid pack, they’ve constantly failed Australia.
John O’Niell was right, Australia are two props and an inside centre from being a top world team. But until Australia’s finds some good hard props, instead of some nice soft blobs, they wont do much on the world stage.
Jamie Miller said | May 19th 2008 @ 12:43pm | Report comment
Luke,
Why can’t you be this articulate when we’re watching the game on Macca’s couch??!!
Jamie
Bradley said | May 19th 2008 @ 5:01pm | Report comment
Does Australia also have the same policy as New Zealand regarding overseas players? because I have been watching some Top 14 and Brock James (Clermont) would make an excellent test flyhalf and would be a great tutor to Beale and Barnes. What I find is that Australia has the pick of the youngsters but without enough senior tutorship they may become overwhelmed and not amount to much. If ever the ARU were considering foreign players this year should convince them that the youngsters need a break and can not always be thrown in at the deep end like this, it is not good for their development at all.
Cutter said | May 19th 2008 @ 8:13pm | Report comment
Its been said already, but Barnes in front of Beale by a country mile. Lealifano is also better than Beale in my opinion, particularly when you consider the easy ride Beale gets from his forwards by comparison.
The Wallabies cant select overseas based players. Brock James was never able to cut it in Australia. That may have changed, but until he has excelled at Super 14, I would not throw him in at test level.