Good signs for the Wallabies if they can settle on a 10 and 12

 

Roar Guru

By Luke Ringland, 16 May 2008 The Crowd is a Roar Guru

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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.