Robbie Deans shows a little of his 2011 RWC hand
Columnist By Spiro Zavos, 17 Jun 2009 Spiro Zavos is a Roar Expert
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- Berrick Barnes, Daniel Carter, David Pocock, Italy Rugby, James Horwill, James OConnor, Lachie Turner, Lote Tuqiri, Nathan Sharpe, Quade Cooper, Richie McCaw, robbie deans, Rocky Elsom, Rugby Union, Rugby World Cup, Tri Nations, wallabies
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Wallabies coach Robbie Deans talks to the team during the Wallabies Captain's run in Sydney on Friday, July 25, 2008. AAP Image/Jenny Evans
The Wallaby team that Robbie Deans has announced to play Italy at Melbourne on Saturday night has been called “a radically experimental team.” I’d be more inclined to say that Deans is cautiously trying out a few players in slightly different positions with a view to the 2011 Rugby World Cup squad.
Another consideration is to give other players some experience in positions that are not at risk (first five-eighths, second five-eights, centre, the props, second row), so that when the inevitable injuries occur, the quality of the cover is known.
For some time I’ve been advocating looking at George Smith as a Toutai Kefu-type of number 8. One reason for this is that the openside flanker position is a sort of kamikaze type of role that exposes the player to continual injuries.
The case of Richie McCaw is an example of this.
Smith has been fortunate in that he hasn’t suffered from injuries, but they are more likely if he plays in the number 7 jersey than in the number 8 jersey.
The Wallabies, moreover, have a very good young openside flanker in David Pocock. Pocock is 183cm, which makes him taller than Smith (180cm) and Phil Waugh (175cm).
If the experiment of the Pocock/Smith combination works, and with Rocky Elsom/Dean Mumm providing the third lineout jumper, the Wallabies would have a very creative, quick, skilful and hard-running backrow that would match even the Springboks (who will be much taller) in impact.
Playing Berrick Barnes at first five-eights and Quade Cooper at second five-eights is also interesting, and correct in my opinion. The Queensland Reds tended to use the two players the other way around, which was wrong.
But Cooper, like Carlos Spencer, a player he resembles a lot in style and skills, plays too often like a headless chook when given the frontline playmaking role. But at inside centre, with service from the steady Berrick Barnes, Cooper can challenge the fatties in the middle of the field after the first phase play.
Matt Giteau has played splendidly at first five-eighths in both the Wallabies matches this season. But, aside from a brilliant performance against England at Twickenham some years ago, he has rarely been dominant, in the Daniel Carter mould, at first five-eighths for the Wallabies.
Barnes plays more like the five-eighths that Deans likes.
He underplays his hand but sets up the outsides intelligently, kicks well and defends his inside channel very strongly against the charging opposition loose forwards.
Last season Nathan Sharpe was dropped from the Wallaby squad. He was brought back and has started in the first two games this season. But I can’t see him playing a big part in Deans’ 2011 RWC plans.
The search is on for a tall timber, jumping and scrummaging second-rower to partner James Horwill. Peter Kimlin seems to have the inside running. His performance on Saturday night will be closely observed, for future reference.
The intriguing omission is Lote Tuqiri, not only from the starting side but from the reserves as well. Deans has said that he wants everyone to get a game in the early-season Tests so we should see Tuqiri in the squad, at least, to play a fascinating Test against France.
Peter Hynes has been given a chance to make a claim for his wing position. He impressed this season for the Queensland Reds with his attack of the ball at kick-offs, and also his energy around the field.
The back-three of James O’Connor, Lachie Turner and Hynes has a Crusader look about it, with brilliance, skills and importantly (for Deans) hard work on and off the ball showing out.
Although this side is being called experimental, my guess is that most of the players in it will feature strongly in the RWC 2011 squad. There is, of course, something of Mrs Beetson and her rabbit pie recipe in this: “First, catch your rabbit.”
For this team to be the prototype of the 2011 RWC squad, it has to perform well against Italy, something that should not be taken for granted.
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June 17th 2009 @ 10:12am
Will_Red said | June 17th 2009 @ 10:12am | Report comment
I agree that Smith cannot deliver the regular hard hitting carries required of a no8 at test level. His selection in this position will only compromise his work over the ball.
Is it too late for Tuquri to consider a switch to no8? He’s a great athlete with the height, weight and (enough)speed who currently shows plenty of mongrel in the tackle and a desire to be involved in the contest. Admittedly he has none of the positional and technical skills required but these could be developed. There is no way he will be around on the wing for the next RWC but if he still has the desire maybe he could be somewhere in the back row mix.
June 17th 2009 @ 10:16am
Brett McKay said | June 17th 2009 @ 10:16am | Report comment
I wonder where Stephen Hoiles fits or ranks in Aussie Rob’s thinking, if he wants ball carrying No.8s?? Ben Mowen has played a bit at No8 too if memory serves correct..
June 17th 2009 @ 10:33am
WA said | June 17th 2009 @ 10:33am | Report comment
“First five-eighths” – I’m growing to love rugby, but I have no idea what that position means, and why it is called something so ludicrous.
June 17th 2009 @ 10:38am
Even looser said | June 17th 2009 @ 10:38am | Report comment
A little of track perhaps. However…Lote has been mentioned a few times now & like others I wonder about his future.
Robbie has ‘sent him back to school’ so to speak to play at club level while still training with the Wallabies. Can’t find the damn report now but it was along the lines that Robbie wants LT to play as a traditional winger and not as he was playing at the Tahs. Fair enough. However, clearly the Tahs had instructed or at least endorsed LT’s roving role for the S14 as part of their crap backline play strategy.
Reports of LT killing them at club level are not filtering through. Instead he seems to be exposed for his speed & handling. One would think that Robbie was banking on Lote making all kinds of improvements at club level & then rewarding him with say a position on the bench for the Froggies. But this has not transpired so what will RD do now? I mean do you reward failure?
June 17th 2009 @ 10:42am
JF said | June 17th 2009 @ 10:42am | Report comment
According to this, lote is not going too well at club level, at least now we will see if he is serious about his rugby or not.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25633050-23217,00.html
June 17th 2009 @ 11:14am
ohtani's jacket, said | June 17th 2009 @ 11:14am | Report comment
This is pretty funny.
Where’s the outrage about rotation and guys playing out of position? Deans bringing the NZ rugby disease across the ditch?
June 17th 2009 @ 11:16am
Even looser said | June 17th 2009 @ 11:16am | Report comment
Mmm let me try that again as I don’t wish to jump on the ‘kick Lote while he’s down’ band wagon.
I actually want LT to succeed. Yes I want him to feel the kick in the guts from being dropped but then work his freckle off to prove us all wrong. No one will be cheering louder than Moi here.
Hopefully RD doesn’t see him as a spent force & has a plan for him. But I would suggest that maybe Robbie didn’t quite get it right by just sending him back to Club Land and leaving the rest to Lote, in the same way that he didn’t get it right by throwing Tahu in the deep end in the high velt.
From Robbie point of view (and LT’s) It would have been great for LT to have had a blinder. Sadly that didn’t happen. So what does our Master Chef do now?
Didn’t see the club game but I’m sure that LT, as the tall poppy, would have got plenty of attention from the opposition. The questions are: Did he do enough to show RD that he has what Robbie is looking for? Is Robbie doing all he can to improve Lote in the same way he helps Burgess?
What would Roarers do to get the best out of Lote?
June 17th 2009 @ 11:39am
MikeN said | June 17th 2009 @ 11:39am | Report comment
Brett, yes Stephen Hoiles should be in the picture. The problem then is once again we have another ball player with less crash tackling and mongrel in the forwards. Palu brings some big hits as well as some crushing runs. I agree he sometimes goes missing. With Smith, Brown or Hoiles at number 8, TPN is the only other big hitter at the moment (when he is on the paddock). We lack an impact number 8 to back up Palu at the moment. Willie, Toutai and Cliffy can and could hammer the oppostion and that is where I think Spiro is wrong about Smith.
I am a great supporter of Deans and am thrilled with the direction we are heading at the moment. But I am concerned about the lack of phycial confrontational type forwards we have in the squad at the moment and fear we will regret it when we come up against the AB’s and the Springboks (maybe even the French now).
I watched the Wallabies for years where we had great backlines but lost in the forwards. I think the backs are looking good now, the scrum is looking better but still lack that agression in the forwards.
I don’t think it is worth spending so much time on Lote in this blog. He either get’s it right and is welcommed back or doesn’t and sets off into the sunset. We got plenty of other wingers now so….
June 17th 2009 @ 11:48am
Dexter William said | June 17th 2009 @ 11:48am | Report comment
Tahu is out injured a lot with hemmie problems that may ruin his playing career. He is potentially good, but I do not see him as top five (world ranking) Centre. Do you – even if he reaches his potential. Rob Horne has more potential than Tahu and he is only young with lots in front of him. It brings back the same old sissue regarding the Wallabies pinching already established Leagies over. If they make a move at 26 years old, it would takes at least 2 years to be good at what they do, by then they will be in injury prone age.
MikeN, you sum it up pretty well: “until Tuquri learns to run straight and hard, I can’t see him as a legitiate option in the team. Now someone is in charge who does not care how much he earns, the spotlight is on how he uses the ball. He tends to stop and dance around on the spot or run across field, negating his core attributes of size and speed.”
What is the point of having LT in the team? Is he (even if he improves) going to improve on what we already have in Turner, Hynes, Mitchell and Digby? If the answer is a slim yes, we are splitting hairs aren’t we. He should go back to League like Gwendal Sailor. I would even rate LT behind Stanifiord who had an excellent final year at S14. Perhaps Japna is the way forward for him.
MikeN again: “None of the locks in the current selection is really an ‘in the trenches’ type lock. They are runners and play makers. Horwill is powerful and agressive but still on the play maker side of things. I would like to see Will Caldwell added to the locking stocks as I think we will need a tough, combative lock in the mix when we play the physical Springboks.”
In fact I would like to go a bit further with “in the trenches type” comment of our tight five. Owen Finegan and Willie O are the type of Wallabies we need most. AB have their hard man like Ali Williams, Brad Thorne, MaCaw ans even Leonard their half back. And for the Boks, all of their Tight Fives have that hard edge which is what the Springsboks are about. Compared to them, the Wallabies tight five are “most polite.” Elsom, perhaps Moore and Horwill are just border line cases of what we would like to call hard men.
Like a few have already commented, Smith at No 8 is a so so call.
Hoy may have something regarding Poloto Nau at 8. I think Alexander may also be a good choice as he is quite fast, a good workload and penetrative which is what is needed at 8.
June 17th 2009 @ 11:51am
Thurston Fallout said | June 17th 2009 @ 11:51am | Report comment
What would Roarers do to get the best out of Lote? For my money I’d play him at 13. I know, I know, it’s been tried. Under another coach. But pull out your old discs/tapes/PVRs and take a look at those games. On offense, he wasn’t that bad for a guy who hadn’t played union in that position before. And he was first rate on defense – a big, tall guy rushing up at speed – he terrified his opposite number. If he played 13 he wouldn’t have to field the high or long kicks, and wouldn’t have to return them. And he’d make a great decoy if the play wasn’t designed around him. Plus, once he got the ball in his hands, he wouldn’t have the sideline hemming him in. We all like the guy and he wants to do well, and I think he’d bust his butt if given a shot, under Deans, at OC coming in from the bench.