Let’s measure the Wallabies depth and select a second squad
Roar Guru By LeftArmSpinner, 18 Sep 2009 LeftArmSpinner is a Roar Guru
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- Rugby Union, RWC 2011, RWC2011, Tri Nations, wallabies
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Australia's Wallabies react after their 19-14 loss to New Zealand's All Blacks during their Bledisloe Cup match in Hong Kong Saturday, Nov. 1, 2008. AP Photo/Kin Cheung
Much has been written about the current Wallabies 22 being the likely core of the RWC squad. But there will be injuries and losses of form. So who is in the Wallabies 2nd XXII?
In days gone by, the second grade team trained with first grade and then played in the preceding game to first grade. It was easy for selectors, spectators and players to see who was in form and who wasn’t.
As this no longer the case for the Wallabies, it is more difficult to assess just what depth exists at any point in time.
I have selected a notional Wallabies Second XXII, with the only criteria being that the current Wallabies 22 and injured players are not available for selection.
Such a team deserves a panel of selectors and so I welcome your comments and suggestions as to players you would choose in your Wallabies Second XXII:
1. Cowan (covers 1, 2 and 3)
2. Fitzpatrick (good throw and great around field)
3. Kepu (Emerging star)
4. Thomson (Very Tall)
5. Hockings(Assumed Caldwell injured)
6. Dennis (Great for Syd Uni)
7. Hodgson/Waugh (Current Wallabies Squad)
8. Brown/Hoiles (Mobile 8s)
9. Phibbs (tough, 80 minute player and who else is there?)
10. Toomua (young, very good and cool under pressure)
11. Fainifo (quick)
12. T Smith (Straight and direct runner and tough)
13. Horne (great footwork and tackler)
14. Shepherd (Quick)
15. Beale (Quick, deceptive, can also play 10 or 12)
16. Freier
17. Palmer
18. Fairbrother
19. Hand
20. Vanderglas
21. Holmes (covers 9, 11, 12, 14)
22. Cross
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September 18th 2009 @ 10:05am
Arky said | September 18th 2009 @ 10:05am | Report comment
Pass on Freir – he is too small to be truly effective at international level so you might as well blood someone else…
September 18th 2009 @ 10:06am
Harry said | September 18th 2009 @ 10:06am | Report comment
I’m not sure all of these are fit, but here’s my 22 …
Holmes
Frier
Shepardson
Timani
Hocking
Waugh
Mowem
Hoiles
Sheehan
Toomua
Shepherd
T. Smith
Horne
Fanifo
Beale
Bench: Dunning, Hardman, Hodgson, Brown, Lucas, Conner, Cross
Not a great side this one – clearly we lack depth in the locks, and, at the moment, the centres.
Assumed injured … McMenimem, Kimlin, Cummins, Wykes, Caldwell.
September 18th 2009 @ 10:26am
reds fan said | September 18th 2009 @ 10:26am | Report comment
Harry are you referring to Blair Connor on the bench?
September 18th 2009 @ 10:46am
Harry said | September 18th 2009 @ 10:46am | Report comment
Yep, rate him as a good player who alas has had the misfortune of playing in the REds shambolic environment. DO you have an updte of his club form?
September 18th 2009 @ 10:57am
reds fan said | September 18th 2009 @ 10:57am | Report comment
Nah, I haven’t read anything. I’m hoping he comes back to the Reds with a bit more bulk. He has real speed and energy. Along with Luke Morahan, we have a couple of real potentials there. Forever the story at the Reds, but if we get a decent coach we might reap some rewards.
September 18th 2009 @ 1:15pm
Justin said | September 18th 2009 @ 1:15pm | Report comment
Harry – I am really hoping you have seen him play some club footy. From what I saw at the Reds when he played he was woeful. His positioning was arguably the worst I have seen from a pro footballer. And I dont care how old he is, he should know where to stand by the time he is playing first 15 at school…
Morahan looks very exciting.
September 18th 2009 @ 1:35pm
Jimmy said | September 18th 2009 @ 1:35pm | Report comment
Blair Connor injured his foot about 2months ago and has been out injured, he is expected to be fit again later in the year
September 18th 2009 @ 10:56am
Working Class Rugger said | September 18th 2009 @ 10:56am | Report comment
For what it’s worth here my second XV
1. Cowan (Good player, much improving scrummager and good around the field)
2. Fitzpatrick (Good young player with plenty of development to go. Will be fighting it out with TPN at the Tahs and Wallabies in the near future.)
3. Kepu (The most athletic Prop in the Shute Shield and should be in the current Wallaby squad)
4. Thomson (LAS has mentioned very tall, in fact supposedly the tallest man in Aus Rugby but has proven he can play more a complete games this season in the Shute Shield)
5. Wykes (Has everyone forgotten about this bloke)
6. Mowen/Higginbotham ( both had very good debut seasons)/McCaffery. (Haven’t heard of him. Very good young player)
7. Waugh/Hodgeson (Waugh by a nose)
8. Hoiles ( Very mobile and a perfect link between the Piggies and the backs)
9. Holmes (Has had a great Shute Shield at 12. But primarily is a 9)
10. Toomua
11. Fainifo (quick, actually ran down Habana in the S14.)
12. T Smith (Obviously not given the accolades he deserves.)
13. Horne (great footwork and tackler)
14. Cummings/Morahan ( both are young with serious gas. Cummings has experience but have you see Morahan on the IRB 7′s circuit. Regularly burned some very quick player’s at only 18. Plenty of development both physically and speed wise left)
15. Beale (A perfect position for him. Has been woefully managed at the Tahs. But once he moved into a more roaming roll with time and space started to become comfortable and dangerous.)
16. Freier (Currently no other choice really. Though I’d like to see what Ben Whittaker can do)
17. Daley
18. Weeks
19. Hockings
20. Vanderglas ( LAS good call, would suggest Coridas aswell)
21. Shepard
22. Cross
September 18th 2009 @ 4:09pm
TommyM said | September 18th 2009 @ 4:09pm | Report comment
Agree re: Wykes. He impressed me more than Hockings for the Force this year. If he can stack on 10kg, he will be a sensation. Still very young.
Shepherd is injured. But has veryone forgotten that he was holding down the Wallabies 15 jersey before his injury last year? The guy’s sensational!! Also scored more than a try per game on the wing in the few he managed for the Force this year in my (potentially rose-coloured) recollection.
Toomua has impressed me the most of any of the young 10s- he has a complete game in the mould of a Dan Carter. Prospect for the next 2 World Cups at least!
September 18th 2009 @ 8:31pm
Roy Kneebone said | September 18th 2009 @ 8:31pm | Report comment
Watch McCaffrey play for Eastwood v Uni tomorrow. Future wallaby, i have never seen a number 8 with so much skill and vision. Held his own against Palu last week and got the points over Hoiles a few weeks earlier.
Also you need a lock that can call the lineouts and neither Thompson nor Wykes can do this. Ben Hand did a great job of this for the Brumbies this year.
Good selection on Holmes at 9
September 18th 2009 @ 10:13pm
Working Class Rugger said | September 18th 2009 @ 10:13pm | Report comment
Roy
McCaffrey has been playing No.8 for Eastwood recently in place of an injured Hugh Perret. He is defintiely a very good prospects.
Wykes has had to play second fiddle to Sharpe as he is the senior partner when he has played. So his lineout calling can’t be judged as yet. Thompson however I do agree with.
TommyM
Shepard’s big problems is his injuries list. He is a very talent footballer and deceptively quick. But his long line of injuries definitely wiegh against himself. Evidently K Hunt cousin who the Force have signed is meant to be a real goer. If so should provide some solid competition for Toomua.
September 18th 2009 @ 11:04am
Skip said | September 18th 2009 @ 11:04am | Report comment
I dont rate Holmes I think Daley looks good but if you are talking about players that could step on to the pitch on Saturday then Fairbrother and dunning have to be in the Starting 15. Dunning can also cover 2.
September 18th 2009 @ 11:10am
reds fan said | September 18th 2009 @ 11:10am | Report comment
very true. is it a “play tomorrrow and win” team or a development squad. Cos some of these no-names plucked from Shite Shield wouldn’t make the first but possibly the second.
September 18th 2009 @ 3:13pm
Spencer said | September 18th 2009 @ 3:13pm | Report comment
“Shite” Sheild…LOL…was that a freudian keyboard moment???
September 18th 2009 @ 3:15pm
reds fan said | September 18th 2009 @ 3:15pm | Report comment
HAHAHA. was wondering when someone would pick up on that! Nah was just a QLDer having a gentle dig at the NSW bias that was starting to develop around this “second xv”…
September 18th 2009 @ 1:17pm
LeftArmSpinner said | September 18th 2009 @ 1:17pm | Report comment
Skip, its a good point. I didnt consider the “walk on the field today” aspect other than that Sharpe didnt get a mention at all, ’cause he is past it.
September 18th 2009 @ 2:02pm
AndyS said | September 18th 2009 @ 2:02pm | Report comment
That is an interesting point. If we are essentially talking about what would be the Australia A team had that not ceased to exist, wouldn’t all players that seem to be sliding out of Wallaby consideration be in the side. In the case of Sharpe, wouldn’t he be easily the best person to be passing on the line-out calling to the next generation?
September 18th 2009 @ 11:53am
Hendo said | September 18th 2009 @ 11:53am | Report comment
I don’t see a mention of Digby Ione anywhere – is this because he is in the Top 22 or Injured?
September 18th 2009 @ 1:18pm
LeftArmSpinner said | September 18th 2009 @ 1:18pm | Report comment
injured. Shoulder reco i think
September 18th 2009 @ 12:05pm
Hoy said | September 18th 2009 @ 12:05pm | Report comment
Hopefully Digby will be in the 22, if not the 15.
One thing I would say about Beale at 15, everyone recognises his defensive deficiencies. Would it be the worst place in the world to put him once someone breaks the line. At least someone who can tackle could do the job they are meant to.
Off subject, but I don’t agree when eveyone says K Hunt is a good defensive fullback. You rarely ever see him bring a bloke down. Sure, he goes in a lot harder than Beale, but doesn’t stop many at all.
I think you want a bloke at 15 who can tackle the dickens out of anything that comes through. If it was Beale, once the bloke broke the line, it would almost be a forgone conclusion for a opposition try.
September 18th 2009 @ 1:08pm
JK said | September 18th 2009 @ 1:08pm | Report comment
I can remember one C.Latham, being pretty ordinary defensively in the early part of his career
September 18th 2009 @ 1:21pm
Justin said | September 18th 2009 @ 1:21pm | Report comment
15 is the best place to put some who is weak in defence IMO besides 9. If he was in the backline proper then there would be continuous leaking and that will cause more headaches than having to occasionally make a one on one tackle.
September 18th 2009 @ 1:19pm
LeftArmSpinner said | September 18th 2009 @ 1:19pm | Report comment
fullbacks make less than one tackle a game!!!! Its like saying the hooker needs to be able to kick field goals.
September 18th 2009 @ 4:12pm
TommyM said | September 18th 2009 @ 4:12pm | Report comment
True. How many tries has James O’Connor saved with incredible tackles for the Wallabies this season. I can think of 3 at least. Fullbacks are the last line. They gotta be able to tackle. Just ask any Force fan who had to endure Mitchell there this year (although he seems to have lifted his game for the Wallabies. Bastard…)
September 18th 2009 @ 12:14pm
chris, syd Aust said | September 18th 2009 @ 12:14pm | Report comment
good article… whens rodzilla coming back to oz?
September 18th 2009 @ 12:19pm
reds fan said | September 18th 2009 @ 12:19pm | Report comment
Chris. No news yet on that front. But admist the recent signings/sackings at the Reds Digby was quoted as saying he had rung Rodney in France telling him to come back. A forwards orientated coach like Ewen might be the catalyst. Not sure of his form in France.
September 18th 2009 @ 12:36pm
Harry said | September 18th 2009 @ 12:36pm | Report comment
Be very good if Blake was to return to the Reds. Our forwards still look poor by S14 standards.
September 18th 2009 @ 12:23pm
Jimmy said | September 18th 2009 @ 12:23pm | Report comment
Mitch Chapman had a strong season for the Brumbies at 6 (don’t know if he is injured).
Gene Fairbanks has definitely gone to Japan.
September 18th 2009 @ 1:30pm
Brett McKay said | September 18th 2009 @ 1:30pm | Report comment
Thanks Jimmy, I was hoping someone could confirm about Fairbanks – any idea which club (not that it makes a whole lot of difference)?
Still, an unfortunate loss – hopefully he’ll return when/if Melbourne get in..
Reds, I’m pretty sure Chapman took the last spot for the Brumbies, though there was thought at one point he’d be let go.
—
OK, now I’m confused: just checked the Brumbies site to try and get some confirmation, and in the 2010 squad, both Fairbanks and Chapman are listed. But there is 29 names in total too, and I thought they were all trimming back to 28.
http://www.brumbies.com.au/act.rugby/page/45969
My head hurts now, I think I need a lay down…
September 18th 2009 @ 1:42pm
Invictus said | September 18th 2009 @ 1:42pm | Report comment
Can’t trust the teams websites. They are all chronically slow at updating them.
September 18th 2009 @ 1:49pm
Brett McKay said | September 18th 2009 @ 1:49pm | Report comment
Invictus, that was my immediate and obvious thought too, but if you look at that list, Giteau, Elsom, and Valentine are all included…
September 18th 2009 @ 2:34pm
Invictus said | September 18th 2009 @ 2:34pm | Report comment
See Jimmy’s link further down. Chapman signed a two year deal.
September 19th 2009 @ 2:59pm
Robbo said | September 19th 2009 @ 2:59pm | Report comment
The “Honda Heat” website (allthough it is in Japanese) has a profile of Gene Fairbanks.
September 18th 2009 @ 12:31pm
reds fan said | September 18th 2009 @ 12:31pm | Report comment
Hasn’t Mitch also gone?
September 18th 2009 @ 1:18pm
Invictus said | September 18th 2009 @ 1:18pm | Report comment
Yep. He’s off to Japan.
September 18th 2009 @ 2:00pm
Jimmy said | September 18th 2009 @ 2:00pm | Report comment
Are you sure about Mitch Chapman?
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/sport/rugby-union/chapman-and-vanderglas-to-stay-on-at-brumbies/1542709.aspx
September 18th 2009 @ 2:33pm
Invictus said | September 18th 2009 @ 2:33pm | Report comment
Interesting. I’m going off what was mentioned during a match late in the S14. Judging by the date this should be more up to date. Interesting decision as he probably won’t see much game time and a two year deal will see him miss the window for Melbourne, won’t it?