Things just don’t look so kocher without Barnes now, and I really hope the scans reveal no major damage…

Trouble because they will smash O’Connor again at the back like they did in NZ

No, he hasn’t got a great team around him so he will never be regarded as a great Wallaby Capt, I do think he has the potential to be a very good captain.

Can Matt Giteau regain his mojo?
If he doesn’t, with Barnes out the Wallabies are really stuffed ! Next it’s Beale or Cooper, that’s desperation!!!!!!

Where does Stirling Mortlock fit into future Wallaby plans?
Unfortunately for Stirling, I don’t think he does, if he plays this tour it will be a farewell tour. He’s been a great servant to the Wallabies, but I think his time is done. Ioane will be the next long term outside centre I think.

Is this a career-defining tour for George Smith?
It could be career ending, being benched for the Tokyo game is a big slap in the face. Hopefully he’ll take up the challange and get that spot back because I think he’s going to be needed in form at the RWC 2011

Can the Wallabies win back the Australian public?
No, not until the game of Rugby itself becomes a more attractive proposition and with the Northern Hemisphere blocking every attempt at improving the rules of the game I think Rugby will stagnate and, especially in Australia move further down the food chain.

I feel (and probably look like) either Statler and/or Waldorf – you know those two old hecklers sitting up in the balcony, pouring scorn on the Muppet Stage ….. it seems to me that we have a bunch of muppets running rugby at the national and state levels in Australia at the moment.

So I’ll watch them, waiting for repayment. Except that this year, it’s been in 20c installments

Forgive me for I might be delirious (not really) & know not what I say (not really), but I really don’t care at the moment about these Wallabies (I really don’t!)…..!

Reds, I heard about Rob Horne this morning – did he spend the pre-tour camp walking under ladders with black cats?!? Happy to hear Tyrone Smith has got the call up, but will be interested to see where he gets a run. He’s another who I think would make a better 13 than 12, but perhaps that’s just me..

Had Sharpe, Humphries, Caldwell, Kimlin or Wykes been fit, they would have toured. Had any genuine locks shone at club level, they would have been given an opportunity as well.

There are others coming through. The massive Sitakeli (sp?) at the Brumbies and Kane Douglas at the Tahs as well as the likes of Dylan Sigg (198cm) playing club rugby.

The pack… still rotating underperformers in the hope they have found that extra 10%… here’s hoping Palu can get it together. This pack can do it. But mentally they are very inconsistent.

I am surprised that the Barnes-Giteau numbering hasn’t swapped though. That said Chris may be right, and this is Giteau’s last crack at proving himself as a flyhalf. Of course they will almost certainly interchange spots during the game anyway. I’ll be looking for big games from Smith and Burgess off the bench..

Australian rugby union lost momentum in a spectacular way, too many league players, too much talk of “product”. That is a word you never hear in South Africa, rugby is, too it’s grassroots supporters, a passion, tribal and very much alive. Yes, the competition is different than in the Australian sports market but the SA administrators know exactly that a strong domestic competition like the Currie Cup is the lifeblood of the game. 50 000 people at the semifinals between teams almost a hundred years old is where the answer is.

From where I sit there are more people in the ARU worried about getting the Japanese into a competition than getting Mrs Jones and her kids from Wooloobolong (completely fictional) to attend the local club game.

Hammer don’t worry about O’Connor – he had a bad 3N but when you’ve seen him playing in the flesh you know you’ve seen something special. He’s quite incredible considering his youth and size.

Flying out on Thursday night for the game in Tokyo, hopefully will post a report next week. Go the Wallabies (and Force)!

Regarding the state of the game even in the UK there is talk of how ugly the game has gotten, with only London Irish playing expansive, attacking rugby. The 2007 World Cup seems to have ushered in this dreadful style of play. There were some great games but nothing worth watching after the QFs. Winning rugby is ugly these days and I’m not sure what the fix is. Where are the French when you need them?

Pocock got the nod ahead of Smith I see… very interesting.

And Turner- out of the 22!

Carn the Force

but in the end it’s all starts up front and the packs really no different to the one that got handed theirs in Wellington – with the exception of Mr Invisible at #8 …. not a team that’ll have Henry too worried

Australia seems to have a real dearth of proper second rowers, yet we have no end of these imposter prototypes who fill in at both spots if needed.

Those that play both, will never be great at either unfortunately. My opinion anyway.

Does anyone find it odd that we are going on a very important tour with only 1 true Lock specialist? Horwill is the only player listed whose position states: “Lock”. Apart from him, we have 4 whose position states “Lock/Flanker” or “Flanker/Lock” (not sure of the difference there).

Think about our usual suspects that sometimes filled both spots in the last few years: McMeniman, Chisolm, Mumm, etc. The list goes on. What the hell Mumm is even doing is beyond me. I have not noticed him do anything special once yet. I hear he is pretty quick. I haven’t noticed yet. I haven’t noticed him stealing lineouts, or smashing into rucks or doing anything. He must hang out with Lachie Turner, because both automatically become invisible when they step onto the field.

There must be some specialist rowers in Aus we can pick? Surely?