By Rickety Knees -
February 9th 2010 @ 2:15am
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Who will be the next great Wallaby fly-half?
Australia's Stephen Larkham is tackled during the All Blacks v Australia tri nations rugby match at Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand, Saturday July 21, 2007. New Zealand 26 bt Australia 12. AAP Images
Every Rugby World Cup winning rugby team has a world-class general playing at 10. In the past, the Wallabies have been blessed with Michael Lynagh and, of course, Stephen Larkham.
Since the departure of Stephen Larkham, the Wallabies have had mixed success on the field, which has reflected the mixed form of Matt Giteau – one day great, the next day, not so great.
To date, Giteau has not made the Wallaby No 10 position his own.
The 2010 Super 14 season promises to be fascinating. Berrick Barnes has moved to the Waratahs and will take over at No 10. Quade Cooper, with his court adjournment, will play 10 for the Reds.
Giteau is No 10 at the Brumbies, and now with season ending injury to Andre Pretorius, will we see James O’Connor move into the No 10 role for the Western Force?
So who, barring injury, will be the Wallaby 10 come June this year?
Will it be Barnes – who brings a solid all round game with great catching, passing, kicking skills coupled with a great defence?
Or will it be the all-round unpredictable but risky skills of Cooper.
Then, of course, Giteau will be looking to combine his talents in attack and defence which are more easily plied in the Super 14. Or, finally, will it be O’Conner that stands tall and delivers on his potential.
Robbie Deans must be sitting back salivating at the prospect of Barnes Vs Cooper Vs Giteau Vs O’Connor. I cannot remember when Australia had four quality No 10s competing for the Wallaby General’s position.
But who will it be?
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(84)
Frank O'Keeffe said | February 9th 2010 @ 2:21am | Report comment
Despite flashes of occasional brilliance Giteau just isn’t a great flyhalf. See what Mark Ella thinks of him – http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/give-giteau-another-run-at-halfback/story-e6frg7q6-1225790626558
Barnes should be five-eighth, and the revelation that Giteau will probably play at 10 for the Brumbies is disappointing, because with Barnes at 10 for the Tahs you would expect that Deans would play Giteau at 12 and Barnes at 10. I just hope Barnes can stay injury free as he seems as injury prone as Stephen Larkham.
I know this is arrogant to say, but I really thought the Wallabies would have won the 2008 if Barnes had have stayed healthy. It screwed things up royally in the Brisbane Test on which the 2008 tri nations was decided. Barnes, at his best, is Australia’s best back. He’s an old head on young shoulders.
Could he ever be as good as Lawton Sr, Hawthorne, McLean, Ella, Lynagh, or Larkham? Who knows?
Who Needs Melon said | February 9th 2010 @ 5:19am | Report comment
C’mon! Barnes is MUCH more injury prone than Larkham was, isn’t he?
I agree Barnes is the best of the current crop but let me see him run around in the position as a specialist for at least a season before I burden him ‘the next great’ tag.
pothale said | February 9th 2010 @ 3:50am | Report comment
Danny Cipriani, obviously, after his glittering start with the Rebels who go on to win the S15 in their premier season.
Pajovic said | February 9th 2010 @ 5:27am | Report comment
ha ha ha!
Rickety Knees said | February 9th 2010 @ 7:38am | Report comment
G’day Pots – Cipriani won’t be at the Rebels – McQueen is looking for good clubmen not show ponies.
Wavell Wakefield said | February 9th 2010 @ 7:44am | Report comment
What on earth do you know about Cipriani, RK? What on earth do you know about his committment to Wasps or English rugby?
Bay35Pablo said | February 9th 2010 @ 7:48am | Report comment
WW, read the following:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/sport/cipriani-on-the-loose/story-e6frg7mf-1225827298089
Then talk.
Wavell Wakefield said | February 9th 2010 @ 7:52am | Report comment
Talk about what? Who do you think you’re quizzing? I’m not an Australian who has seen Cipriani play once or twice, and read some bland ‘journalism’ from the local press. I’m an Englishman who has watched the majority of his games and who has a personal insight into his career. I mean… what exactly is your point?
Justin said | February 9th 2010 @ 8:12am | Report comment
Well with your “personal insight” do you care to tell us something about him we havent read? Give us the real story about him…
mushi said | February 9th 2010 @ 2:07pm | Report comment
Oh well if you’re an englishman then clearly you are far more insghtful and intelligent.
Can ye tell us ow it werks guv? Our tiny convic noggins just won get it
Bay35Pablo said | February 9th 2010 @ 3:52pm | Report comment
WW, my point is that this is the press in Oz, which is informing RK’s comment. You are unlikely to know this since you live in the NH, whereas as soon as I saw RK’s comment, I knew where he was coming from, being informed by that article.
I also knew you knee kerk reaction was made clearly without knowing that.
katzilla said | February 9th 2010 @ 3:53am | Report comment
Who will be the NEXT great Wallaby fly half?
No doubt hes playing school boy rugby in NZ somewhere.
Pajovic said | February 9th 2010 @ 5:27am | Report comment
But dying to leave………….
Daniel J said | February 9th 2010 @ 6:27pm | Report comment
That was awesome
sheek said | February 9th 2010 @ 6:46am | Report comment
I agree with Frank – Berrick Barnes looks to have the goods.
But getting back to Katzilla’s comment – yeah, probably some kiwi raised kid of Pacific Islands background, with an unpronounceable surname….. !
Sam Taulelei said | February 9th 2010 @ 7:08am | Report comment
” I cannot remember when Australia had four quality No 10s competing for the Wallaby General’s position.”
Well you’ve never had four Super rugby sides before and the previous interstate series only involved NSW and QLD and then ACT.
However I think you’re being a bit premature with your judgement of quality no.10’s. Barnes and Giteau are the only quality 10s with any experience. O’Connor is far too raw and an instinctive attacking player with questionable defence to guide a team around the field and control a game. Cooper is the same and very inconsistent. I’d prefer to see someone like Matt Toomua (there you go Katzilla) playing 10 for the Brumbies with Giteau outside him as a guiding voice.
formeropenside said | February 9th 2010 @ 7:23am | Report comment
NSW have not had a quality 10 since Mark Ella – and now they have had to poach a Queenslander to fix their 25 year problem. Its enough to make you laugh, if not cry. Toomua, Barnes, O’Connor…all lost Queenslanders.
DingoBob said | February 9th 2010 @ 11:20am | Report comment
I have to agree Sam I think that would be the best combination. Puttng Gitaeau a bit wider seemed to work during the last tour when he played outside Barnes. As long as Matt Toomua can handle his part of the kicking game as well.
Short-Blind. said | February 9th 2010 @ 7:25am | Report comment
Kat – Aaron Cruden’s replacement at AB 10 has just moved out from Apia, Nandi or Nuku’alofa….glass houses please….
Seriously, the word great is being flicked about a little loosely here. Lynagh and Larkham played at a high level for years at 10 to achieve such status. Giteau has been a great international 12 but never a great 10 (too inconsistent) and never will be (esp with Deans now seeing him as a 12). Agree with Frank and Sheek, Barnes looks like our best 10 but the word great cannot be used until he cements the wallaby 10 and plays a couple of seasons AND wins lots of big matches by controlling a game (a la Carter) – this seems a long way off at present given his tendency to get injured. O’Connor and Cooper are pups who have shown flashes of potential but neither strike me as likely to be great 10’s….maybe 12 or 15. Unfortunately I get the feeling that Barnes is just not going to be around enough to become great (hope I’m wrong). So the next ‘great’ wallaby flyhalf is probably running around in schoolboys somewhere?
katzilla said | February 9th 2010 @ 1:59pm | Report comment
Im not having a dig short blind, just a fact of life.
Its well known that a couple of the OZ franchises have been looking in NZ for players with Australian Heritage.
And why wouldn’t they? Its the best rugby development system in the world.
Short-Blind. said | February 9th 2010 @ 8:18pm | Report comment
I guess that’s the case if rugby is religion in your country – fair enough Katzilla
ps can anyone tell me why rugby in NZ is so dominant and played across all strata of society and in Oz it is mainly a preppy school pastime played predominantly in two east coast states? I’m thinking that is why the development system in Oz sucks – unlike league or AFL. thanks
JF said | February 9th 2010 @ 8:39pm | Report comment
NZ is the exceptional one here, probably only Wales that can match NZ for penetrating the entire populous. In every other rugby-playing nation, it is supported by a certain rung of society with a strong connection to private schooling and the middle-class. Geographical strongholds are also evident such as in France, England, Ireland and Italy. Can’t really answer why this is – I am more puzzled by the sport’s ability to be free of this stigma in NZ and Wales.
rugbyfuture said | February 9th 2010 @ 9:04pm | Report comment
wales were less stringent to the amateur days I do Know.
Jameswm said | February 9th 2010 @ 7:47am | Report comment
He’s playing in my club U11s team this year. Quick, good step, excellent catch pass, good boot, vision, bright, coachable, sets up his outside backs, level head. Tackles when he has to…
sheek said | February 9th 2010 @ 8:10am | Report comment
James,
That wouldn’t be junior, would it….. ?
Bay35Pablo said | February 9th 2010 @ 7:52am | Report comment
Barnes is the best prospect, with Gits at 12, and Cooper off the bench. use Barnes/Gits as 1st/2nd 5/8 in the Kiwi style.
O’Connor doesn’t look to be a 5/8. Hell, the boy was shown up in the Test this year. He can’t play full back, and is more a centre but needs a few more years of meat and scars on him.
Work in progress. Question is whether we can get it sufficiently together by RWC 2011.
We haven’t had a world class 10 since Larkham, which is part of the reason for the Wallaby malaise since he left (along with the half back issue which Genia appears to have fixed).
Rickety Knees said | February 9th 2010 @ 8:05am | Report comment
Thanks Bay – that’s my view also for the RWC Genia-Barnes-Giteau. IMHO Giteau only came good on the last tour when he played second receiver inside Cooper – so Cooper for the bench. I hope that KB steps up at 12 for the Tahs and put pressure on to join the Wallaby bench. At this stage of his career I believe that O’Connor is best played at 15 but that is unlikely to happen with the injury to Pretorius. The next big questions will be who will play 13 and 15 for the Wallabies in the RWC.
Rickety Knees said | February 9th 2010 @ 8:34am | Report comment
I have just read that Bartholomeusz is playing 10 for the Force.
Brett McKay said | February 9th 2010 @ 7:53am | Report comment
put the easy questions out there nice and early Rickety, good one!!
I think we’ll finally get to see the Barnes-Giteau 10-12 setup this year too. NSW have fallen into line and Barnes looks set to be confirmed as their chief playmaker, goal-kicker, set-piece caller, lineout caller, tactician, scrum coach and CEO.
Giteau on the other hand seems to have taken on the relaxed elder statesman in Canberra this year, making noises about playing wherever the team and coach needs him, and not being overly worried what number he’s wearing. He may well play 10 in Perth this Fri night, but I think we might see a Toomua-Giteau 10-12 combo down here before too long..
Rickety Knees said | February 9th 2010 @ 8:07am | Report comment
G’day Brett – “coach and CEO of the Tahs” hmmm that’s worth considering.
Brett McKay said | February 9th 2010 @ 8:09am | Report comment
just the scrum coach and CEO mate, you apparently need to serve an apprenticship before getting the top job
Jameswm said | February 9th 2010 @ 8:08am | Report comment
AAC will be 13 or 15 – I see him more as a 13.
15 maybe Cam Shepherd if his body can hold together, or Gerrardo.
Wings? Fainifo, Turner, Hynes, Mitchell, Nadolo, Cummins, Morahan, Sills – who have I missed? No real standouts though.
reds fan said | February 9th 2010 @ 10:08am | Report comment
You left out Digby.
Wavell Wakefield said | February 9th 2010 @ 8:21am | Report comment
‘Well with your “personal insight” do you care to tell us something about him we havent read? Give us the real story about him…’
The whole point is that there is no real story. It just seems that the average Australian salivates at the mere hint of a tabloid breakfast. The average union fan in Australia does not know a single thing about Cipriani and yet apparently sees fit to make various cynical implications. It’s boring and juvenile. If he was a kicking player then you’d get the ‘boring Pom’ jibes, and that he has been in the media means that he is a ’showpony’. This black and white perception of sports stars is curious to say the least.
Cipriani rarely drinks, doesn’t go to pubs or clubs, doesn’t smoke and he doesn’t have anti-social habits. He is a model professional. As a teenager he paid for sprint sessions with Margot Wells and sessions with a sports psychologist with his own money, and during his own time. He had a marvellous first season and started well for England. A horrific injury struck and he was recalled to the England team far too quickly, something that Martin Johnson admitted. The only incident he’s been involved with has been a fight with Josh Lewsey – something that was so serious that both players laughed about it during a try celebration the next week. He’s good with the kids/fans at Wasps too.
Justin said | February 9th 2010 @ 8:34am | Report comment
By story I should have said facts. I read the same LD article in the Times yesterday. It seems Johnson doesnt want him so why not take a few years in S14? Experience a different lifestyle and playing culture then head back to England in 2012 and play well and get his Test jersey back. He would only be 25 or something.
Rickety Knees said | February 9th 2010 @ 9:40am | Report comment
KO – is the Times a tabliod?
Colin N said | February 9th 2010 @ 11:06am | Report comment
Sort of.
Rickety Knees said | February 9th 2010 @ 11:21am | Report comment
CN – is it or is it not?
PastHisBest said | February 9th 2010 @ 5:12pm | Report comment
How in the hell can it ’sort of’ be a tabloid???
Colin N said | February 9th 2010 @ 6:27pm | Report comment
Technically it’s a compact format. Nevertheless, you could have found that out for yourself quite easily.
PastHisBest said | February 9th 2010 @ 6:41pm | Report comment
Quite. So there is no ’sort of’. But gee, thanks for helping.
Colin N said | February 9th 2010 @ 6:51pm | Report comment
Depends on how you interpret it. A compact newspaper is a broadsheet in a tabloid format.
Colin N said | February 9th 2010 @ 6:30pm | Report comment
Newspaper* instead of format.
Wavell Wakefield said | February 10th 2010 @ 3:41am | Report comment
It can be a tabloid, PHB, because the nature of the journalism is tabloidistic, and not just the sport section. The Times has some vile writers. Obviously Australians wouldn’t know that, but the thing is that The Times is pro-Cipriani. However, conversely no paper is anti-Cipriani, it’s simply that Stephen Jones (everybody knows his line of writing is certainly not informed broad paper material) uses the alleged dropping of Cipriani as irrefutable proof of the conservatism of the current England regime.
Cipriani has only made four negative headlines: 1: for allegedly going out with a transexual (I think that’s the correct term), 2: handing out tickets to friends who happened to be at a night club, 3: for having a fight with Josh Lewsey and 4: dating Kelly Brook. Nothing cynical and nefarious. He is never in the papers and he is not an English celebrity.
Wylie said | February 9th 2010 @ 10:55am | Report comment
“The average union fan in Australia does not know a single thing about Cipriani and yet apparently sees fit to make various cynical implications.”
I know he plays fly half and his girlfriend is hot – that’s two things.
pothale said | February 9th 2010 @ 11:09am | Report comment
Two things?!
I bet anything that you’re an above-average Australian union fan……
The average Australian fan just thinks he’s hot and half-fly, they aren’t threatened by the girlfriend.
Jameswm said | February 9th 2010 @ 11:09am | Report comment
thanks reds fan – so Digby on one wing, one of the others on the other. I don’t really see Digby as a 13 yet. I’d rather have there and Digby outside him. AAC
WW are you Cirpriani’s cousin, or agent?
Wavell Wakefield said | February 10th 2010 @ 3:46am | Report comment
No, but I have spoken to him, and have mutual friends. I went to a school that was funded by the same charity that funded his school, one of three in the area.
Colin N said | February 13th 2010 @ 2:22am | Report comment
WW,
What do you make of this?
http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12321_5945010,00.html
ohtani's jacket said | February 9th 2010 @ 11:09am | Report comment
“Robbie Deans must be sitting back salivating at the prospect of Barnes Vs Cooper Vs Giteau Vs O’Connor.”
This is not a good thing for Australian rugby.
Some of us warned you lot about Robbie Deans and backlines when he first signed with the ARU and here you see after two years he still doesn’t know where to play these guys or who his 10 should be.
Rickety Knees said | February 9th 2010 @ 11:20am | Report comment
G’day OJ – I know that you are not a fan of Deans. But you have to give him some credit for bringing Carter on – my mail is that he spent countless hours working one on one with him. Carter, with doubt, is the best 10 in the world by a country mile at this moment in time. Deans coached Mehrtens and slowly transitioned Carter into the job. In defence of Deans – given the way the Reds played Barnes and Cooper – he had no choice by to go with Giteau. Deans wanted to play Barnes at 10 on the spring tour but of course Barnes got injured. I will agree with you if he doesnt have 10 sorted by the end of this S14.
ohtani's jacket said | February 9th 2010 @ 12:21pm | Report comment
Hi Rickety,
I think Robbie is an excellent coach when he has a limited player pool to draw from; I just question his selecting ability at the Test level.
If he chooses one of those guys — say Barnes — where does he play the other guys? How do you fit four 10s into a Test side? I know Deans has said he wants to leave the Australian Super 14 sides alone but really how is it helping the Wallabies having four of their backs play first five this season? Part of the reason why the Wallabies haven’t been successful of late is because the Super 14 sides don’t flow into the national side in the way that Daniel Carter and other players were groomed for Test match rugby. Deans might be successful with an Australian player if he were coaching one of their franchises, but at the Test match level players ought to be closer to the finished article.
Rickety Knees said | February 9th 2010 @ 1:06pm | Report comment
Good point OJ – I don’t expect him to fit 4 x 10’s into the test side. I am just excited that we have four quality guys competing for the job at 10. My preference is Genia/Barnes/Giteau with Cooper coming off the bench. That accounts for 3 of them – I would rather persevere with O’Connor at 15.
Completely off the topic – have you been up to Hokkaido – and if so what is it like?
ohtani's jacket said | February 9th 2010 @ 1:33pm | Report comment
Haven’t been to Hokkaido yet, but I’ve never heard anyone say a bad word about it. I believe it’s difficult to travel around without a car, though.
AndyS said | February 11th 2010 @ 3:58pm | Report comment
So what you are saying is that Australia has two senior players interchangeable at 10/12, but recognise that one of them is a little injury prone. To cover that they have two younger players, one of which is also developing primarily at 10/12, the other playing primarily 12/15 but (probably) with the long term view towards 10.
Personally, I would have said that such a situation is exactly the sort of depth any international coach would work hard to achieve. Come one of them getting injured, or flitting off post-2011, it will look a pretty smart arrangement. Still, I suspect that if it were otherwise you’d be finding a way to criticise Deans for his inability to succession plan…
marc said | February 9th 2010 @ 11:44am | Report comment
MATT TOOMUA will be the next Dan Carter…..
Rickety Knees said | February 9th 2010 @ 12:20pm | Report comment
Marc if that does to pass it will not be a great surprise – he certainly is a gifted player
Short-Blind. said | February 9th 2010 @ 8:29pm | Report comment
Marc and RK- I too have been impressed by Toomua and I really hope Friend plays him at 10 with Giteau outside to develop him (or the other way around like Merhtens and Carter a few years ago). My only concern is he looks a bit fragile to defend in the 10/12 channel and has occasionally gone missing in big games…although he is still very young and developing. not sure if he is in the DC class but giving development he could be a wallaby 10. cheers
Rickety Knees said | February 10th 2010 @ 7:40am | Report comment
SB – defence is a combination of attitude and timing. Berrick Barnes learnt to tackle by practising on Shane Webcke – I hope that Toomua adopts a similar regime.
mattamkII said | February 9th 2010 @ 12:03pm | Report comment
WW – class act wot wot.
I say ol’ chap, I do believe that the average person form the colony know a tad more than you give us scaly wags credit for. Most of the Rugger Buggers down here are frightfully aware of Daniel Ciprianis skills. Sadly ma’ boy, we are also aware that he isn’t overly accepted in the mother country because he doesn’t fit the mold….too rah, fox hunt, god save the queen etc etc.
All jokes aside, if he came down here it would be the best thing for him and English Rugby. He could learn his trade in Melbourne away from the media spotlight and restraint of the tweed boys of the RFU.
But please dont assume ‘the average Australian’ know nothing about him.
Wavell Wakefield said | February 10th 2010 @ 3:49am | Report comment
I presume that the average Australian doesn’t know anything about him, and that has been made abundantly clear throughout the various ‘contributions’ – something that you confirm with your ‘doesn’t fit the mold (sic)’ comment. My thinking is that GP and HC rugby isn’t widely available throughout Australia and given his injury problems the average Australian would not have seen Cipriani at his peak. Did you? Watch many of his games recently? I will stop making assumptions when the Australian side does (celebrity girlfriend, showpony etc).. Yawn yawn.
mattamkII said | February 10th 2010 @ 11:00am | Report comment
My lord you come across as a bitter fella.
Mate, trust me. Every Australian rugby supporter knows about him and has seen or heard about his skills. Even Spiros has mentioned on this forum something like “Cipriani is special”….now for a English number 10 to get that from him is pretty amazing.
PS – thats for the spelling tips. You come across like an awesome bloke.
mattamkII said | February 10th 2010 @ 11:01am | Report comment
thanks* for spelling tips….
Dont want to get sent home with another letter to mum.
Rickety Knees said | February 10th 2010 @ 1:01pm | Report comment
Mattamkll – WW was formerly known as Knives Out – mate he just loves a stoush especially anything to do with 1 English Rugby 2 NH anything. By the timing of his posts from the UK he always gets first crack at all published articles and just loves firing a broadside to anybody and everybody. He certainly add some spark to the posts.
mattamkII said | February 10th 2010 @ 1:15pm | Report comment
Oddly enough I found KO fairly well formed in debate….
Throwing barbs at a whole country because one or two people think Cipers is a pony seems rich to me…
Sammy22 said | February 10th 2010 @ 5:16pm | Report comment
Thanks for that RK, I used to work for a company owned and built up by the real Wavell Wakefield and then Chaired by his daughter some years ago. I just find this guys use of the name distasteful to say the least.
May as well just change my handle to John Eales …….. I dont think so !!!!
Wavell Wakefield said | February 11th 2010 @ 3:24am | Report comment
You have the front to talk about firing broadsides having offered the nonsensical ’show pony’ comment. Wow. I guess Crocodile Dundee wasn’t a myth. Just don’t offer me a game of knifey-spoon. Watch some rugby before you comment, RK. Your stereotypical guff about anything remotely NH is wearing as thin as Mortlock’s hairline.
sheek said | February 9th 2010 @ 1:02pm | Report comment
Rickety,
The Boks WC winning flyhalf in 1995 was Joel Stransky, & in 2007, it was Butch James. Both were highly competent, but I wouldn’t consider either as exceptional.
I remember my school had a run of very good first XVs from 1970-74. The no.10s were competent without being brilliant. By a great irony, the best no.10 during that sequence was in 1973, when we had our worst year – go figure!
I wonder if saying “every World Cup winning team has a world class general at 10″ is a kind of oxymoron, like “Army intelligence”.
After all, by the very nature of its position, a flyhalf must be like a general since he is the focal point in directing the traffic in both attack & defence.
Sorry, slow day today….. !!!
Short-Blind. said | February 9th 2010 @ 8:34pm | Report comment
Sheek whilst I tend to agree with you in general that a competent (by international standards) 10 will do as long as the people around him are very good. There is no doubt that an exceptional 10 will add increased value to a team – but cannot regularly win a game on his own if running with poor cattle or pigs. Unless of course your name is Hugo Porta and you kick 8 penalties to win a game….
AndyS said | February 11th 2010 @ 4:08pm | Report comment
I do sometimes wonder about the “world class general” principle myself – isn’t it amazing how often a “great” 10 plays in a great team able to give him time and support?
brad said | February 9th 2010 @ 7:02pm | Report comment
Wallabies will never have a great flyhalf because their forward will never be able to contain the opposition. Carter and Morne Steyn even wilkinson play off a completely different platform. Larkham is possibly the most overated international in History. The guy was average, made a few breaks here and there but was no Michael Lynagh by a long shot. Brock James is the only credible australian flyhalf out there.
sheek said | February 9th 2010 @ 7:15pm | Report comment
Helloooo Brad,
You just start following rugby a year or two ago? Your above statement is so extraordinarily non-sensical, I won’t even ask you to give yourself an uppercut.
You’re beyond help…..
Liam said | February 9th 2010 @ 11:33pm | Report comment
No one ever will be as good as Stephen Larkham. Not for a long time either, the current Flyhalf stocks are not up to half of his standard.
Armchair Sportsfan said | February 10th 2010 @ 12:46am | Report comment
As a Queensland fan who did live in Sydney from 2003 to 2007 i almost went mad with the the hype surrounding the next ‘greatest flyhalf to ever strap on a boot and despite still not having left school yet, the fact that he has played in the Joey’s 1st XV since he was 4 years old means that he will automatically play for Australia for the next 100 years as he’s just such an amazingly talented New South Welshman”
dont’ think Kurtley Beale has been mentioned on this blog once.
has something changed NSW?…maybe reality?
rugbyfuture said | February 10th 2010 @ 12:48am | Report comment
(this applies to both nsw and qld joes)
whats a baby wallaby?
Rickety Knees said | February 10th 2010 @ 7:28am | Report comment
I believe that KB is a bit like Giteau ie he plays better at second receiver. Certainly that was the case when he partnered Tahu towards the end of the last S14 when they won three games on the trot is South Africa, which is no mean feat.
Mike G said | February 10th 2010 @ 1:02pm | Report comment
exactly RK – Beale looked great at 12, the extra space & time was perect for him…I hope to see him have a blinder at 12 on Sat night – Go the tahs!!
mattamkII said | February 10th 2010 @ 1:12pm | Report comment
tend to agree…Both of them dont seem to like getting the ball with a wall of set D fronting them…they need some momentum from either side to work some magic.
Peter K said | February 10th 2010 @ 3:06pm | Report comment
Currently Barnes is the only complete 10 we have. But he is very injury prone, far more than Larkham who suffered most of his i njuries late in his career not every year like Barnes.
Barnes though is very good rather than Great or brilliant but is young and may improve.
Cooper has come on far more than Beale. Giteau is a 12 never a 10, probably the same with OÇonnor.
Cooper has really improved his pass and kick. Still behind Barnes there though. His running game is excellent. Defence still weak. However what he lacks most is the ability to control a team and hence a game. Once he can do this then he may challenge Barnes.
brad said | February 10th 2010 @ 6:43pm | Report comment
Sheek being old does not give you more credibility than the rest of us. Larkham played his best years behind a very powerfull pack. Australia will never have a great flyhalf because all the youth want to be backline players and the beefy boys are constantly riduculed by the uninformed press as being unfit. Australia is a league country and unfortunatley rugby is an ameteur sport. It was all evens during the ameteur days and in 1999 most of the rugby world was still ameteur. Now that the world has caught upwith proffesionalism the wallabies can not even beat Scotland! I guess you can still have agreat WALLABY flyhalf, its just that the rest of the world may not think they are that great. Very much like your obsession that 99% of all league players would rip union apart. I always forget that Australia is not a knowledgeable rugby country. They can not even find an Australian coach for their national side.
mattamkII said | February 10th 2010 @ 6:58pm | Report comment
Quiet time Brad…quiet time.
SJ said | February 11th 2010 @ 8:02pm | Report comment
Brad,
I would rather be old with no more credibility than the rest, rather than senseless with no credibility.
Terry Kidd said | February 12th 2010 @ 10:16am | Report comment
Who cares who will be the best 10? Just bring on the rugby !!!!
WW … I happen to know a bit of Cipriani and do not think he is a flawed character, however for whatever reason his international career seems to have hit a road block, so why not take a sabbatical with the Rebels, learn some more of his trade under McQueen then go back to NH rugby a more complete player?
From my point of view it would seem a great option for both Cipriani and the Rebels, and also a great option for England in the longer term.
ilikedahoodoogurusingha said | February 12th 2010 @ 3:27pm | Report comment
I think he may be playing in Perth tonight and his initials are MT.