Who should play second row for the Wallabies?
Roar Guru By John Davidson, 23 Jun 2012 John Davidson is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- James Horwill, John Eales, Nathan Sharpe, Rugby Union, wallabies
Wallabies hooker Stephen Moore (left) and captain James Horwill (right) sit out the Australian team training session (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
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With Nathan Sharpe hanging up the boots at the end of the year and Dan Vickerman about to do the same, the Wallabies are looking thin on the ground when it comes to locks.
Sharpe and Vickerman have been mainstays of the Australian side for the past 10 years. The Cape Town-born Vickerman made his debut in 2002 and has 54 caps, while the evergreen Sharpe also made his debut in 2002 and has 102 caps. Both have been great servants of Australian rugby and will be sorely missed.
James Horwill earned his first cap back in 2007 and has established himself as a leader and a standout player. But as the Reds and Wallabies captain is out of action for the rest of the year with a hamstring injury, Australia’s lineout appears weak.
In the 90s and early 2000s, the lineout was a weapon that the Wallabies wielded with relish. We had Rod McCall, John Eales, David Giffin, Matt Cockbain and Justin Harrison, while Owen Finegan could also play lock. In this period we had some of our greatest second-rowers of all time, and coupled with some decent hookers, could rely on the lineout to work under pressure. Our scrum might not have scared the opposition but our lineout was world-class.
That hasn’t been the case for the Wallabies in recent seasons. And with Sharpe and Vickerman pulling up stumps, and Horwill struggling with injury in recent years, there’s a big hole.
Queensland’s Rob Simmons and NSW’s Sitaleki Timani have been vying of late to pair with Sharpe in the green and gold. Both have potential but neither have been able to really shine yet in Wallaby colours.
Considering his size and strength, Timani should be man-handling the opposition on a regular basis. Simmons is the more experienced of the two but is only 23 years old and his best footy is ahead of him.
Apart from these two, no-one else in Super Rugby has really put their hand up and demanded selection. The Reds have a number of ageing locks in Radike Samo, Van Humphries and Adam Wallace-Harrison who won’t be around for much longer, while David McDuling is a youngster who is yet to make his debut.
In Tah-land Dave Dennis is more of a flanker, Dean Mumm is heading overseas, Greg Peterson is uncapped for NSW and Kane Douglas is a future hope.
In Canberra, Mark Chisholm has departed and Sam Carter, Leon Power, Ben Hand and Peter Kimlin in competing for the five and four Brumby jumpers. Kimlin has two caps but hasn’t been sighted in a Wallabies jersey since 2009, while Hand is the veteran at 30 years of age. Carter and Power, who are both new to Super Rugby, are having huge years in Super Rugby and could push for a spot on the spring tour.
Across the country in Perth, Toby Lynn qualifies for the Wallabies, despite his Kiwi background. He has been mentioned as a possible lock. His Western Force teammate Sam Wykes might be more of a chance looking to play for Australia down the line, while the man with one of the best names in rugby – Phoenix Battye – is 21 and has just nine caps for the Force.
Down in Melbourne Adam Byrnes has played for Russia, James King is a Kiwi and Alister Campbell is a 32-year old former Wallaby with four national appearances under his belt. A lot is expected of the pair of Cadeyrn Neville, a relative newcomer to the sport, and Huge Pyle, the young ex-Brumbies Academy player.
Simmons and Timani are at the moment in the box-seat to replace Sharpe and Vickerman, but a lot can change in the next few months. Behind them are Pyle, Neville, Douglas, Wykes, Carter and Power.
Simmons and Timani can help cement their spots in the Wallaby 15 with a strong showing today and in the next few Tests. Pyle, Neville and Douglas are next in line and can earn a seat on the plane to Europe in November or even a bolter spot in the Rugby Championship by displaying what they can do over the final Super Rugby rounds. Carter and Power might even be able to sneak a squad spot for the spring tour if they feature brightly in the Brumbies finals charge.
The field is pretty much wide open. It remains to be seen who will be our next stars in the lineout, and if we can possibly recreate the recent glories of the Australian second-row.
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The Crowd Says (11) | Page 1 of Comments
Have Your Say
- Explore:
- James Horwill, John Eales, Nathan Sharpe, Rugby Union, wallabies
June 23rd 2012 @ 7:24am
Johnno said | June 23rd 2012 @ 7:24am | Report comment
i have a radical idea. As rocky elsom is slowing down in pace why not move Roc to 2nd row. He is 6’6 and a half you know.
Ben Mcelman is lock when he is at sydney uni and has played plenty of lock for the force so some options.
Also Sam Wykes surely has to come into contention soon what more does Wykes have to do.
Then there is always the ever reliable and physical Van Humphries. Then there is Neville.
June 23rd 2012 @ 11:22am
Uncle Argyle said | June 23rd 2012 @ 11:22am | Report comment
I am with you Johnno in relation to Elsom. He is a good line out forward and would not disgrace himself by playing lock. Elsom however would need to change his game in general play and focus and playing much tighter and no longer sea-gulling on the wing. I am not sure if he would which would be a problem.
I like Adam Wallace-Harrison. He has plenty of experience and only 32. I liken him to Mark Connors in a way. He is not going to do anything too flashy until you ask him. Like that line out in Wellington circa 2001/2 when he won the line out that eventually lead to the penalty and Sir John Eales knocked over the penalty. Well played Mark Connors. Whilst I don’t think him a long term solution he may do a job for the team whilst Horwill is away.
Van Humphries would not let you down either in a short term capcity. we should persist with Sitaleki Timani, I reckon he will find his feet at test level. From the young brigade Hugh Pyle then day light.
June 24th 2012 @ 11:53am
Mike said | June 24th 2012 @ 11:53am | Report comment
I agree with Johnno that Rocky could play the position, but Uncle hits the nail on the head: Rocky’s attitude. I don’t know why it is, but his mental commitment to the Wallabies just dropped since he returned from Ireland.
June 23rd 2012 @ 8:02am
Gormon Kinchley said | June 23rd 2012 @ 8:02am | Report comment
I think Rocky’s had his chance. I can see a Timani (with a little luck on his part) and Neville combination in the future, with Rob simmons lucky to get on the bench- he just doesn’t have that aggression you’d hope for in a second rower.
June 23rd 2012 @ 9:04am
PeterK said | June 23rd 2012 @ 9:04am | Report comment
Neville and Pyle easily have had the most impact is super rugby. Douglas is a big man who has never really stood out or smashed the opposition.
Simmons is another Mumm, poor outside of lineout work.
I hope Timani really makes it this test.
My preference for the northern tour would then be Timani and Pyle (Pyle running the lineout as he does at rebels) and Neville on the bench.
June 23rd 2012 @ 10:43am
the older said | June 23rd 2012 @ 10:43am | Report comment
The 1st requirement of any lock should be that they can lock a scrum.For too many years other matters have been more important to selectors and coaches than this,the locks primary job.A side with a steady or god forbid, a dominant scrum is on the front foot for other aspects of the game.I’ve believed for quite some time that at scrum time it is a lock problem for the Wallabies rather than a prop problem.Lineouts are important, but you can teach a bloke to jump,you can’t teach heart.
June 23rd 2012 @ 1:16pm
Paradox said | June 23rd 2012 @ 1:16pm | Report comment
Leon Power can’t make it in the Brumbies starting 22. Were you thinking of Scott Fardy?
June 24th 2012 @ 11:59am
Mike said | June 24th 2012 @ 11:59am | Report comment
I agree with The Older that it is a heart issue, but not primarily because of the scrum. Sides with dominant scrums still lose test matches, and the Wallabies keep beating top sides on a regular basis, without a dominant scrum. But yes, heart is the key to all aspects of the game.
John Davidson admirably sums up the problems with Australia’s very bare lock cupboard. The (apparently) permanent loss of Vickerman is a tragedy. That it should come at the same time as Horwill’s side-lining, and when Nathan Sharpe could legitimately expect to hang up his boots, makes it a potentially team-destroying event.
I think all we can do is keep Timani alongside Sharpe and use the time until the end of the year for the latter’s experience to rub off on the younger man.
I have real concerns about Simmons. If he is truly the best available, then keep him on the bench spot until Sharpie retires when he moves up to 5. But he worries me.
June 24th 2012 @ 12:04pm
Johnno said | June 24th 2012 @ 12:04pm | Report comment
Dan Vickerman is one of my favourite players, one of Australia’s best in the last 30 years. But in the bigger picture picture Dan Vickerman is 32 turning 33 this year, so his career is most likely to end anyway soon regardless of injury.
Brad thorn and simon shaw low on but they are the extreme exception. So in a way Vickerman and sharpe are not the future anyway. Sharpe is just biding time.
But if we could get another vickerman in the next 10 years that would be great.
I think that man is Neville.
June 24th 2012 @ 10:36pm
John Davidson said | June 24th 2012 @ 10:36pm | Report comment
Sorry Paradox, I did mean Fardy. Well spotted.
June 25th 2012 @ 8:29am
formeropenside said | June 25th 2012 @ 8:29am | Report comment
Well, the answer is not Timani.