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Can you solve the Wallabies inside backs problem?

Roar Guru
28th July, 2015
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Quade Cooper (AFP PHOTO / GREG WOOD)
Roar Guru
28th July, 2015
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3468 Reads

With the Rugby World Cup just under two months away the beginnings of a Wallabies team is coming together. But who will steer the ship at five-eighth and inside centre?

Halfbacks aside, as they are their own problem, I believe our inside back combinations have come down to the following tried units:

Quade Cooper and Matt Giteau
The pair have worked well together in the past. Cooper likes having a good line runner outside him, and Giteau is certainly a good line runner. Pace is power, and I think Giteau can get over the advantage line using good feet, and his pace in contact. Giteau has good hands, and a good kick as well, which takes pressure off Cooper.

Quade Cooper and Matt Toomua
Another pair that have worked well together in the past, with the pair thriving during the 2013 Spring Tour. Toomua straightens the attack well, and while he doesn’t have great initial pace, he can create a gap for himself every now and again, and isn’t afraid to run it, which creates doubt in defenders minds. Also, Toomua loves a bit of contact, which protects Cooper somewhat.

Bernard Foley and Quade Cooper
Unlike the previous two pairings these two players do not work well together. We’ve seen it before last year and we saw it again against Argentina. I am not sure why, but obviously they play such different games they just aren’t compatible. Foley plays more of a supporting role. His passing game doesn’t create holes, but once someone punches through, Foley will be close by running a good support line.

Cooper uses his passing to create width, and put runners through holes, but they have to be running the lines, because it seems he will throw to the hole, whether there is someone there or not. Cooper doesn’t take the line on to bend it, or get his arms through the other side, so Foley really has no one to support in close like he does with Beale.

Bernard Foley and Kurtley Beale
This is a pairing that has thrived at Super Rugby level but the two have not spent much time playing together in the Gold jersey. I was very surprised on Sunday morning when Cheika put Cooper on instead of Beale after Toomua left the field with a concussion.

I thought it would be a good time to see if a Foley/Beale combination could work at international level. Putting Cooper on meant he was thinking Beale would come on later at the back maybe? Still, I would have thrown Beale to the wolves to see how he went for the Wallabies at 12.

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Why does Foley/Beale work but Foley/Cooper not work? Beale is more of a runner than Cooper, he runs straighter and more direct. Cooper likes looking for space out wide, while Beale looks to run and offload in close. Beale runs better support lines off Foley, and pokes his head and hands through for offloads.

Bernard Foley and Matt Toomua
It’s hard to say with these two producing mixed results. Sunday morning was likely to be a good indicator of how the two could work together. Unfortunately Toomua left the field after just twelve minutes, but the pair looked to be working well together prior to his departure.

Matt Toomua and Matt Giteau
Toomua and Giteau looked quite strong during the latter stages of the Springbok game. Toomua is a direct 10, and Giteau is the drifting 12. Toomua meshes well with Christian Lealiifano at the Brumbies in a similar manner. Giteau offers the freedom for Toomua to crash up for quick recycle and then spin.

Matt Toomua and Christian Lealiifano
The two form a strong partnership for the Brumbies but it is unlikely that Lealiifano will work his way into the Wallabies starting side.

Matt Giteau and Quade Cooper
During Robbie Deans’ time in charge he used Giteau at five-eighth and Cooper at inside centre from time to time but it generated mixed results for the Wallabies. I Can’t see Cooper going from 10 to starting at 12 and I can’t see Giteau playing five-eighth, but Cheika might try him there out of desperation soon. Safe to say his two 10s haven’t really played that well yet.

I wouldn’t mind seeing Samu Kerevi getting a run to see how we go with a bullocking 12, not a second playmaker. In a terrible team, Kerevi made international centres look foolish at times this year in Super Rugby. He was a bit loose in defence at 13, but closer in at 12, he didn’t miss too many tackles. I honestly can’t see it happening now. Too late to blood a newbie this close to the World Cup.

In all the wash up after the Pumas game, Cooper’s recent odd tweet might have sealed some decisions for Cheika. I am sure more will come out about this in the coming 24/48 hours.

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Anyway, those are the combinations we have really. The winning one? We don’t have too much time to try them all to fund out. Cheika is going to have to pick and stick soon.

So far this year, people can forget about lauding Foley’s goal kicking as the difference and the reason he should start. It was borderline woeful against Argentina. Crikey it looked ugly.

This means we still need an 80 per cent kicker, and the closest we have is Giteau. Should we pencil him in? I think his best work is at 12, so we still need a 10… Any takers to nut this one out?

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