Injury-plagued Rob Horne made a promising return to action as he stakes a claim for the outside centre hot spot in the Wallabies backline for the Rugby World Cup.
Horne missed most of the NSW Waratahs’ Super Rugby campaign with an elbow injury he suffered in the round three loss to the Crusaders in March.
The hard-running, strong-tackling 21-year-old played six Tests for the Wallabies last season, before his international campaign was cut short by injury.
With few other outside centre specialists standing out, the No.13 spot is one of the few positions in the Wallabies’ talent-stacked backline lacking depth.
Utility Adam Ashley-Cooper has occupied the outside centre berth for Australia’s first two Tests of the current campaign.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans was among the spectators on Saturday when Horne made his comeback in a Sydney club game for Southern Districts.
“By all reports Rob got through the game well, his first run back after a long break,” Wallabies selector and coaching co-ordinator David Nucifora told AAP on Sunday.
“So that’s a really good sign.”
Elsewhere, fellow World Cup hopefuls Berrick Barnes and Daniel Vickerman both performed well for Sydney University.
Utility back Barnes, whose Super Rugby campaign was cut short by head knock issues, piled up 27 points from a try, five conversions and four penalties.
“It was good to see him get through another game yesterday, his involvement was very good,” said Nucifora, who was at the game.
“He mixed his game up from being at the back at fullback to getting in the line as first receiver and he defended in the line for a while.
“He will be getting a lot more confidence out of every minute of game time that he gets.”
Second rower Vickerman, who played his first Test in three years off the bench against Samoa in mid-July, impressed Nucifora with how his fitness was progressing.
The South African-born Test veteran only recently resumed playing following a 10-week layoff after completing three years of study in England.
“He did very well yesterday, he went full throttle for the 80 minutes, he was still making tackles and hitting the rucks in the 79th minute of that match,” Nucifora said.
“His aerobic base is very good, he worked very hard on that prior to returning and it’s just him getting used to the physicality and the knocks that you take in getting your match fitness.
“Yesterday he proved that he’s probably a lot further down the track than we thought he might have been.”
Nucifora was adamant Horne, Barnes and Vickerman all still had sufficient time to force their way into the Wallabies’ World Cup squad which will be named on August 18.
Denby
Guest
Jiggles, You need to take your red glasses off. Let it go, the Super season is over. Time to move on to the international season. This is not about choosing a Tahs player, it is about choosing the best player from Australia for the squad. No Tah logic here, No Sydney conspiracy or Sydney media beat up. Just clear unbiased observations. Faingaa had an okay S15 season but hardly set the world on fire, infact he was the worst backline player in the Reds starting lineup (that is actually not an insult when playing with Cooper, Genia, Harris & Co). This is why Deans would rather untested McCabe at inside and out of form AAC at outside. It is also why Deans went to watch Horne play club rugby. He needs quality backup not average players who will be adequate in a position. Horne is injury prone and is probably a too young for international games but he is a hellovalot better than Faingaa.
Matthew Skellett
Guest
Rob Horne is a sad sad sad story, whenever he looks like making a big impact anytime he plays , he suddenly suddenly suddenly (quote from the suddenly book) gets another injury that forces him out again for lengthy periods , so he is more off the field then on these days -unless he gets on top of these injuries he will just be another name that never realised his potential
soapit
Guest
n ones saying give up on him. he'll potentially have a very good career after the world cup when he gets a chance to prove himself.
Drop kick
Guest
I deduce, from many of the comments above, that his head is not Red enough to be a test centre.
The Phrenologist
Guest
Horne's head is too narrow for a quality test centre.
jameswm
Guest
In 2010 Horne played well in Super rugby but didn't reproduce it for his tests. He was so so but no more. He was only 20. This year Horne played only a couple of Super games, but was fantastic. His structure in attack was a lot better, and he retained the brutal defence. I wondered about him at the end of 2010, but he really showed improvement this year. He's still only 21 this year, so it's a bit early to be giving up on him. He has the potential to be better than any of AAC, Faingaa and McCabe.
Jiggles
Roar Guru
So let me get this straight. We write off a player who has played a solid and important role in the team that won the super rugby championship in favour of a player who played a couple of good games in a super rugby team that has consistantly fallen away at the pointy end of the season, who has been given multiple chances at test level and found wanting and is injured 85% of the time? Sometimes I love tah logic
Denby
Guest
Jiggles, How has he improved? He play behind a good pack with Cooper and Genia (Arguable the form half back and flyhalf of the comp) feeding him the ball in a winning team with an extremely clever coach at the helm. With all of this, everyone of his stats was behind Tom Carter's. Don't get me wrong, I rate Tom Carter but I do not feel he should be a Wallaby. Deans should never have thrown Tahu in there, he was sketchy playing for the Waratahs in defense. 13 is the hardest position on the field to defend in. You never excellent positional awareness. I think we both know Horne is more than just a guy who put on one big hit. But seriously, that one big hit is more than Faingaa has ever done. Faingaa tries to put on a few big hits and got owned by both Ranger and Nonu. He tries very hard, he is just not good enough which means he should not be good enough for the Wallabies.
niwdEyaJ
Guest
I agree - I'd be more comfortable with Giteau than Horne..
Jiggles
Roar Guru
Considering Faingaa’s one and only start for the wallabies was at 13, a position he had not played previously at Super level, let alone the wallabies, for any considerable time and being in a backline with Giteau at 10, I think we can excuse that performance. Additionally it is pretty clear that Deans had not learnt from his lesson of putting in untested players in at 13, i.e. the little experiment of Tahu in South Africa. That’s another one we can add to the long list of Dean’s bloopers. Faingaa has vastly improved as both a 12 and 13 this year, and has shown much more on the paddock than Horne who did a good hit back in 2009…
Denby
Guest
Maybe that is why he has been vocal on the subject of poor selection. Bob actually backed up the comments on Faingaa, Mumm and co on the Rugby Club. Pretty bold stuff, mostly people shy away from making the hard comment in TV.
Jiggles
Roar Guru
Bob Dwyer should know a thing about losing world cups, he lost it for us in 1995 with ridiculous selections.
Denby
Guest
Why would I ask Ewen McKenzie what he thinks of Faingaa? Sorry FOS, but that is one of the silliest responces I have ever seen. I know who Ewen McKenzie is, I have been a Waratahs member since he was in his first year as coach with them. Of course he is going to say Faingaa is good, he is hardly impartial or able to voice is true opinion, "Sure Fiangaa is not very good, but he is compitent and fits in nicely under the salary cap". Just because the Reds won the super final it does not automatically mean every single player they have is the best in the country. It does mean, as a team they are the best and all credit to them. A better judgement of how good Faingaa is, is a comment from an impartial coach. Bob Dwyer (world cup winning coach) is quoted as saying that the Wallabies will never beat the AB's (or was it win the worldcup? I am paraphrasing) with players like Dean Mumm, Richard Brown and both Faingaas. I happen to agree with him.
soapit
Guest
yep, as i said in another article at this point with decent game time just a distant memory he would only be being picked on reputation and his reputation doesnt warrant it. mind you i also said they should look at giteau slotting in there before picking horne so make of that what you will.
formeropenside
Guest
One day perhaps, but not right now. Ask Ewen McKenzie (Reds Super rugby winning coach) what he thinks of Faingaa.
Hoy
Roar Guru
For all the talk of Horne, I have not seen him do anything great. I have heard he is a great player, yet to see it at all. Obviously disappointing for him to continue getting injured, but I just haven't seen him do anything of note for the Wallabies that supports the hype.
Denby
Guest
In his defence, his test appearances were not woeful, just not brilliant. He has played some amazing super rugby. I still remember the huge hit he did on François Steyn in the 2009 (could be wrong with that date) Waratahs v Sharks game. He was huge in that game and shut down the backline. Apparently Horne used to be an inside centre but was move to outside as Tom Carter has the inside role locked in. Saying that, I would still have AAC and McCabe ahead as they have been playing tests this year and have looked good and to be getting better. Fiangaa, only Reds fans think he is brilliant. His test appearences have truly been woeful. Remember the AB's test in NZ last year were Fiangaa ran off his line which let in two tries. Horne has never been guilty of anything like that. Even against the Boks B side when Fiangaa came on from the bench he looked average. Horne may get too much Sydney media press, but A. Fiangaa get way too much Reds fan boy love. He is an average super rugby player on his best day. Horne shows allot more promise and will one day (if he can keep his body together) be a very good Wallaby.
Jiggles
Roar Guru
He is definitely down the pecking order, however I can already start to sense the unjustified calls that a player of his ‘world class standing’ is ‘vital’ to the wallabies chances and as such should be included…
Brett McKay
Guest
Possibly not at Test level Jigs, no. I was only thinking of him playing for the Tahs when I made that comment anyway. Right at this point in time, I'm not sure how Horne can force his way in anywhere..
Jiggles
Roar Guru
Has he even been tried at 12 Brett? for me he has never looked convincing as a test 13 either.