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Where are Wallabies at with a month to go?
Decs
Roar Rookie
15th August, 2011
9
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Decs
Roar Rookie
15th August, 2011
9

So with the Rugby World Cup squads to be announced this week, where are the Wallabies currently at? If you had told me four weeks ago that the problem after three games would be our backs, I probably would have laughed at you.

Our concern was going to be our forward pack and whether they could they front up. I think that question has slowly been answered, not emphatically, but to a level where people are satisfied and oppositions will take note.

Our scrum against the All Blacks and Springboks held up well and on occasions grabbed the ascendancy. The lineout against the Boks was outstanding.

Consistency and aggression at the rucks will be our biggest concern. Rocky Elsom is starting to get back some match fitness. People here have been scathing of him. Rocky has only played four matches this season. He has shown that he will be right by the World Cup.

So from our forward pack, our front row is solid (with Tatafu, Slipper and Robinson to come back in). Second row is an area I have a great deal of confidence in with Howill (one of the best in the world), Sharpe, Vicks and some back up in Simmons.

Back row? As long as Pocock stays fit and Rocky fires we will hold our own if not come out on top. No. 8 is our concern, but I think we have enough bits and pieces here to fill the void and have enough cameos off the bench.

The backs? We all know Cooper had the propensity for a snap. We have to take the good with the bad with Cooper. What he needs is a steady at IC and this will be Barnes in a few weeks. Cooper lost it against the All Blacks, and although had some snaps against the Boks, he did play a much more controlled and understated game.

Digby has shown he is class. Beale is up there and O’Connor is trying to find his mojo. Mitchell is back this week and will add depth. Our concern is in the midfield with Adam Ashley-Cooper out of form.

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McCabe has been industrious, but will only be part of the squad and the lesser pool games. Adam Ashley-Cooper will battle it out with A. Faingaa (he converted me on Saturday night) for OC.

Even though our backs have been average, this is less of a concern if it were the forwards were scratchy before the World Cup. For me, it is as though they want to score off every play and do not know how to build a game of rugby. Combos will come over the course of the World Cup.

What Saturday against the Boks showed as we can win the tight World Cup games. It wasn’t a pretty game, but we held strong and closed it out well.

I thought versus the All Blacks that we looked tired and I think it is because Robbie has been hammering the guys at training to be fit for the RWC. Our fitness showed on Saturday night against albeit an old and unimaginative Boks outfit.

I am under no illusion that ‘this is our year’, but there are signs that we will have something to offer come RWC.

My Rugby World Cup squad (assuming fitness):

1 Robinson
2 Tatafu Polota-Nau
3 Kepu
4 Howill
5 Sharpe
6 Rocky (c)
7 Pocock
8 Samo (I have assumed Palu is out of the Rugby World Cup, from what I have heard)
9 Genia
10 Cooper
11 O’Connor
12 Barnes
13 Faingaa
14 Ioane
15 Beale
16 Moore
17 Slipper
18 Vicks
19 Higgers
20 Burgess
21 Adam Ashley-Cooper
22 Mitchell

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23-30 (Alexander, S. Faingaa, Maafu, Simmons, Hodgson, Giteau, McCabe, Turner).

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