Barnes storms his way back for Wallabies

Deans will stick with McCabe because hie is his special project. It will spell disaster as Cooper has to run wide to try to get the ball to a decent playmaker - and often gets nailed in the process. Deans has already shown in the 2003 RWC with the ABs that has a fixation with putting outside backs out of position into the centres- and there will be let up in 2011.

Yeah Johnny Boy, an Australian team won the s15, "dominated" both SA & NZ in the Tri Nations, dominated SA over the last handful of games. If Wannabe's fail to make the 2011 RWC final with only NZ and SA standing in their way, it can be seen as no less than a CHOKE of monumental proportions. If you don't make it with all this "form", forget NZ, you guys are the new choke.

A good return Johnny-boy

I've noticed Barnes has a good step as well. He even scored a try against Russa using it. Quade Cooper seemed to play much more structured against Russa. He looked so much better. I hope he keeps on playing like that. Cooper and Barnes work really well together. When Cooper was out of the play, Barnes was there. We didn't have that with McCabe. Ant's attack is simply not good enough. But his defence is crazy. So I would like to see him at least on the bench. Him and Cooper work well together so he would replace Barnes well.

Why do kiwis and saffas say this - were you asleep during tri nations or was it so painful you're just pretending it didnt happen ? An old Mils, out of form Jane, out of position Kahui and a Daggy hammy better than Ioane, Beale and O'Connor ? Puzzling conclusion. Maybe if it was 4 on 3 perhaps ......

Intereresting tactical thoughts, none of which i agree with re the ABs, but thats my opinion and I would say Kahui. Dagg, Jane, or Mils combined are better than your back three now that Drew is gone. you are missing the obvious issue - your looming forward battle with Bakkies, Broussow, Matfield, Alberts etc. ..

Not saying he is poor by any means. He used to be VERY limited, but has now added a good passing game to his play. My point is that he will not be nearly as effective without Carter. If all it took to win titles was a big bloke that runs hard and offloads, then the Canes would have numerous super titles. Their problem is no good No.10's to feed the powerful ball runners out wide. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that the All Blacks now resemble those Canes sides of a few years back - outstanding loose forwards, strong, fast and powerful backs - but no fly half to put it all together.

I reckon Cooper would throw up if you suggested him he had to play next to Tom Carter, and not just because of his haircut

I'd agree with that PK - all makes sense which means it might be too complicated for Deans. I just hope the Wallabies are smart enough to realise it's a controlled high tempo game required not crazy high tempo.

Barnes is a good second playmaker but his flaw is that his first instinct is to kick, and so is his second. However he offers more in attack and in structured play than McCabe or Faingaa at 12. Barnes defence is ok but he rarely stops the man and never makes a dominant tackle. I believe in horses for course. As noted above the way to beat the big and old Boks is to play a high tempo game with lots of movement. For the Bok game Barnes is ideal, after all the centres for the Boks are not great threats. The threat from the boks are the set pieces and forwards smashing it up. If Barnes kicks behind them or allows quick passing backwards and forwards and adds another threat for the boks to focus, all this ideal against the Boks. No brainer Barnes against Boks. Against AB's though with Nonu and then later SBW at 12 running his channel I would rather have Faingaa at 12. Faingaa combines well with Cooper. He tackles hard enough and low enough to be effective against these 2. Barnes falls off tackles against these 2 or at the minimum lets them gain easy ground. Remember with AB's kicking territory and playing the NH style is NOT effective against them. I do not believe Barnes would be as effective against AB's. In neither case woul I have McCabe at 12 however.

Barnes has international experience, defensive skills and attacking prowess. If his head injury is a problems, he should not have been picked, so I assume it's not a problem. But Dave, if you think Nonu is poor, you are missing something. Head-to-head, he would beat Barnes, I think.

Is there a petition we can sign to force the powers that be to pick Barnes? Seriously if we pick that plodder McCabe over Barnes then we should just go home now. We beat SA in SA with one of the most inept performances imaginable. It was SA's first 'proper' test with their main team picked so thankfully they were worse on THAT DAY. We wont be so lucky again. Beating SA is not rocket science. Use inside balls to negate their rush defence from set piece, and then move their big forwards around all night long with quick ball movement. For that we need people with passing skills - Cooper and Barnes are perfectly suited to play SA. As for NZ (if we make it that far), why do our coaches lose sleep over our opponents - especially Nonu? With Carter out, we have the best halves combination, and the best back 3 in the world. Barnes and AAC are solid and special in their own right and will more than hold their own. Its the All Blacks who should be losing sleep, as Nonu doesn't strike me as a great thinker of the game, and there is no Carter to put him into space. If Nonu could do everything himself, then maybe the Canes would have won something in the past few years... INSTEAD, our coaching staff are thinking how to minimise damage from our opponents. Focus on our own team. We have a huge mental edge over SA, and as for NZ, they now have self doubt, which is a killer for them in World Cups. Our first XV can do the job - but we are not going nowhere with McCabe who cant do anything other than tackle. It puts too much pressure on Cooper to create things, and takes out of play the options and decision making skills that Barnes brings. Everyone can see it. Its obviously infuriating to the Fox Sports team too. You can almost hear Kafer pleading the case of Barnes at every opportunity. Get over your stage fright Robbie and give us a decent shot at the title. Otherwise forget my support ever again.

I think it was one pass in Wallaby colours, not just RWC. And I cant remember when that was.

Greg Growden today writes: "And while Berrick Barnes against Russia did everything he could to win the inside-centre position, don't start anticipating midfield changes for the finals. As long as Pat McCabe proves he is fit this week, he is set to regain the No.12 jersey. Why? Because McCabe has already proved this year that his fearless and direct approach to the line works. He was in the winning Wallabies teams against the Springboks in Sydney and Durban, and in Brisbane when they toppled the All Blacks to win the Tri Nations. Robbie Deans won't forget that". This is a concern for me because McCabe 1) lacks experience 2) is one dimensional. I saw a post somewhere that he has only thrown one pass during the WC, and 3) can't kick, or change his running line He is a winger, not an inside centre, and if Deans or Nucifora can't see that, then God help us because our outside backs will wither from lack of use.

if Deans places Mc cabe ahead of Barnes, he is in my books the most stupidiest coach ever

I was a bit wary of Barnes being up for a full game cos of his head. But he seems to have shaken off his Tah blues and it shows he is a great for Cooper. Together they look good. Cooper looks great when he plays a controlled game and picks his time judiciously to cut loose. There's plenty of time and opportunites in 80 minutes grasshopper !. Or the next 80 minutes ! Equally clear is that Cooper is not feeling the groove with McCabe at 2nd five. Crash bang up the middle obviously does'nt get Cooper excited having fun so he overcompensates trying to create some. Sadly Deans is such a conservative numbskull he is just as likely to put McCabe back in two weeks after dislocating a shoulder instead of Barnes. Dear oh dear.