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Wallabies' David Pocock
Man-of-the-match Barnes’ generalship around the park was the difference in the Wallabies hard-fought 21-18 win over Wales in the play-off for third and fourth.
And the Wallabies desperately needed Barnes’ cool head in a decimated backline.
They started with Will Genia and Quade Cooper as pivots, Barnes and Adam Ashley-Cooper in the centres, James O’Connor and Digby Ioane on the wings, and Kurtley Beale at full-back.
Within 20 minutes Cooper (knee), and Beale (hamstring) were gone with a backline that now read – Genia, Barnes, Rob Horne, Anthony Faingaa, O’Connor, Ioane, and Ashley-Cooper.
Two backline replacements, and four positional changes in the first quarter, was hardly the way to settle into a game the Wallabies had to win, at all costs.
But to their credit, the men-in-gold stuck it out to the death with Barnes’ snap drop goal in the 67th minute the deciding factor.
Cooper could be sidelined for anything up to eight months once the seriousness of his injury is confirmed, making Barnes’ selection as fly-half a laydown misere for the short end-of-year tour in late November-early December to Wales.
Beale’s best left at home to mend his on-going hammie problems, providing coach Robbie Deans with the opportunity to tinker with his backline for the one-off Test against Wales, and the Barbarian game.
The big question, what to do with the versatile talents of James O’Connor?
Will Deans leave out on the wing where’s he’s wasted, or shift him to inside centre where he would dramatically lift the strike-power of the mid-field?
That’s an appealing thought, with Horne outside him, Ashley-Cooper at full-back, and Lachie Turner on the wing.
Up-front has more than its fair share of problems.
The front row needs stiffening, lock Nathan Sharpe has played his 100th and probably last Test, and David Pocock is the only backrower who is an automatic selection.
Come Monday, Pocock could well be named the IRB International Player of the Year, and deservedly so.
“Mr Momentum” has to beat team-mate Will Genia, All Blacks Jerome Kaino, Piri Weepu, and Ma’a Nonu, as well as French captain Thierry Dusautoir to get the nod – with Kaino his biggest hurdle.
Pocock is the only one of the six who was also nominated last year, won by All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw for a record third time.
Former Wallaby skipper John Eales chairs the selection panel that boasts over 650 caps between them with Gavin Hastings, Will Greenwood, Rafael Ibanez, Francois Pienaar, Augustine Pichot, Scott Quinnell, Tana Umaga, and Paul Wallace.
No Wallaby has won the coveted award since its inception in 2001.
* But the Wallabies were the Team-of-the-Year in 2001.
* Rod Macqueen the Coach-of-the-Year in 2001.
* Tatafu Polota-Nau the under 21 Player-of-the-Year in 2005.
* And Josh Holmes the under 19 Player-of-the-Year in 2006.
It’s time for David Pocock.