Shortly after selecting the Wallabies team on Tuesday, it is alleged that the immediate backlash on online sports forums has forced coach Robbie Deans to reconsider his selections.
Revised team for Saturday versus Wales:
Forwards: 1. Ma’afu, 2. Polota-Nau, 3. Kepu, 4. L Timani, 5. S Timani, 6. Auelua, 7. Vaea, 8. Palu,
Backs: 9. Kingi, 10. Cooper, 11. Ioane, 12. Kuridrani, 13. Tomane, 14. Vuna, 15. Rapana.
In characteristic Deans style, he has opted to blood a large number of unproven, yet promising young players in the one game on Saturday. Five rookies including two bolters who have not started in a single game of Super Rugby this year come into the Wallaby squad.
Towering 400-pound bench-pressing bull, Sitaleki Timani, has impressed the Deans so much in his two games for Australia, both losses to Scotland and Samoa, that he has decided to pull his brother, Lopeti, straight from the reserves bench at the strongly-performing NSW Waratahs to pair him in the starting Wallaby second row.
Joining the Timani brothers in the pack are newcomers Ita Vaea and Fotu Auelua. Rugby experts agree that these wrecking balls could be a turning point in the entire destiny of this Wallabies side as it might be the moment the pack can finally match it with the New Zealand and South African outfits.
“I was trying to maximise the power axis of the forward pack, and when I got started with my selections, I couldn’t stop at just the forwards,” Deans squeezed out of the side of his mouth at the press conference this morning.
“So I decided to ramp up the player power across the entire team.”
When pushed about the centre three-quarter selections, Deans stated: “In games past, picking two good centres was a major problem, but not so with these guys.”
Deans added: “Established midfield toilers Pat McCabe and Anthony Fainga’a were considered a few yards short of pure talent.”
Although it has been suggested that bringing both newly-capped centres straight onto the international stage might be premature, both Kuridrani and Tomane weigh over 100kg each, so it’s not a stretch to think they will be able to smash through any defence.
The press conference was also told that the more-limited Andrew Smith has been holding back Kuridrani at the Brumbies this season, which is why the rugby public may not have heard much of Kuridrani at all.
Joel Rapana, who earlier in the year was out of contention with an injury – much to the great anguish of everyone concerned with Australian rugby – comes into fullback after impressing all and sundry carrying the Queensland Reds’ team bags between bus and hotel in South Africa and Perth.
Despite limited time back from a knee injury, Quade Cooper retains his Wallaby number 10 jersey. Had it not been for a season-ending knee injury of his own, Christian Lealifano would have walked into the position. The only other Reds player to join Cooper is winger Digby Ioane who was lucky to edge out Chris F’Sautia.
It is hard to imagine that the touring Welsh team, with its perfect forward pack, will get anywhere near touching this revamped Australian side on Saturday.
Prediction: Wallabies to beat Wales by 50.
The Battered Slav
Guest
Oh yeah, and make sure we annoy everyone else in SANZAR by demanding the inclusion of an extra Aussie team in Super Rugby made up entirely of PI players.....
The Battered Slav
Guest
Right, seeing as there is not a single Anglo-Australian in the team, in the interests of national harmony I demand that Pocock be included as a quota player, a token whitey if you will, and that we appoint a crazy, inept white man as a coach who makes no sense in media conferences.....oh wait, that last thing already happened in 2008.
Justin2
Guest
Beautiful
jameswm
Guest
Kev you'd have to tackle them first. It's only when the breakdown moves far enough away from the last ruck that there's an opportunity for a pilfer. Sure, that's the obvious weakness (though Vaea is a serviceable 7), but geez it'd be interesting seeing them have a crack.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
sb I love power but it doesn't have to come from PIs, but it seems these days in Australia they are the ones who often have it. In South Africa there's oodles of power and no PIs, Thorn, Ben Morgan are power players and non-PI. It's not from any favouritism towards PIs.
sittingbison
Guest
BESIDES POWER THE ENTIRE TEAM ARE PIs (IF COOPER IS PI HERITAGE?)
Gary Russell-Sharam
Guest
Finally an article based on the dreamers of rugby and not the realists. I enjoyed the humour of the post and also enjoyed the replies by KPM. Actually I loved the squirming by KPM and his negation of Ma'afu etc. He might as well have talked them up as most of his other selections are just as wildly absurd. Anyway I do not want to criticize him overtly as he does contribute to the cut and thrust of this type of forum and lately I have noted that he has bordered on being somewhat realistic in one or two articles,and I have found myself in agreement with him. HOW'S THAT FOR A BUILD UP.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Indeed Brett I'm not old enough to be quite such a curmudgeon yet.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
RK in fairness to myself as this team is based on my selection fantasies I have the right to withdraw Ma'afu, Aueula and Kingi as I never mentioned selecting them, and Vaea/Kuridrani as I only said they could be a possible player, not should. So the fantasy team would be: Robinson, TPN, Kepu, S.Timani, Sharpe, L.Timani, Pocock, Palu, Genia, Cooper, Ioane, Tomane, Sautia, Vuna, Rapana.
Red Kev
Guest
Any decent team would be licking their lips at the prospect of facing that backrow. It's so spectacularly lacking in speed and balance that I'd be tempted to run two pilferers against it. You'd win turnovers all night long.
Brett McKay
Expert
I'm a long way off being your biggest antagonist on The Roar, KPM, but yes, I did have a chuckle at all this. As did you it seems, which is cool too..
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
I knew this article would delight you especially Brett. The answer is because I never said they should be thrown in for those who read carefully. Nor in a million years did I ever say Ma'afu, Aueula or Kingi should play. Not in a billion Ma'afu, not in infinity.
Brett McKay
Expert
KPM, you've never wanted anyone phased in slowly before, why would you want that now?!?
rl
Guest
If the match was only 40 minutes long, they'd be unstoppable
jameswm
Guest
Apart from Ma'afu and I guess Jnr Timani, it's not the worst pack in the world. Who would want to play against that backrow?
formeropenside
Guest
You forgot to do the article in ALL CAPS for ADDED EMPHASIS of the POWER AXIS.
sph45
Guest
Brilliant. Finally someone talking sense by talking nonsense.
sittingbison
Guest
POWER
Athilnaur
Guest
Nice work Dasher, that team should improve our attack no end. I also think some thanks should go to KPM for getting Robbie to see the light, thanks KPM!
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
How sweet, a whole article dedicated to me. I would suggest some of these players be phased in rather more slowly than the author suggests, who has gone rather beyond what I recommended in how quickly some of these players be brought in. I also disown Maafu, Auelua and Kingi who I don't believe ever mentioning, so you can keep Genia, Pocock and Robinson. I would also claim the right to put Sautia in ahead of Kuridrani. So that would leave Robinson, TPN, Kepu, Timani, Timani, Vaea, Pocock, Palu, Genia, Cooper, Ioane, Tomane, Sautia, Vuna, Rapana, if you want to be exact. Also, Joel Rapana and Jordan Rapana are rather different human beings, despite being brothers. That's not where the differences end either.