Australia has never had a great front row, but now it appears the Wallabies have a new problem – the centres.
This is an unfamilar position for Australians to be in. For many seasons we watched Horan and Little run, catch, pass and tackle. And kick, very occasionally.
They were, after all, arguably the greatest centre pairing ever to play the game.
Following them we had a gritty but skillful ball player in Elton Flatley at 12 and two big robust outside centres in Herbert and Mortlock, who never let the side down.
It was about combinations and combinations combine to score tries.
In the wake of the Welsh test series, the Wallabies have been criticised for “not daring to dare” by The Australian‘s Wayne Smith.
While it appears that Australia has found their long-lost compusure in tight games, critics were not satisfied with their recent 3-0 series win.
Fair enough; there has to be one eye on the Rugby Championship and scoring five tries in three tests won’t win that. So how do the Wallabies “dare to dare” again?
Why has there been a shortage of tries? The absence of Beale, Cooper and O’Connor certainly hasn’t helped.
But this isn’t an issue For mine; it starts and finishes in the centres.
Before I have a crack, credit where credit is due. In Pat McCabe, we have a number 12 who leaves it all on the field, a Nathan Grey, blood-and-guts type player.
I can’t say the same for Horne. In fact, can anybody recall Rob Horne doing anything special on a rugby field ever?
Anyway, while McCabe is a tremendously gutsy player and Horne is not, I don’t see either winning anything as the starting 12 and 13 for Australia.
By ‘anything’ I mean the trophies we all really care about – the Bledisloe, the British Lions Series, the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Deans has been pilloried for picking McCabe at 12, but let’s take a moment to consider who the other starting inside centres are in international rugby.
The All Blacks have moved away from an Aaron Mauger-type player at second receiver and now look set on picking Sonny-Bill ahead of Nonu.
Stuart Lancaster picked one-dimensional Manu Tuilagi at 12 for England ahead of the ball-playing Owen Farrell.
The French have Fofana and the Welsh have Jamie Roberts when fit. Only South Africa picked close to a ball-playing inside centre in Frans Steyn and that is probably because Morne Steyn is about as creative as Matt Dunning.
Frans is still a lump. The preference in international rugby is clearly for big, ball-carrying inside centres who can offload. But that is wrong for Australia and here is why.
Firstly, McCabe is neither big or a ball carrier. All the heart in the world doesn’t equate to the two stone he is giving away each time he gets on the field.
Neither is he a guy who is an especially skillful passer or possesses a freakish offload like SBW.
He often runs standing upright into traffic and when he lowers his body height, god bless him, he merely moves one moment closer to oblivion.
Which leads me to my second point; we simply do not have a big, physically imposing, ball-carrying inside centre in Australian rugby right now.
Tapuai won’t cut it. Carter is a nonse. Lloyd Johansson is not international class.
We have Barnes and James O’Connor. Those are the only options at 12 as I see it and one of them must get the job.
After his problems with head knocks, Barnesy is not the man. I wish he was as he combines well with Cooper, but I’m not sure he will withstand the punishment in the long term.
James O’Connor must now be picked at 12 with one eye on 2013 and two eyes on 2015.
Aside from the fact that most of us would like to see a little arrogance knocked out of him by a particularly large back rower, the little Beiber lookalike is the best fit.
I hate to admit it, but he is strong, tenacious and skillful.
He can defend long enough for his backrow to arrivve and by gosh he can attack. He has the ability to show up a SBW or Jamie Roberts.
Whoever plays at ten will suddenly have options. Which brings me to 13.
Digby Ioane is not the answer. While he runs like a cannibal with a new-born baby, he cannot pass. He really really can’t.
For all the criticism of McCabe’s passing it isn’t nearly as bad as Digby’s. Which is why McCabe should play 13 outside James O’Connor.
Yes, you read that right. McCabe has the pace, has played there before and he offers more than Faingga.
From that point it boils down to a simple choice: Horne or MCabe.
It also allows room for Mitchell to be brought back at 14 alongside Ioane and Beale.
If and when matches are tight Barnes will still be available on the bench with Adam Ashley-Cooper the ultimate security blanket at 13 and for the back three.
Cooper and Beale will alternate seemlessly at first receiver. With Mr Beiber at 12, the three amigos will be in the thick of the action. And so they should be.
This duo get paid the big bucks and it’s time for them to stand up. Most importantly, it will bring the “daring to dare” dream alive.
wre01
Roar Guru
Red Kev Can you really see Tapuai winning a RWC with Australia at 12? Horan, Greenwood, De-Villiers, SBW... sorry, Tapuai just isn't in the same class.
wre01
Roar Guru
Blinky Bill You've seized on the exact thrust of my article. We MUST play to OUR strengths- it has always been the Australian way to innovate. We picked Campo on the wing when everyone said you needed to be able to kick. We played Larkham at 10 when almost every arm chair expert said he passed too flat and was a 15. We pick two 7s in a squad of 22 when nobody else does. Why bcause it suits our game and it suits our playing stocks.
wre01
Roar Guru
KPM I think far too much hype is surrounding Sautia and even Tomane. To suggest that they will be a 'fix' for centres this year, in 2013 against the LIons or even at the 2015 RWC is a stretch I think.
wre01
Roar Guru
Johnno Thanks for your comments but i stand by my article. Yes Australia's centres "aren't that bad" but are they good enough to challenge for a RWC or the British Lions? No. Think of the centre pairing at the heart of RWC winning teams- Horan/ Little & Horan/ Herbert & Greenwood/ Tindall & Devilliers/Fourie and SBW/Conrad Smith. The names McCabe and Horne jsut don't fit in the same class.
Jutsie
Guest
Not sure how much rebels games you have seen this year lats but saying johannson is a "big" unit is a huge understatement lol. The bloke is rivalling piri weepu for most out of shape back in the tournament. Hopefully he gets a good a pre-season of fitness and conditioning and comes back firing next year.
Jutsie
Guest
SB is right he has already resigned with the reds.
Lats
Guest
Johanson, Tapuai, Beale, JOC... holy cow.. thats got the makings of a very good backline.. can we will it to happen? Having said that, Im a Reds fan, so I hope Ben stays where he is.. but he could possibly transform the Rebels if he headed south methinks... he would be that "fourth" banana .. ergo..you cant contain all of them.. :-)
Lats
Guest
Ha ha, fair enough... we will have to agree to disagree on this one. cheers
Kuruki
Roar Guru
I actually thought JOC was introduced a little bit early to the Wallabies. The good teams will find them out pretty quickly if they are not ready.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
You are right it doesn't have to come from 12 but there MUST be the ability to go swiftly thru the midfield and that is just not happening with McCabe and Horne. Every time the Wallabies wanted to go wide or execute a backline move Beale had to step into the midfield to do it. Horne could not even finish a simple wrap around he stuffed it up and ball went to ground, he just does not look comfortable or natural in anything he does with ball in hand, other then run. People were moaning about having to hide Quade on defense because he was a liability, well news flash folks Deans has just gone and completely turned things upside down. Nolonger are you hiding a player on defense, you are now skipping him out on attack. For the Aussie backline to execute an effective backline play the ball must skip at least one set of hands in that midfield and unless the contact is planned at center probably two sets. You have gone from one extreme to the other, it's simply baffling. When was the last time Aussie scored a genuine wingers try? Serious question i really can't remember.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
Marky Mark nobody is defensively dominant against SBW Steyn or Roberts. Nobody.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
Wales have not beaten the All Blacks in my lifetime. Your post makes no sense.
Rob9
Guest
KPM you love to think that JOC is some dwarf that can’t tackle. You keep harping on about his 84kgs which you’ve been shown elsewhere isn’t the case. As Post has rightfully pointed out below, this ‘midget’ can tackle. He’s proven he can bring down some of the biggest units getting around in world rugby. You suggesting he will be smashed into ‘smithereens’ is a gross distortion of reality. I’ll concede that more often than not they won’t be dominant against the big boppers but neither will a lot of McCabes hits when Tuilagi, SBW or Nonu are running at him. Yes McCabe is a physically dominant defender but being 4kgs shy (yes KPM!) of McCabe’s weight, JOC isn’t exactly a slouch either. I also haven’t mentioned JOC once in this comment above. Common boys, I’ve been accused of being swept away by his charms before, but is it you guys that obsessed by his boyish good looks? In all seriousness it doesn’t have to be him. We’ve got some other great ball playing 12s in Barnes and Harris who are up to it also. Just get anyone of them in place of McCabe and this backline will start to have the opportunity to show what it’s truly capable of. To my old mate Whalberg, our second play maker shouldn’t come from our FB. To once again spoon feed you, that’s what I was saying above. In this particular backline, with no big offloader available, they should be closer to the action where they can actually make a difference and ensure the ball gets sent wide. Your buddy WW’s article was dead wrong and it seems that you guys are content going down on that sinking ship. All the best to you!
Rob9
Guest
It's been acknowledged that I like to write an essay or two on here a bit. That's in an attempt to get all the relevent info out in one hit and address all key points. What really gets my goat is having to spoon feed certain individuals who seem to struggle with the English language like yourself Mark. Read again, I said 'I don't believe he's not the defensive liability he was'. If it's proven he still is lets go with Barnes/JOC or Barnes/Harris. Anything thing that isn't the attack killing one dimensional game plan that you get when McCabe lines up at 12.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
I see sorry Marky Mark. Yes I agree the Lions will undoubtedly fire off Tuilagi, Roberts and North (if not Cuthbert too) next year and the All Blacks SBW, Nonu, Gear, Savea who would all reduce JOC to fine particles.
kingplaymaker
Roar Guru
Adam15 think slowly. Genia had three caps and JOC an appearance off the bench and was 18 when they were brought into the Wallabies. Now did that work? That's not common sense presumably according to you? You're confusing Joel and Jordan Rapana. I actually thought that capitalising Jordan would make clear that he is not his brother but clearly I was grossly mistaken. Jordan Rapana has nothing to do with the Reds. Timani had a high workrate in the test he played and was very effective as far as I saw it and if that's not the way you did then all I can say is with have different opinions, not that mine is automatically wrong.
Marky mark
Guest
Omg you are struggling to stay with reality. Cooper is not a defensive liability. I'll have what you're having dude.
Adam-15
Roar Pro
Although he is probably the best counter attacking player in the world. I've often thought about it myself and JOC could go to 15 but i think JOC puts his body on the line more and is much more courageous
Marky mark
Guest
No
Adam-15
Roar Pro
Mate before I used to read too much of you I took your opinions well. And i dont like it when people criticize others on here cause it is opinon, but seriously. I'm a massive reds fan but this constant blowing the sunshine up the @$$es of F'Sautia, UJ, JORDAN Rapana, etc is bordering on insanity. Can you please have some common sense and patience realise that they are not the answer...yet. While were on this i watched a video analysis of TIMANI on green gold rugby and his so called increased workrate was non-existent. For a tight forward he was out of position 70 times out of 148 at ruck time. He was extremely lazy in defence - defending in the backline, going way too high in contact and letting others make contact first. He was extremely lazy in support, even TPN provided better support. He was hitting rucks when they already finished, the list goes on. I'm sure you're a nice bloke but man you need to open both eyes to actually see how some players play not their size.