The final Wallaby squad has been announced and there is no Quade Cooper, no Bernard Foley and no Matt Toomua.
You might ask why am I putting Foley and Toomua in the same sentence as Quade Cooper.
Well, it is simple really, these are the three players who played as first choice fly-halves for the Super Rugby franchises for the entire season. They are the only three players to have played more than six matches at fly-half in the season and have played more than 1000 minutes of rugby in the pivotal number 10.
A breakdown of the season for the Australian franchises revealed the following (based on starting the match at fly-half.)
Quade Cooper – 15 matches – 1200 minutes
Bernard Foley – 15 matches – 1168 minutes
Matt Toomua – 14 matches – 1070 minutes
The selected players who potentially could play at 10:
James O’Connor – five matches – 343 minutes
Kurtley Beale – three matches – 235 minutes (hasn’t played since Round 3)
Chrsitian Lealiifano – one match – 80 minutes
Kurtley Beale, Berrick Barnes, Christian Lealiifano, James O’Connor are in Deans’ squad. None of the three regular fly-halves of their Super Rugby franchise has been called up.
In my view this is no longer about Quade Cooper, that has been done, dusted and beaten to death. The main question here is why have not one of the regular starters made the cut?
Matt Toomua has been controlling territory for the Brumbies all season. Granted, he hasn’t been the first choice kicker for the Brumbies, but considering O’Connor and Beale are likely to get a spot in the match-day 22, what’s the problem?
Considering the suspected game plan of Robbie Deans, is that not what he wants? A dependable fly-half that conforms to his structured game plan?
I know very few rate Foley, and his tactical kicking is questionable at the best of times. The biggest challenge the Waratahs face this season is not being able to win a kicking contest against one legged sparrow with a limp. However Foley has been one of the leading playmakers in the Super Rugby this year.
Without negating the debate surrounding Quade Cooper (it has run its course) I want to include Foley and Cooper in this part of the reasoning.
Both Foley and Cooper are in the top 20 for metres gained in the Super Rugby, yet neither are in the top 20 for number of runs, which suggests to me that both are rather effective with ball in hand.
Foley, Cooper and Toomua are all in the top 20 for try assists. Granted Cooper has thrown a fair few misdirected and no look passes during the season, but is the risk not worthy of the rewards?
Bernard Foley is in the top three for line breaks during the Super Rugby season. Once again, is that not what we expect from a fly-half, being able to get past the gainline and putting support runners into space?
Again, both Cooper (1st) and Foley (16th) are in the top 20 for offloads. In fact Cooper has three times the number of offloads of Bernard Foley, and even when considering he has curbed his recklessness to some degree this season, it seems not effective enough or perhaps too risky for Deans.
Perhaps the negative in all this is the number of times Cooper has been turned over. He leads the turnovers conceded in Super Rugby.
The question for me is this: is Deans not taking a bigger risk by selecting his potential fly-halves on reputation and individual skill, rather than looking at those who have consistently performed during the season?
No matter how talented you are, you don’t just rock up against the British and Irish Lions and slot into the pivotal position with ease. It takes time to gain confidence and be comfortable in a specialist position such as fly-half.
I am fine with an explanation that suggests to me Deans isn’t prepared to play risky rugby. If that is the case he can justify that Cooper is not accurate enough in his offloads, takes too many risks and is a defensive liability.
I can accept if his justification not to select Foley is due to his inexperience, inability to control territory and his error rate is too high due to his turn overs.
What I don’t understand is why Matt Toomua has not received a call up. He looks, smells and plays pretty much in tune with what I think Deans wants from his fly-half.
Instead Deans has selected Kurtley Beale, who hasn’t played a competitive match of Super Rugby for more than two months, and James O’Connor who does not always play well with others.
Surely Deans is not planning on using Berrick Barnes or Christian Lealiifano as his starting ten?
It is all a bit of a mystery to me.
jutsie
Guest
but u wrote an entire piece about why cooper shouldnt be selected with the current gameplan. u got what u wanted yet ur the loudest critic on the roar about his non selection.
Dan
Guest
nice cunny funts ; )
johnson
Guest
Red my friend you have got one on me there, I have no clue what your on about so I cannot retort
Red Kev
Guest
He is brilliant, and I just consider that one more reason to hate him :)
Red Kev
Guest
Johnson - for there to be a conspiracy there has to be more than one person, I am simply talking about the delusions of one R.Deans. WRM - AAC has never been a specialist anything and before this year at the Waratahs I have always felt he has played his best rugby at 15.
Hoy
Roar Guru
Do you know what, it isn't even the lack of a backup. I would have taken one, but everyone for Deans argues that hardly any other country took a specialist 7 as backup... so fine. But did the other countries backups play so ineffectively as McCalman prior to the tourny? Honestly, McCalman starting at 7 in an international game? Terrible decision, and makes no sense whatsoever. Was Hodgson called up before that game or after? Can anyone remember?
I take exception to that. It is most definitely not synchronized. :) We're all unique and fall in our own time. ;)
WRM
Guest
Well besides AAC and McCabe never being specialist FBs...
fredstone
Guest
Aye but he gets away with it most of the time and should therefore be considered brilliant.
WRM
Guest
Niwd you are missing the point. The point is the win stats of a team with a particular player in it do not indicate the contribution of the player. It just doesnt, how could it? unless you think Australia should drop genia for Burgess. The position does not matter. Everyone is outraged by Coopers omission but in the same breath will condem McCabe and BBarnes selection. Unlike Cooper, both players have been in the top 10 of the JE medal in the last 2 years and yet people are disgusted at McCabe and Berricks selection. Whats the reason? Its not performance because Quade has been pretty average for Australia since 2010 whilst McCabe and especially Barnes have been good. What it is is what people want or imagine the best rugby the Wallabies could play is and how Cooper could provide that but Barnes and McCabe just dont fit into that fantasy. Australians want flashy entertaining rugby. I think JOC will surprise us all. Im not saying Australia will win because I think the odds are stacked against them and the Lions from 1-23 probably have at least 15 players that could be argued are better than their Aust counterpart but I do think JOC will thrive in the Wallaby environment with Barnes along side him at FB.
Blinky Bill of Bellingen
Guest
Inside the mind of Robbie: VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV..................................................................................................... Okay nurse record the time of death & I'll sign it. Also notify next of kin. :( .....................................................................................................................................VVVVVVVVVVV Hang on. There's a pulse. Cancel that. He's back! ;)
niwdeyaj
Guest
I meant his standards as a 10....
WRM
Guest
Imagine how much better JOCs stats would be if hed played more at 10.
niwdeyaj
Guest
WRM, your comment would make sense if there were other 10's featured... but in the absence of a genuine better alternative, QC is the best we have. A guy like Toomua needs to be developed though so we have more depth and the option of playing a different style of game. JOC is not the answer. Deans has just lost the plot on that call.
WRM
Guest
Should read 10/11 & 11/12.
AdamS
Roar Guru
I googled that BB, it said "Did you mean sychronized falling over...." :)
DR
Guest
Good point. Many players are skilled enough at the back to interchange but a good fullback can change to wing easier than the other way around IMO such as Ben Smith or Cory Jane as opposed to Savea. But enough of this back talk, cricket is about to start ;)
And yet there is no 10 that has been playing in the Super Xv regularly, and those selected are not match fit, or have not been in good form either.
SandBox
Roar Guru
great article and very poignant on the half-baked 10 comment. Why not add a half-baked 9 and 2 to the mix? We not only carry a specialist 2 and 9 in the run-on, but every team will normally have a specialist 2 and 9 in the reserves. In the backs, you may get away with a half-baked 10 in the reserves - a utility who can play three or so different positions, but no coach seems to play half-baked 10s in the run on....except of course, our very own Aussie Rob Dingo Deans
I agree with you when it comes to specialists, specifically at 9, 10, 12, 13. Your back three should be multi skilled to be able to catch, run, kick, defend etc. If they are interchangeable from left wing to right wing, or having to step into the fullback position when he is down, is means they all have similar skills. However, the other positions are crucial to have players specialising in their positions as each of those positions required different skills.