The ARU released Ewen McKenzie’s Wallaby selection to play the Springboks at Brisbane on Saturday at 8.55am on Wednesday.
The normal announcement time is around mid-day or later on Thursday.
The title of the ARU’s release gives the clue to its early announcement: “Quade Cooper Announced At Flyhalf For Wallabies Clash Against South Africa”.
The appointment of McKenzie as the new Wallaby coach came before the Sydney Test against the All Blacks to bolster ticket sales and the bruised/smashed confidence of Wallaby supporters.
Cooper’s promotion as flyhalf to the starting line-up on the Wallabies is, similarly, part of a marketing promotion to increase ticket sales for Saturday night, and to provide some comfort to supporters who haven’t been overly enthusiastic about McKenzie’s start to his stint as the coach of the Wallabies.
The early part of the ARU’s media release was a sort of pep talk for Cooper.
He and Wallaby supporters were told that in partnership with Will Genia the pair of them at Brisbane ‘have achieved tremendous results’ for the Wallabies and the Queensland Reds.
There is the ‘decisive’ Tri Nations-winning victory over the All Blacks in 2011 and the Reds ‘maiden Super Rugby title’ at Suncorp Stadium.
Cooper, we are also reminded, has a ‘commanding record’ against the Springboks, having won seven of his nine total matches, including the past five.
McKenzie, too, is quoted as saying that ”we have specific thoughts about how we want to play this game and feel Quade is best suited to carrying that out.”
This suggests to me, initially at least, the helter-skelter game that the Reds played against the Lions.
The point here is that after about 20 minutes or so of the Reds playing the most brilliant expansive rugby, the Reds hadn’t scored a try.
They went on to lose to a Lions XV that was beaten later on in the tour by the orthodox, restrictive play of the Brumbies.
Part of the problem was that the Lions worked out that Cooper was not going to run and challenge the drift defence by making the trade mark break-outs that marked his play before his serious leg injury at the end of 2011.
The Lions put all sorts of pressure on the runners Cooper was setting up. The All Blacks did the same when Cooper came on in both Tests as a reserve who was supposed to, but did not, make an impact.
This lack of impact in terms of setting up tries was evident, too, during the Reds Super Rugby campaign when the side had a low rate of scoring tries, even though Cooper was on the field for virtually every minute of the campaign.
So, there are two things that Cooper has to do to ensure that he sparks what has been a lethargic Wallaby attack.
First: he has to play much flatter than he has this season for the Reds and the Wallabies. By standing flat, he engages the defensive line, even if he doesn’t actually try for a break.
When he is deep, like a quarter back in the pocket, the defence has plenty of time to read the plays that he is setting up.
Even if a break is made, the defence has time to make the covering tackles.
Second: he has to run more often. He should watch videos of Daniel Carter. Several times in a match, Carter will just tuck the ball under his arm and run hard at the defensive line.
The object of the play is not necessarily to make a break. The intention is to engage the defence, put it in its its mind, that the ball is going to be just shovelled along the line.
From broken play, especially, I’d like Cooper to have a go. I still remember a sensational break-out he made against a Springboks side from inside his own 22. This is the sort of running we want from him.
That break-out, like most of his fabulous plays on the video highlights, were before his leg injury. It seems to me that he has lost a bit of pace and, perhaps, the appetite to go for a break that might see him clattered.
This is why Saturday night is his moment of truth.
Does he still have his mojo? Or is gone and dusted with the inevitable invasions launched by age, hard knocks and an insidious but hidden lack of confidence?
One thing Cooper will have in his favour is that the Springbok pack is monstrous but lacks a flier.
Why Heinrich Brussow isn’t a starter is beyond my comprehension. When you have a pack like the Springboks you can more than carry a wing/forward to harass the opposition backs and steal turnovers.
And there are 180 or so tackles, rucks and mauls where Brussow is a ‘fetcher’ of extraordinary ability, a freakish player who also has a strong running game.
Michael Hooper should/must have a field day with the rucks as a fetcher as David Pocock did when Brussow was injured early on in the quarter-final of Rugby World Cup 2011.
McKenzie has bowed to pressure (I reckon) and is going to play Folau at fullback.
Hopefully, he has given Folau some clarity in what he has to do. Inside the Wallaby 22, just boot the ball out.
Outside the 22, run it! and look to linking up with wingers James O’Connor and Nick Cummins, a well-deserved selection for a player who gives 110 percent in all his play.
I am surprised that Rob Simmons has been retained in the front five.
Someone wasn’t pushing in the scrums and judging by his lazy play around the field, jogging slowly into position, my guess is that the non-pusher was Simmons.
Sekope Kefu’s selection as a prop gives, or should give, the Wallabies another big runner as he joins James Slipper and James Horwill in taking the ball up in bullocking charges (it is to be hoped).
It is often forgotten that while Robbie Deans was singularly unsuccessful as a coach against the All Blacks, he was singularly successful as a coach against the Springboks.
The two teams play for the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate. The Wallabies have held the trophy for three straight years.
A win at Suncorp Stadium will make it four-in-a-row. A win will also help the Wallabies to regain some confidence after a couple of shattering defeats at Sydney to the British and Irish Lions and the All Blacks.
In this sense, the Test is a moment of truth for Quade Cooper and for the Wallabies, the players and the coaching staff.
haribaldi
Guest
Wallabies got to know Alberts, Louw, and Vermuelen.
Rob na Champassak
Roar Guru
Okay, I'm going to say it... Giteau's... playing... well...? Awkward...
Argyle
Roar Guru
Sounds about right mate. Rudd is gone by the looks of it.
nickoldschool
Roar Guru
Juan Smith has finally been cleared to Play for Toulon RK. Underwent a battery of medical tests a couple of weeks ago and I think he signed his contract earlier this week. Agree. He was a great backrower.
Red Kev
Guest
Man that was nice to see, Deans' coaching had such promise before he lost his nuts in 2011. Genia-Cooper-Giteau ... I'll never understand why we didn't immediately replace Giteau with JOC at 12 when he went off to France. White-Toomua-Lealiifano is a good back up option combination too. Ioane and Mitchell both gone is a blow but Speight (from November and the EOYT when he becomes eligible) and Cummins are good replacements in my opinion. If Beale can't get his head right we have Folau. We have the ammunition to score tries but as always our problem is depth, we lost too many of our first-choice XV and the team just isn't the same and can't play at the level needed to beat the ABs.
Ben.S
Roar Guru
But the Roar told me Rocky Elsom was the best 6 in the world...
Red Kev
Guest
Juan Smith ... such a shame he was injured into retirement, for a couple of years there when he was fit and firing he was the best blindside in world rugby with daylight second and third.
Red Kev
Guest
Mowen is a no.6 but the first-choice no.8s are Palu and Higginbotham and both are injured.
WoobliesFan
Guest
Lol.....hilarious
mania
Guest
agree moore scored that try
chann wee
Guest
also interesting to see why people still keep booing QC :) mccaw isnt even looking ... what a playa , quade cooper !!!
Frank O'Keeffe
Guest
This i a great post! The best period of Deans' coaching was in 2010 when the Wallabies went to South Africa. They lost the first Test there after blowing a massive lead, but they scored some amazing tries. They won the next week too... It was the first time in ages I'd seen a Wallaby backline fire like that. The biggest reason the backline was firing was because Beale made everything fall into place. There was the tiniest moment when all looked well, but it didn't last. The back three of Beale, Mitchell, and O'Connor were incredible. Beale's performance in Hong Kong, where he really dusted Muliana, was incredible too. It's sad to see what happened to Beale. If he had his mind the game he'd be one of the world's best players.
kelefua
Guest
Very true PeterK. But under those circumstances would QC or any other Aussie 5eight done better? maybe. Wallaby pack struggled to provide consistent front foot ball. In comparison the opposition also fielded a green youngster in Taylor but the platform they had to perform & onfield support were anything but the same. Toomua will have learnt heaps in those games & will no doubt show a bit more spark moving forward. That said I hope Foley gets a run soon:)
Banger
Guest
I actually think that they made a 'horses for courses' decision here, and that Coopers game (particularly passing) is going to be more effective against the Springboks then Toomua's. Now that is unlucky for Toomua as he gave a much improved performance in Wellington. In the case of Mogg, I am very glad to see he has not been discrarded as I think he will take a bit of time to acclimatise to international rugby. At the moment he looks to be lacking a bit of a crisis of confidence. Anyway in this game, as soon as it was decided that Cooper would start, Mogg had to be dropped to the bench. Unfortunately at the moment there is no way that the wallabies can afford to carry both players defensively from the start of a game.
Dan H
Guest
Dont get fined if you state it is against your religion.
sheek
Roar Guru
Crikey Uncle, Who are these friends/relos of yours to put a wedding on during such a momentous night???!!! They'll walk down the aisle with Kevvie & wake up the next morning with Tony..... ;-)
Skills & Techniques
Guest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkvS_K-Tgp4&list=PL6EE8072DDCBBAF22&index=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VbUDgLr_QI&list=PL6EE8072DDCBBAF22 I love to post these to remind people of the days when the amigos were firing. Quade is so calm and flat. James is unstoppable in traffic. Nobody can put a hand on Kurtley. Mitchell was the ultimate finisher. It is interesting watching the amigos target McCaw defending in the backline they take him on and win regularly. What happened to these finishing skills?
WEST
Roar Guru
HA HA...SPIRO. All im going to say to that title is....WHAT, ...AGAIN.
According to Rugbystats the Australian Website alberts had the following impact in the past two tests. Home test vs Argentina He attempted 7 tackles and all 7 was effective, no ineffective or missed tackles. He hit 3 rucks of which two was quick and 1 was normal. He made 4 runs (tight) and made 17 meters. He was turned over once in general play. He had one line break No offloads Away test vs Argentina He attempted 20 tackles, made 14 effective tackles, 5 ineffective tackles and missed 1 He made 8 runs for 42 meters, 7 were in the tight for 37 meters and one run in the open for 5 meters. He was turned over once at a ruck He hit 8 rucks, 4 fast, 3 normal and one slow. He conceded one penalty. His biggest downfall is he doesn't ever look for a support runner, he doesn't look to offload in contact. So he is pretty much predictable. Duane vermeulen in these two tests Attempted 20 tackles, 17 was effective, two wasn't and he missed one tackle. 16 runs for 127 meters, 6 tight (41 meters), open 2 (11 meters), kick return 8 for 81 meters He hit 13 rucks, 6 quick, 5 normal, 2 slow He was turned over twice in general play. He conceded 2 penalties, made 2 offloads and 2 line breaks Took one line out Francois Louw attempted 18 tackles, made 16 effective tackles, missed 1 and had one ineffective. made 5 runs for 17 meters, 1 in the open for meters and 4 tight runs for 11 meters. Conceded 1 penalty and made 2 offloads Kolisi (He played 27 minutes in total) he attempted 2 tackles, made 2 effective tackles. Took one line out Made four runs for 41 meters, open run 21 meters, 2 tight runs for 15 meters, one pick and drive for 5 meters He was turned over once at a ruck. He hit three rucks, 2 quick, 1 normal He made one line break and 1 offload. Meyer has been using Kolisi mainly as an impact sub for the last 15 minutes or so. I would suggest he gets a bit more time, 15 minutes isn't much time to make an impact.
ACT
Guest
Tahs & Reds just can't be subjective if an ACT player is in there. Never mind Toomua, CL, TK and Mogg (plus Speight) combined for more tries (except Tahs only just) and came close in the finals.