Wallabies XV in 2010

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Decent, except the 13 won't be the 13. No idea who, but it won't be Iaone if they want to win test matches. NZ will maul him at 13, there is a reason he is playing well on the wing- he rarely has to tackle. Put AAK or Horne at 13, and go from there. Iaone and Mitchell on the wings, and Beale/Turner/AAK at fullback.

I hope Baxter gets injured so we don't have that plodder in the Wallabies side!
 
Swans120 said:
Benny Robinson gone for about 6 weeks with a fractured arm. Will most likely miss a couple of the Autumn tests.

Benny Alexander should now take the looshead spot and i reckon Al Baxter will get the tighthead spot. Then one of Daley, Ma'afu or Weeks to get the reserve spot. Deans loves Kepu so if he can come back into the Tahs team this week and play well the last game and finals if tehy make it he could make the 22. He is often injured though.

1. Alexander
2. TPN
3. Baxter
4. Sharpe
5. Mumm
6. Higginbotham
7. Pocock
8. Elsom
9. Genia
10. Barnes (i have been won over by his performances of late)
11. Mitchell
12. Giteau
13. Ioane
14. Hynes
15. AAC

16. Moore
17. Daley/Kepu
18. Douglas
19. Hodgson
20. Valentine
21. Cooper
22. O'Connor
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Not bad, but I would switch Barnes with Cooper and Hynes to FB and AAC to the wing. People seem to forget the crap Barnes served up for the first 8 or so weeks of the Super 14.
 
Pawtucket Patriot said:
Not bad, but I would switch Barnes with Cooper and Hynes to FB and AAC to the wing. People seem to forget the crap Barnes served up for the first 8 or so weeks of the Super 14.
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Wasn't just Barnes though. Tahs weren't doing him any favours at time playing him at 12 behind another playmaker and not letting him run the show.

When it has mattered, late in the season, he has stepped up for the Tahs and been wonderful. His defence is very good and that gives him the edge over Cooper in that sense.

I would almost contend that Barnes and Cooper should be the the 2 inside backs. Though everyone knows Giteau will be there.
 

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Swans120 said:
Wasn't just Barnes though. Tahs weren't doing him any favours at time playing him at 12 behind another playmaker and not letting him run the show.

When it has mattered, late in the season, he has stepped up for the Tahs and been wonderful. His defence is very good and that gives him the edge over Cooper in that sense.

I would almost contend that Barnes and Cooper should be the the 2 inside backs. Though everyone knows Giteau will be there.
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Cooper is more potent in attack and so has Barnes covered in that area. Also the Genia and Cooper combination is dynamite.
 
Yeh we've been over this time and time again. Let's just wait and see.
 
Pawtucket Patriot said:
I think they will go with the conservative option of Barnes and Giteu.
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Well strike me pink..you actually agree with me!:eek:

Told you this would be the combination 3 months ago!:D
 
bombersno1 said:
Well strike me pink..you actually agree with me!:eek:

Told you this would be the combination 3 months ago!:D
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Yeah, I know, but I just did not want to believe it. :D It is still the wrong option in my opinion. I also agree that Baxter is a dud.
 
Pawtucket Patriot said:
Yeah, I know, but I just did not want to believe it. :D It is still the wrong option in my opinion. I also agree that Baxter is a dud.
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Baxter is trash, gives away penalties galore..I mean even his best game last night..he gave away 3 penalties..if the Hurricanes were the Crusaders the Waratahs would have lost.

As for Barnes..well I told you so. Test footy is more conservative anyway, so it is best to be safe than have Cooper let in 3 tries due to his inability to make a tackle!
 
bombersno1 said:
Baxter is trash, gives away penalties galore..I mean even his best game last night..he gave away 3 penalties..if the Hurricanes were the Crusaders the Waratahs would have lost.

As for Barnes..well I told you so. Test footy is more conservative anyway, so it is best to be safe than have Cooper let in 3 tries due to his inability to make a tackle!
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Currently dismantling the Highlanders. :D
 
It is the Highlanders..and Cooper has zilch pressure on him. Where was he when the pressure was on the last 2 weeks..that is the problem. He looks a million bucks in attack but he couldn't defend even if his life depended on it. Cooper will be on the bench.
 
I agree that Cooper will probably be on the bench, but he'll be a great weapon to bring on in the 2nd half of a match and if there are any injuries he gives us a lot of depth. I think he'll have enough chances to play himself into the starting team either way, so it's in his own hands.

Kurtley Beale has to be playing himself into contention at the moment for fullback. Has been sensational the last 2 weeks. Defence is still an issue, but to be honest I'd rather pick a team to win then a team to not lose...or limit losses.

Beale, Mitchell and Hynes as a back 3 would be incredibly dangerous on the counter attack and around the fringes. Having a play maker like Beale getting the ball in space around the edges with guys like that and Ioane etc running off him could be very good. There are so many options though - our depth in the backs is the best it's been for years.
 
Beale depends on AAK. I still see AAK as our best 15. However, AAK could easily be playing 13. If Ashley Cooper is in the centres, Beale would be my fullback. Hynes would not be in my side, Iaone and Mitchell are the two standout wingers, and I would like Rod Davies if fit to be the impact player.

Cooper won't be in the starting side unless they rightfully punt Giteau!
 

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bombersno1 said:
Beale depends on AAK. I still see AAK as our best 15. However, AAK could easily be playing 13. If Ashley Cooper is in the centres, Beale would be my fullback. Hynes would not be in my side, Iaone and Mitchell are the two standout wingers, and I would like Rod Davies if fit to be the impact player.

Cooper won't be in the starting side unless they rightfully punt Giteau!
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Beale has played well at FB over the last couple of weeks, but is still behind Hynes. Again, Hynes at FB with AAC and Mitchell on the wings. Ioane at 13 and Giteu/Barnes at 12. However, we are not selectors so I guess it is not up to us. :D
 
Hynes will NOT be fullback for Australia, lock it in. Deans sees him as a winger that can fill in at fullback, but no more than that. Well behind AAK and Beale for the fullback gig and the way Deans was speaking last week at the function, Beale has the inside running to be fullback, with AAK in the centres. Ioane will be on the wing.
 
Interesting to see how Deans will make up his 22 with so many injuries to some important players who would normally have a spot in the XV to themselves or be right in contention like Benny Robinson, Cliff Palu, Stephen Moore, James Horwill, Will Genia.

I'd go with the following for the Fiji Test:

1. Daley (if he is fit)
2. TPN (if he is fit)
3. Alexander (so he can stay at 3 when Robinson returns)
4. Mumm
5. Sharpe (was the best Australian lock and that can't be denied)
6. Elsom
7. Pocock
8. Brown (Higginbotham could have contended for this spot but he's injured)
9. Valentine (i doubt it will happen cause Deans looooooooooves Burgess and Sheehan's name keeps coming up in the media which is really bumming me out, Valentine was the 2nd best 9 behind Genia in Aus.)
10. Barnes
11. Mitchell
12. Giteau
13. Horne (his final 3 weeks convinced me, let's hope he stays fit...)
14. Ioane
15. AAC

16. Faingaa
17. Ma'afu
18. Douglas
19. Hodgson
20. Burgess/Holmes
21. Cooper
22. O'Connor/Beale
 
Article about TPN's injuries, could have surgery and miss the rest of the year or could play hurt which might interrupt his lead in to the RWC.

The biggest news of this article for me though is right at the bottom, where it says "Dan Vickerman now seems certain to figure in the RWC plans of AUstralia even if he doesn't play in the 2011 S15. Interesting, wonder what his sources is on this...

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,27183770-5016959,00.html
 
Swans, really don't want to reveal who I know this from but Vickerman has signed a "gentleman agreement" for the World Cup. The reason will come in the next month or so, and I don't want to wreck the story. The Australian players know about this.
 
Is that right!

That is awesome news. We need nobody more than a world class lock. The only real area we have little depth in. That is awesome.

Do you have any idea about him playing S15? Unlikely? Likely? No idea?
 
Swans120 said:
Is that right!

That is awesome news. We need nobody more than a world class lock. The only real area we have little depth in. That is awesome.

Do you have any idea about him playing S15? Unlikely? Likely? No idea?
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A CHANCE to play for the Force or the Reds from what I am hearing, massive offers in terms of money as well. However he is a certainty if he does not play in the S15 to play the club rugby/international season after the S15 anyway.

Is a great thing, and the people in the "rugby circles" know it. It does help that I am really good mates with two players in the Wallabies, and I do have some input in terms of work for the NSW Waratahs as well.

Welcome back Vicks!:thumbsu:
 
Australia won't be up to it this year. They do have some very handy young players though and I think they will be peaking nicely for the world cup.

I think a Genia/Cooper/Giteau combo will be very lethal.

South Africa are going to be tough as hell to beat this year, I am a Kiwi and for the first time in a long time I would rat us underdogs to them. The only thing that will get us over the line is that we have an exceptional record away form home, much better than anyone else.

I guess its good we arent peaking before a world cup like every other one. Hopefully we come out and ran rampant in 2011.
 
I genuinely think Australia has a better team to put out overall then the AB's. The Boks are the team to beat but NZ doesn't seem to have quite the depth they usually have. Having said that, NZ don't need to have a better team out there when they have Carter and McCaw. They can beat any team at any time with those 2 in their XV.
 
Swans120 said:
I genuinely think Australia has a better team to put out overall then the AB's. The Boks are the team to beat but NZ doesn't seem to have quite the depth they usually have. Having said that, NZ don't need to have a better team out there when they have Carter and McCaw. They can beat any team at any time with those 2 in their XV.
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Disagree, not this year. Wallabies haven't won in NZ since 2001 either.

Coming into 2007 our 1st XV and 2nd XV were the best two teams in the world but problem is you can only put 15 on the park at a time. I guess its a blessing in disguise to get a few injuries this year to get some other young guys blooded so next year the depth is there.

Out of curiousity what positions do you see the All Blacks lacking depth?
 
Fly half for one and with McCaw 50/50 in terms of being fit for the tri nations it does make it a more testing time for NZ. Lose Carter and you are screwed, Donald is terrible at 10, and the others..well the less said the better.
 
I don't necessarily think they have no depth, just the usual Kiwi way of having 4 guys in every position ready and good enough to play in the 1st XV doesn't look to be there this year.

With Hore injured, Mealamu seems to be their only genuine option at hooker. Paulo i guess would be their next man.

Ali Williams and Jason Eaton being injured weakens the lock department. Boric, Thorn and Jack i guess are the men for that position.

Centres seem a bit more shallow than normal. Kahui, Nonu (who is injured), Smith and Toeava perhaps, Benson Stanley?

If Carter goes down i can't see Donald or Stephen Brett doing the job well enough to win the Tri Nations for NZ.
 
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