Wallabies change three
5 Nov 2009
George Smith has returned to Australia’s starting line-up, while Quade Cooper and Digby Ione start in midfield against England at Twickenham on Saturday.
Smith replaces David Pocock at openside flank, while Cooper and Ione play together for the first time, the latter replacing Adam Ashley-Cooper, who shifts to fullback.
Drew Mitchell fills the void left by Ione on the wing. James O’Connor and Ryan Cross drop to the bench after starting against Gloucester on Tuesday.
Australia - 15 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14 Peter Hynes, 13 Digby Ioane, 12 Quade Cooper, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Will Genia, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 George Smith, 6 Rocky Elsom (c), 5 Mark Chisholm, 4 James Horwill, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson.
Subs: 16 Tatafu Polota Nau, 17 Matt Dunning, 18 Dean Mumm, 19 David Pocock, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Ryan Cross, 22 James O’Connor.
17 Comments
5 Nov 2009, 15:06 pm
Dragons
5 Nov 2009, 15:33 pm
can the poms beat the aussies ?
5 Nov 2009, 15:56 pm
Do these Aussies not learn….
The great backlines are built around a centre combo that works – Little and Horan, De Villiers and Fourie, Du plessis and Gerber, Little and Bunce….
Now they go throw a new center combo together out the blue.
Pick one combo, and let them grow !!
5 Nov 2009, 16:05 pm
#3 Cheetha Champs: You cant teach Deans anything Cheetha (you must re-type your nick name
) he is the “best coach in the world” 
5 Nov 2009, 16:26 pm
#4 bokfan1: I like my spelling better
Ja, old Dingo Deans – i think he has now played the All Blacks 8 times – won 1 lost 7…. Last year his side lost to Wales.
His title of “best coach in the world” is well and truly gone, and now rests with Pieter de Villiers (or John, Victor and Fourie if you believe Keo)
5 Nov 2009, 17:16 pm
#3 Cheetha Champs:
Actually Ioane looks excellent at Centre, better than his usual wing selection. Has more gas than Cross and nice in’n'out. Given that Barnes was injured out of Tour then a new 12 was also necessary. Big loss too, Barnes has been their best back. So Cooper plays a similar style albeit not as consistent. Looks handy with ball in hand but will also be targetted on D where he can be miss the odd 1. Ashley-Copper could be a superb FB, and considerably better than the teenager is.
Otherwise the packs looks immeasurably better already with Smith in it. Still dont think theyve fired over 80mins yet the Aussies, have serious fade-issues and Eng will be pressing in the final Qter. When you look at the Aussie bench and see Matt Pudding there beside Mumm, well thats not a good look.
Poms by 1.
5 Nov 2009, 18:07 pm
Well, I read 1 to 5….and then the Ozzies should be concerned.
The frontrow has variable impact in the collissions and the locks are just plain soft.
It would appear that Robbie Deans is taking some time to learn that you will not dominate pressure test matches with a S14 style pack.
5 Nov 2009, 18:17 pm
#5 Cheetha Champs: Ja I feel for old Deans, he was pushed to take an International coaching position besides the ABs one cos they stuck to old Bullfrog henry.
In a way a good thing for us as Deans could’ve possibly made the ABs into an even better team than they have been.
So poor old deans took the Aussie job (a good challenge) and now he looks like a cr@p coach when it may just be the team… even Bullfrog Henry wasnt so great when he coached Wales.
So the same for PDiv – I firmaly belive a lot of the credit for the Boks improvement and domination of rugby is thanks to him – they have taken a step up from 2007. BUT, if the Boks didnt have players like Smit, Matfield, FduP, Bissie etc all hitting their prime together then it would be more difficult.
Also, as people point out, some of the new stars (Brussow & Morne) were almost forced on the Bok coaches.
So how much is the coach and how much is the players?
Would Steve Hansen (sp?) have lost his job as ABs lineout coach if Williams and Jack were still there? Is it all his fault?
It took Heyneke his 2nd stint at Bulle to start winning and build the juggernaut that now exists. AND then Ludeke (who couldnt win a game with the Lions) is heralded as a brilliant coach with the Bulls? Is he really so much better than he was at the Lions? Or is it the higher calibre of players available to him at the Bulls that make him look good?
Such a tricky thing to work out. Its almost fluke to get the right coach for the right group – as we have with PDiv & the Boks.
All praise, plaudits and respect to the Bok coaches (we always forget it takes more than just PDiv – in the good and bad times
)
5 Nov 2009, 18:21 pm
#8 bokfan1: bullfrog…lol
5 Nov 2009, 19:23 pm
#8 bokfan1: i think you’ll find that the best teams are built on all of these: a great coach, a great captain and other areas of leadership and talent through out the lineup.
if you looking at any of the great teams over the past 2 decades, the current bok team included, and you will easily remember the names of the people that filled those roles in the team.
just to prove this with the current bok team. Coach: Div (everybody in the team seems to love and respect him, he gives them freedom and is by all accounts an incredibly gifted man manager and tactician). Captain: John Smit (not much more to say) and talent well, take your pick.
england circa 2000.. woodward, johnson (and other leaders like wilkinson) and talent across the board (incredible pack, one of the best to ever take the field)
the current australian team may have an excellent coach, but is really struggling in those other areas. can’t decide who the best captain is or should be, no apparent on field leadership, and just not enough talent in key positions.
5 Nov 2009, 19:27 pm
#10 badeesh: Absolutely true badeesh! Very good points!
97/98: Mallet, Teichmann, and take your pick (Honiball, Joost, Andrews etc etc)
ABs 2005: Henry, Mccaw and then Carter, Mils, Jack etc
And so on…
6 Nov 2009, 00:48 am
#3 Cheetha Champs: Injuries haven’t granted him that opportunity to let one grow.
His plan was always to go Giteau Barnes and Mortlock and slowly ease Ioane into the outside centre spot.
But then Mortlock got injured, then Ioane, and now Barnes.
Cross was only ever a stop-gap measure as he is almost as old as Mortlock, so in terms of building for his long-term goal, this is the closest he can get.
Will be interesting to see how Quade goes. I have never rated him based on S14 form (on top of the fact he is a wanker), but it looks like time in the Wallabies with Deans has started to improve him.
Now if he can just learn to tackle (he should take some tips off the other youngster Toomua in this facet) he may finally start living up to the hype.
6 Nov 2009, 01:59 am
#12 DonutDunning: why do you think Quade is a w@nker? interesting to hear he can’t tackle, I think that will be targeted by Banahan
6 Nov 2009, 04:00 am
#13 Big Hit: Agreed I would be very surprised if the channel between Giteau and Cooper was not targetted.
I’ve seen the way he acts in games when things don’t go his way. Whiny little prat. Plus the hair, come on!
That was about 18 months ago now though.
Maybe he’s grown up a little since then, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt.
6 Nov 2009, 04:28 am
#14 DonutDunning: ‘plus the hair’?? wtf has someones hair got to with anything and why would one comment on a personal aspect of a players appearance?
6 Nov 2009, 04:46 am
#14 DonutDunning: fair comments, our 12 Geraghty isn’t the best defender either. Should be a fascinating game.
6 Nov 2009, 09:29 am
I think this combo can really work, Cooper has matured a lot, he only does stupid things when he tries to get too clever. He asks questions of the defense, Digby out side of him should give him plenty of room as you wouldn’t want to leave him unmarked by at least two. Should be interesting this one.
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