Aus latest – Hong Kong heroes front Wales
4 Nov 2010
Keo.co.za brings you daily updates from the Wallabies’ quest to conquer Europe.
Deans backs All Blacks beaters – Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has made no changes to the side that edged the All Blacks in Hong Kong last week.
Wallabies – 15 Kurtley Beale; 14 James O’Connor, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Drew Mitchell; 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia; 8 Ben McCalman, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Mark Chisholm, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson.
Subs: 16 Saia Faingaa, 17 James Slipper,18 Dean Mumm, 19 Richard Brown, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Berrick Barnes, 22 Lachie Turner.
Wales cut Williams - Sam Warburton is preferred to Martyn Williams at openside flank in a youthful Wales team to face Australia.
Only three of the match 22 for the Cardiff Test are over 30 years old, situation created by a string of injuries to senior players. Matthew Rees captains Wales for the first time.
Wales - 15 James Hook, 14 Will Harries, 13 Tom Shanklin, 12 Andrew Bishop, 11 Shane Williams, 10 Stephen Jones, 9 Mike Phillips, 8 Jonathan Thomas, 7 Sam Warburton, 6 Dan Lydiate, 5 Alun Wyn Jones, 4 Bradley Davies, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Matthew Rees (c), 1 Gethin Jenkins,
Subs: Huw Bennett, Paul James, Deiniol Jones, Martyn Williams, Richie Rees, Dan Biggar
Gatland hails Pocock - Warren Gatland says David Pocock is a finer fetcher than Richie McCaw.
Such is the Wales coach’s estimation of Pocock, that he has warned a failure to nullify him would be decisive to the outcome of the Test in Cardiff. ‘We have to make sure we do a job on him, because at the moment there’s nobody in the world better than Pocock at winning turnovers at the breakdown,’ Gatland said.
Gits felt like a liability - Matt Giteau feared his poor goalkicking would undermine the Wallabies’ chances of victory.
James O’Connor has been installed as the new punter, with Giteau struggling for consistency all season. ”I still want to stick with it [kicking], because there are times where I hit the ball quite well, but it is inconsistent at the moment,” he said. ”And it’s not the right time to trial it in Test matches, especially when I feel we are making as much progress as we are. It shouldn’t be held back by goal kicking.
‘I will still be practising as hard as I have been when preparing for a match, so if something happens and I’m required to kick, I’m still able to kick. But at the moment I want to get to a position where I am fully confident. If I’m really happy with how I’m hitting the ball, then I’ll put my hand up.’
Cooper has Wales worried - Wales flyhalf Stephen Jones said they will mark Quade Cooper tightly.
‘His footwork is so good he very rarely gets wrapped up in the tackle and, because of that, he off-loads a lot,’ Jones said. ‘You very rarely see him die with the ball or go fully into contact with it. He just sees things very early.
‘At the back, we’ve got to make sure we mark as much space as we can. We can’t give this guy big chunks of field to aim at because he will make us pay.’
23 Comments
4 Nov 2010, 10:20 am
“World best fetcher”?!?!?!
And they wonder why NH rugby is dragging behind….., No worries Gatkant, next week it’ll be a different flavour.
4 Nov 2010, 10:46 am
jeeez the wallabies beat the Blacks once in 10 games and suddenly they’re the best team in the world and pococks better than mccaw? not even NH teams gloat this much when they beat one of the Tri nations
4 Nov 2010, 10:59 am
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis) : @mbaxman93(mbaxman93) : Both of you two are hard task-masters. Gatland is rating Bam Bam on his ability to FETCH… get turn over ball. On present form he is the best fetcher, nothing more or less.
MBax youre reading way too much into this article. Nowhere is he being rated against others for anything else only his fetching. Perspective please.
4 Nov 2010, 11:09 am
@mbaxman93(mbaxman93) : Its not the Aussies rating him, or gloating about his talent, its that sheep in dragons clothing, Gatland.
4 Nov 2010, 11:13 am
@mbaxman93(mbaxman93) :
I agree, I enjoyed the Hong Kong game and was actually rooting for the Wallabies. I hoped that their win would shake the All Blacks’ seemingly unshakeable self belief. Ironically it didn’t have the desired effect. It is now the Wallabies who think that they can walk on water after only 3 wins in their last 7 tests, two of them against an abysmally inept Springbok side. This is hardly cause for their current arrogance.
4 Nov 2010, 11:26 am
@Werner Beytel(Werner Beytel) :
Mate as long as you believe that, it is all that matters.
I am an Aussie and I would never call the Springboks and inept side. But hey, you seem to be sure of yourself.
4 Nov 2010, 11:52 am
@RugbyRulz(RugbyRulz) :
In reply I can only ask this question: After South African sides finishing first and second in the Super 14, did the Springboks live up to their theoretical potential? Answer me truthfully now.
Congratulations on Saturday’s Hong Kong Bledisloe victory, it was a great rugby spectacle which I thoroughly enjoyed.
4 Nov 2010, 11:57 am
this is going to piss agile off.
evrybody knows that steggie is the world’s best fetcher.
4 Nov 2010, 12:02 pm
@gunther(gunther) :
4 Nov 2010, 12:08 pm
McCaw doesn’t need to be an amazing fetcher these days because the AB’s counterrucking is so strong. Why pilfer when you can invade? Well done to Pocock though — I thought the new interpretations would largely neuter his game.
4 Nov 2010, 12:10 pm
@gunther(gunther) :
8
Yes, and incase they didn’t know it, I will use the undeniable authority of Wikipedia, and create my own little extention to the stub. Don’t make me name names people.
4 Nov 2010, 12:28 pm
@SJonesIsAGit(SJonesIsAGit) :
“why pilfer when you can invade”
are you german?
4 Nov 2010, 12:34 pm
@RugbyRulz(RugbyRulz) : The Boks were shocking during the 3N, no doubt about it. Your lot stole defeat from the jaws of victory on more than one occasion and had it not been for a Donald meltdown on Saturday when he didn’t just kick the f-ing ball out, it would have been another sad loss.
Make no mistake, when Deans (the best coach in the world) can get the consistency into what is obviously another incredibly eager, very talented Aussie back line, the Wallabies will be a real danger team. Not yet though…. 2011…. may well be.
Pocock, a great fetcher for sure but doesn’t have the complete game yet. McCaw is still the premium model, not only for his work at the break down but the way he reads the game, inevitably positions himself superbly during open play and also anticipates wonderfully in defense.
Boks being lead into meltdown by a mad selection system, tired players that need a rest, especially the senior (read, old) guys and a coach that hasn’t evolved a team that was the best in the world a few seasons ago.
Just to throw some **** onto the fire… Pat Lambie, THE form flyhalf in SA…. the next Brent Russell/Ruan Pienaar?
Good luck to all southern hemisphere teams this weekend. May we collectively show the northerners how it’s supposed to be done!
4 Nov 2010, 13:59 pm
@Werner Beytel(Werner Beytel) : Yes I reckon they did, both teams deservedly contested the final. Bulls played marvelous and the crowd were everything expected. It was a treat and I enjoyed it immensely.
Thank you very much, I too enjoyed our boys putting 2 points past the AB’s. Not something we have done for a while and hopefully not a one time only.
4 Nov 2010, 14:24 pm
Werner,
The Boks were what we down under expected, so for us they did but perhaps for the SA public they may have disappointed.
We had changed our direction this year, adapting to the new interpretation (which was really an old correct interpretation) at the tackle and trimmed down to accommodate a faster game. Also worked on the highball, to some success but not at all times.
It is difficult to measure sides when they are poles apart in application… give it 8 more months and then we should have a clearer vision of where we all (AB’s, Boks & Wallas) are placed.
Good luck this weekend
4 Nov 2010, 15:07 pm
Stephan Jones still playing?
How old is this dude?
4 Nov 2010, 16:06 pm
Well OF COURSE Gats would say that, his next opponent is Australia.
Next up, Gats will be rolling out the “ABs have no aura” line. Again.
He’s trying to change the mindset of the Taffs in to that of a Waikato farmer prior to the Queens Birthday fixture vs Auckland. Lets go get us some big City folk !!!
4 Nov 2010, 16:08 pm
@gunther(gunther) : @ 12
No
are you ?
4 Nov 2010, 16:15 pm
@RugbyRulz(RugbyRulz) : though youd defnitely call them arrogant Rulz
because i would too.. lmfao.
4 Nov 2010, 16:15 pm
@poppa69(poppa69) : 19 was in response to 6 …
4 Nov 2010, 16:35 pm
@Black Panther(Black Panther) :
underpant.
I didn’t ask you.
I know where you hail from.
4 Nov 2010, 16:44 pm
@gunther(gunther) :
Come now
that was merely my Gunther-joke to Gunther. I crave your attention.
btw – You must mistake for some other tall handsome stranger with hot chicks hanging off him, I prefer buses to taxis, too darned expensive.
5 Nov 2010, 07:10 am
@Werner Beytel(Werner Beytel) : Two things about this. If there was a game to have to lose that was it and you are quite right, one from eleven with nothing riding is not a big reason for all the fanfare. I don’t really think the AB’s fronted with a true test attitude which is a bit disappointing but there may have been other things happening.
Secondly I think most of the ‘hoo haa’ is coming from the media not the players and I know that Deans is not a chest beater. The players are happy to have broken the deadlock but only a fool would relate that game to be one of any significance in the scheme of things.
Wales and the forthcoming tests will be a better measure of how the Wallabies are really travelling, not the two point win in Honkers.
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.