Aussie latest – Wallabies to ride on Reds’ success
3 Jun 2011
Keo.co.za brings you news from Australia’s Super Rugby franchises.
Wallabies to ride on Reds’ success – Coach Robbie Deans says the Wallabies can benefit from the Red’s momentum in the same manner in which the Springboks benefited from the Bulls winning the 2007 Super 14.
The Reds are set to top the log, and recently made a massive statement in beating the tournament favourites, the Crusaders. Deans has taken heart from that performance and hopes the success of the Queensland outfit will translate to the national team.
‘Somewhere along the line, you have to get started and that’s what we’re witnessing here,’ Deans said. ‘We talked about it prior to the season commencing being an important element. We have got to build momentum and we have to build belief and that’s what we’re witnessing in the Reds’ game.’
Good temperament has also been crucial to the Reds in 2011, and Deans reiterated that the Wallabies need to be sharper in this department.
‘The critical thing is that the Reds were able to do was build pressure to warrant that response. The Reds took an awful lot of pressure [in the match], but still had enough in the tank in the end to produce some pressure of their own and was rewarded for that. It had everything and both sides gave it their all and it was a great insight into what’s coming but, most importantly, it was great to see the Reds go toe-to-toe and stand up.’
Mafi in for Cummins – Alfie Mafi will replace Nick Cummins for Friday’s meeting with the Highlanders. It’s the only change to Richard Graham’s starting line-up.
Force – 15 Cameron Shepherd, 14 Alfie Mafi, 13 Pat Dellit, 12 Rory Sidey, 11 David Smith, 10 James Stannard, 9 Mark Swanepoel, 8 Ben McCalman, 7 David Pocock, 6 Matt Hodgson, 5 Nathan Sharpe (c), 4 Sam Wykes, 3 Tim Fairbrother, 2 Nathan Charles, 1 Kieran Longbottom.
Subs: 16 Ben Whittaker, 17 Matt Dunning, 18 Tom Hockings, 19 Richard Brown, 20 Chris Cottee, 21 Mitch Inman, 22 Nick Cummins.
6 Comments
3 Jun 2011, 07:46 am
the upward performance curve points strongly towards Australia.
3 Jun 2011, 09:17 am
The biggest problem with the brumbies apart from being coached by a Rugby League second grade coach are Ben Alexander, Mafu, Chisholm and Valentine.
Ben Alexander does F-all at the ruck, posing around the wing and centres to score tries. His penalty count must be highest of all ozzie prop and this should be of concern for Robbie Deans. When penalised Ben Alexander look like somebody who are unfairly treaten. He has never dominated anybody at scrum time thus useless! Who cares if he score 20 tries per season?
Mafu: More useless than Al baxter. And that takes effort!
Chisholm: Too slow to be flank hence his move to lock. To short to competer against top class lock. To soft to be an enforcer ala Brad Thorn, no4 of Highlanders and Bakkies Botha or even Danie Rosoouw. The sooner he leaves for Europe the F-ing better.
Valentine: I used to rate him at the Reds, cause he serviced his 5/8 rather crisply. His the reason why Gits is so struggling cause he is taking his time at the the base of the rucks and setpiece. The sooner the Brumbies gets a 9 the better. Phibbs are not the solution for this position. Get Kingi and since gits are leaving go get Mike Harris from the Reds
3 Jun 2011, 10:33 am
Robbie Deans should step aside,Ewen McKenzie should have never been looked over for the Wallabies post anyway.Was the most successful & most consistent Aussie coach after MacQueen & Jones era with Tahs….
Plus with 55% winning ratio and losses to likes of Scotland,England & near losses to Italy…..He is proving to be Rudi Straueli for Oz except without the PR nightmare…..
If he was smart he would drop Gits for Berrick Barnes at 12….and keep Ashley Cooper at 13….
Best Wallaby 22
1.Robinson 2.Polotu-Nau 3.Alexander 4.Horwill 5.Sharpe 6.Elsom 7.Pocock 8.Palu 9.Genia 10.Cooper 11.Mitchell 12.Barnes 13.Ashley Cooper 14.Ioane 15.Beale
Both midget primadonna’s on the bench-Giteau & O’connor
3 Jun 2011, 11:14 am
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-3:
Surely there must a spot in the starting 15 for Kepu and Higginbotham. Ben Alexander way overated
1. Robinson
2. Polotu-Nau
3. Kepu
4. Horwill
5 Sharpe
6. Elsom
7 Pocock
8 Scot “Meisiekind Killer” Higgers
9 Genia
10 Cooper
11. Mitchell (if fit) / Cooper Vuna
12. Mike Harris / Barnes (injury prone)
13. AAC
14. Digby
15. Nalla Beale
3 Jun 2011, 11:23 am
@Mighty Horua(Mighty Horua)-4:
Not too convinced by Kepu and he is more suited to the loosehead looking at his build and more athletic disposition to the game.Plus with little Test experience,itll be a gamble in a WC yr.Same with Higginbotham who is a bit of a sicknote plus he is really a blindside.
Mike Harris ….sheesh thats big praise,after 4-5 games at 12 to be a Wallaby starter?? Fainga got more of a stake to claim than him in Wallabies I believe. Vuna has been impressive in Rebels back 3 but under high ball is suspect & defence..Surely if Mitchell isnt fit O’Connor will come in as he was top try scorer in 3N last yr I think & Wallabies.
Not a lot of new talent coming through though…..
3 Jun 2011, 12:42 pm
The Boks did not benefit from the S14 in 2007, just as the All Blacks did not in other cycles. There is NO correlation between super rugby form and test strength. We’ve always been stronger at test level than Super 10, 12, 14 or 15, with very few exceptions (Like last year). To suggest otherwise is foolish and complete against the grain of the cold, hard, facts. The fact is that Australia does not have the powerful runners of the 90s where their straight running game could prosper. They’ll dance behind the gain line as always and therefore they’ll struggle. Deans has no answers for this as he simply does not have the personnel to remedy this problem. The loose and scrappy performances which have dominated the S15 are not reflective of test rugby. In fact, Super rugby is moving further and further away from test rugby.
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