Barnes in line for pivot start
28 Nov 2011
Berrick Barnes is recovering well from a back injury sustained against the Barbarians and is expected to be fit to play flyhalf against Wales on Saturday.
Barnes was accidentally kneed in the back at Twickenham and forced off as a result. However, reports suggest he is making speedy progress and is expected to retain the No 10 shirt for the clash in Cardiff.
If, however, he doesn’t recover, James O’Connor will be handed his first Test start in the position. Australia coach Robbie Deans said the youngster had acquitted himself well when asked to step in for Barnes against the Barbarians.
‘For a first outing at this level, it was an impressive performance,’ Deans said of O’Connor’s showing. ‘He provided demands on the defence, while his passing game was pretty good. That is going to be the toughest element when it comes to playing Test football, because there is so much less time and space.’
If Barnes proves his fitness, there are not expected to be any changes to the backline. No.8 Ben McCalman is set to return from an eye irritation and captain James Horwill will be elevated to the starting lineup for the final match of the year.
19 Comments
28 Nov 2011, 08:17 am
Concussion Dragon!
28 Nov 2011, 08:18 am
dean’s is so dof…
he’s gonna dark up this kids career…
but i guess his long-term interests are new zealand rugby not australian rugby…
he knows o’connor has a long a=career ahead of him and wants to get him out the way so that when deans gets the AB job… he doesn’t have to face o’connor…
28 Nov 2011, 14:00 pm
O Connor had a blinder in my opinion and was the biggest difference between the 2 sides. Happy for SA’s sake if Deans keeps messing him around.
28 Nov 2011, 16:43 pm
Disagree. I think Barnes is b etter at #10 and O’Connor a more natural #12. If I had the backs Deans does at my disposal, my backline would be:
9 – Genia
10 – Barnes
11- Ioane
12 – O’Conor
13 – AAC
14 – Mitchell
15 – Beale
29 Nov 2011, 00:17 am
@DAS(DAS)-4:
Good backline that………..
29 Nov 2011, 06:48 am
O Connor was absolutely magnificent against Barbars….I would play him at 10….got to keep an eye on him all the time…..what a player that kid is
29 Nov 2011, 07:30 am
In that back line I would swap Barnes to 12 and O’Connor to 10…
You want your best playmaker to be able to make as many decisions and play as possible and not have to wait one step down the line to be able to do so… if and when the guy inside him just happens to make the right one…
Barnes has had time at S15 and national level to show what he has… and what he has is nothing as special as O’Connor…
IMO… of course…
I think Deans has contracted as heavy dose of Tedditus which renders coaches incapable of seeing the obvious and unable to decide on their best 15…
29 Nov 2011, 08:03 am
in other words…
why have your best decision and playmaker only able to make decisions and plays every three or four phases…? in situations where he is most probably going to be more reactive to the decisions made by his number 10… than proactively making decisions himself…?
as coach i’d want that guy to make as many of the calls, decisions and plays as possible…
29 Nov 2011, 08:08 am
@Upho(ufo)-8: Agree ….spot on
29 Nov 2011, 08:10 am
Deans could afford toplay O’Connor at FH in a festival game against opponents that hardly trained and don’t know each other from adam, also with a dominant pack, he had a rather easy ride.
Against sides that like Wales who are very organized, have a strong pack O’Connor will find the going at FH a lot more difficult, his space will be cut down, he would have to tactically kick a lot more and defend a lot more, suddenly it is a whole different ball game with decision making critical..
I don’t believe FH is a natural position for O”Connor, I think Barnes has a calmer head on his shoulders and would be a better option for the Aussies at FH especially against top sides !
29 Nov 2011, 08:20 am
hey grant and jr…
o’connor did great in some very tight spaces on saturday… IMO… also showed a very calm head to keep his cool and knock sa out of the world cup with a touchline penalty conversion…!!
what else does he need to do…??
barnes has had ample opportunities in the past and certainly not set the rugby field alight…
also… what message does it send to o’connor and other aus players if they grab such opportunities with both hands… produce the goods… only to be told… ‘well… it was only a festival game…’ or ‘it wasn’t a real test’ (in both senses of the word…)
i really believe deans is messing up this kids career and preventing him from showing… and rugby fans around the world from seeing… an exceptional talent in his preferred position…
29 Nov 2011, 08:27 am
@Upho(ufo)-11:
I actually hope he plays against Wales this will give me a better feel for his ability at the highest level.
I feel he lacks the tactical boot to control a game when on the back foot, the critical ingerdient to a complete FH and one all the greats have !!
29 Nov 2011, 08:33 am
@justrugby(justrugby)-12:
for sure jr…
personally i believe he will show that he has and can… if he is given the opportunity to show it…
anyway…
let’s hope for a better game against wales and not the ho-hum rugby played by the baa-baas…
29 Nov 2011, 08:33 am
Lets see if he plays 10 against Wales…..
Although it seems Deans is going to go with Barnes…..
I
29 Nov 2011, 08:34 am
looking forward to the wales game…..wales will target aussie scrum…..and the battle of the opensiders will be a treat….
gonna be a helleva game
29 Nov 2011, 08:43 am
Who are the Barbars?
An invitational team of elephants?
29 Nov 2011, 09:04 am
dunno gunther…
i thought the baa-baas were as special invitation side of sheep selected just to play australia and make them feel more at home in the uk…
the barbars…? could be a another team led by captain ali and made up of 40 thieves…
oh hang on…
we’re talking about australia again…!!
29 Nov 2011, 09:06 am
@Upho(ufo)-17:
not an elite team of hair cutting proffessionals?
29 Nov 2011, 09:15 am
@Gunther(gunther)-18:
hehehe…
could be…!!
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