Wallabies legend postpones retirement
11 Oct 2012
Nathan Sharpe has agreed to stay on with the Wallabies due to the lack of experienced players in the current Test set-up.
The 34-year-old had initially planned to quit rugby in July, but was convinced by coach Robbie Deans to play for Australia in the Rugby Championship.
Given the current injury situation, Deans has once again asked Sharpe to postpone his plans to retire and lead the Wallabies on their four-Test tour of Europe this November.
The Wallabies are short on experienced locks, with regular skipper James Horwill and veteran Dan Vickerman having succumbed to injury earlier in the year. They have also lost several leaders like Will Genia and David Pocock, and Sharpe is one of the few left standing.
‘You only have to look at what he has achieved with the group since he took over as captain,’ Deans said.’His influence has been immense, he is arguably playing the best rugby of his career but, most importantly, he is enjoying the experience.
‘Sharpey’s presence and leadership has been a constant throughout the year – one of the few aspects of continuity that we’ve had through a season that is probably without precedent in terms of disruption.’
Sharpe played his 111th Test last week to become Australia’s most capped forward in history. He will extend that record when he leads the Wallabies this November.
34 Comments
11 Oct 2012, 11:55 am
Great player who has had a great season.
11 Oct 2012, 11:56 am
has been the gutsiest lock around in the world at the moment. His performance at loftus a few weeks back was a worldclass effort in a losing side.
Very hardworking, very pro…..and seemingly loves playing for the jersey. Respect.
Deans really buggered him around last season, glad he has seen the light.
light years ahead of vickerman in my opinion
11 Oct 2012, 12:01 pm
good for him but considering the amount of dollars at a pop why wouldn’t he.
11 Oct 2012, 12:03 pm
Thirty Four,
and there’s so much more.
11 Oct 2012, 12:09 pm
@cane-4:
meanwhile a daisy fresh 32 year old john philip sits on the sidelines…. waiting for godot…. tut tut…
11 Oct 2012, 12:10 pm
Sharpe’s a vegter, almost always gave Matfield and Bakkies a hard time.
11 Oct 2012, 12:12 pm
One of the Keo Journo’s,
should do a Rugby Championship Super Team.
This could generate good wholesome debate.
Who knows …………………………..might even get 35 posts.
11 Oct 2012, 12:18 pm
@Pencil-1: @Brigadier Van Zyl-2: @wpstormerbok-6: @i_love_u_bakkiesbotha the bastaard-5:
Sharpe should have been the “Nike Man”.
“Just Do It”.
Sums him up for me.
11 Oct 2012, 12:50 pm
@cane-8:
something totally screwwy with your keyboard or computer, cane
ny nic come out completely wrong.
11 Oct 2012, 12:53 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-9:
Just a bit of paint ball bakkies.
11 Oct 2012, 13:29 pm
The Rugby Championship XV 2012
15. I.Dagg
14. B.Habana
13. C.Smith
12. M.Nonu
11. C.Jane
10. D.Carter
9. A.Smith
8. K.Reid
7. R.MCaw (Capt)
6. L.Messam
5. S.Whitelock
4. E.Etzbeth
3. O.Franks
2. A.Hore
1. T.Woodcock
16. K.Mealamu
17. J.duPlessis
18. P.Albacete
19. M.Hooper
20. W.Genia
21. SB Williams
22. JM.Hernandez
11 Oct 2012, 13:31 pm
@cane_the asse_pain-10:
oh
ok
fire away
11 Oct 2012, 13:40 pm
@cane-4: Doesn’t mean that much to me to mean that much to you.
11 Oct 2012, 14:37 pm
@The Donkeys Egg-11: That team is so far off, it’s scary.
11 Oct 2012, 14:48 pm
15. Israel Dagg
14. Bryan Habana
13. Conrad Smith
12. Sonny Bill Williams
11. Julian Savea
10. Dan Carter
9. Will Genia
8. Kieran Reid
7. Richie McCaw
6. Francois Louw
5. Nathan Sharpe
4. Eben Etzebeth
3. Jannie Du Plessis
2. Adriaan Strauss
1. Beast Mtawarira
16. Stephen Moore
17. Owen Franks
18. Sam Whitelock
19. Duane Vermeulen
20. Aaron Smith
21. Na’a Nonu
22. Kurtley Beale
11 Oct 2012, 15:16 pm
Sharpe’s done very well this season. Good player.
11 Oct 2012, 16:29 pm
At the sharpe end of his career…
11 Oct 2012, 16:54 pm
@the authority-15:
Notwithstanding your front-row resembling outdated outskilled but-for Wooden Spoon roadkill, they were BESSSSSSST’ed thrice, in partic by the Wooden Spooners in Argentina.
F.Louw played openside and would only be selected at ’6′ if youre desperately relying on technicalities as sole selection policy. Louw was good at openside, Hooper was better in a worse pack and McCaw was invincible.
You have picked N.Sharpe due to sentimental short-term memory linked Headline-OCD syndrome. He was Last Wallaby Standing, no more no less. Whitelock was outstanding in Soweto, stealing lineouts, scoring tries, hitting rucks, no penalties. Etzbeth gets selected upon the basis that every tight-5 needs a thug.
A.Smith played every Test, scored vital tries in the biggest games, with a pass that free’d up DC for his best season in years and scared the living daylights out of all opposing HB. Genia rides the pine despite playing only 3 Tests, half as many as Smith, losing 2 of them, opposing Smith in both, and only chances upon selection because all the other HBs were poor.
C.Jane is the best 14 on the Planet. Given Habanas side-stepless limitations within his straightlining genius and Janes greater skillset, Habana retains the 14 jersey by necessity. Savea unlucky but shone against the Wooden Spoon team, only.
K.Beale had his worst season in years, was dropped and only re-selected due to a worse injury list than the Battle of the Somme.
Stephen is Moore or Less but not more.
And it is ‘Read’, not ‘Reid’. Cant you read ?
11 Oct 2012, 16:58 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl-2:
well said.
Nathan Sharpe one most competitive but fairest players around.
Gave Matfield and Botha real competition. A great season this year.
Should have lead Wallabies last year at RWC.
11 Oct 2012, 18:52 pm
@The Donkeys Egg-18: Incorrect I’m afraid on every count.
1) The front row I selected scrummed the living daylights out of the All Blacks, both in Dunedin and in Soweto. It was only when Coenie came on that the penalties went the other way.
2) Francois Louw was huge. His introduction in Dunedin saw the All Black pack getting bullied and menaced at the breakdown. Had it not been for a faulty kicker, the Boks would have won the game convincingly.
3) Nathan Sharpe has been selected because he is an experienced campaigner who brings leadership to the team. Your guess as to why I selected him was incorrect. Much like your parents decision to not to abort you.
4) A Smith was good, his form was inconsistent. He was dropped to the bench for the game in Dunedin, showing that even Steve Hansen is not completely convinced yet. Will Genia is by far the better of the two scrumhalves, although this obvious conclusion requires one to take off their blinkers.
5) Cory Jane is a good player but is incredibly far from being the best winger on the planet. His try scoring record speaks for itself. Only 14 tries in 37 matches for New Zealand is not a record to boast about. It was a close call between him and Habana, but overall, Habana adds more and so was given the nod ahead of Jane.
6) Kurtley Beale is a very dangerous player who looked quite threatening when moved to flyhalf. The fact that he covers fullback, flyhalf, centre and wing makes him a great option for the bench.
7) Stephen Moore is a very decent hooker who Sean Fitzpatrick once described as “one of the best hookers in the world”.
8) Spelling of Kieran Read’s surname is irrelevant.
9) You have shown a lack of competency at this level and are therefore dismissed. Your selections and comments from this point onwards will be ignored.
Feel free to commit suicide.
I am The Authority.
11 Oct 2012, 19:34 pm
@the authority-20: Twat
11 Oct 2012, 21:04 pm
@cane-4: Lives alone in a paradise…
11 Oct 2012, 22:10 pm
@the authority-20:
Beast is average sorry to say.
Cory Jane vs Habana,
You said habana adds more?
Jane better kicker, defender. Jane can actually side step and fend. He creates alot of tries as well, hardly ever out of position and probably one of the bets wingers under the high ball.
So habana….finds himself out of position, good under high ball and only this year he has shown getting back into some sort of form.
IF you think cos Habana has scored more tries than Jane means he has more to offer…then ok
11 Oct 2012, 22:26 pm
@Hurricane-23: it’s a close call between Jane and Habana, neither are the perfect player although both have been in form this year. Habana has 47 tries in 83 matches so he must be doing something right.
Beast mtawarira is a very decent loosehead. He is part of a scrum that (at full strength) had the upper had the upper hand over the all blacks. He is also a major threat in the loose. He has a very high work rate and gives away very few penalties. Woodcock on the other hand was outmuscled by Jannie Du Plessis at scrum time and gave away 2 penalties in Soweto. For me, Beast gets the nod.
11 Oct 2012, 22:31 pm
@the authority-24:
Fair enough mate. Just cant take off my Hurricane glasses.
12 Oct 2012, 00:56 am
@the authority-20: this from someone who was picking the Boks to beat the AB’s in soweto…..yeah right.
So lets respond to your comments:
1) – NO the Boks did not scrum the living daylights out of the AB’s, what game were you watching my man.
2) ARE YOU BLIND – and give me a break. You lost in Dunedin end of story.
3) I have nothing against SHARPE but I dont rate him any higher than the Boks and AB locks.
4) do you have any idea why Aaron Smith was dropped in Dunedin? obviously not, and it was not because of FORM, he breached Team protocols and was placed on the bench, but guess what when he came on, he scored a try…you wont get any arguments from NZers re: Genia, we all rate him No.1, but Aaron is chasing the man.
5) BH is a good winger, he’s in the wrong team, CJ is as good if not on a par, you need to take your blinkers off my man.
6) yep Kurtley for the bench but thats about it.
7) I would play MOORE from the start, as for your Bok front row, they got dished by the AB’s, not fast enough, not fit enough and not clever enough in the top 2inches.
8) you show your ignorance with bad spelling, naughty boy , go stand in the corner. READ okay read it correctly.
9) you are the one who shows ignorance, arrogance and completely out of line, you are dismissed, and you are NO AUTHORITY, you are just a hack who thinks he knows something about the game of rugby, but you cant even pick the winner, what a LOSER with very BIG CAPITALS may man….go fetch a bone and play with it.
12 Oct 2012, 01:29 am
@the authority-15: I don’t take as much exception to this team as the other Kiwi’s, as in some positons it just comes down to personal preference (e.g. Habana vs Jane – both great players, just different styles of play).
The positions I think you are wrong about are:
- Savea. Dropped for Gear for the big test against the Boks, because he is too inexperienced. Of the 11′s that played a decent number of tests, I would pick Digby.
- Louw. Good player, but McCaw better. Not sure who I would pick at NZ No.6n(SA 7), probably Alberts for his physical presence.
- Adrian Strauss. Just a journeyman. Any of Mealamu, Hore or Moore would be better – I don’t care which one.
Beast and JDP would need to go back to remedial handling and passing school before being confirmed in my run on team. Need to be able to execute the lightening fast passing that the AB tight forwards have worked on this year. (PS I don’t think either are necessarily any better than Franks, but the reverse applies so your selection is valid in my eyes).
One last thing. The fact you picked the Boks to easily beat the AB’s at Soccer City is all that needs to be said about your fanciful Nic.
12 Oct 2012, 02:20 am
@Yellowhairman-26: haha what a piss poor attempt at a comeback. Copying my ‘dismissed’ line for a start. Not one for original thought are you… Normally I would direct someone of your limitations elsewhere (where they might actually give a **** about your opinions) but… What the hell. If it means that much to you, I’ll dismantle your little argument. It’s no trouble, really. Here we go:
1) quite simple really – the boks (with Jannie and Beast on the field) did outscrum the all blacks and the stats agree with me. If you have forgotten, please view the following clip and fastforward to 51:30 minutes. That scrum is one of many in which the all blacks conceded penalties. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YtkA7b3AR3g
2) we lost in Dunedin, correct. Well done. Irrelevant though. Your forwards were outmuscled.
3)Sharpes a good player. He topped the list of lineout wins in the super 15.
4) “no arguments from NZers re Genia eh?… What about the original poster? He chose Smith over Genia dumbass. Hence the entire point in the first place. Think before you type.
5) So CJ is as good if not on par with Bryan and we all agree on that, but apparently I have blinkers? Maybe you should get checked for down syndrome.
6) you would play Moore would you…. Ask me if I care. Seriously, ask me me.
7) the rest of your points are nonsense and require no further comment, BUT most importantly, I need to clarify something to you and Corporal Punishment. I did not call the boks to win in Soweto. Show me where I did that. If you cant, then we conclude that you have attempted to spice up your argument with a lie (which is unsurprising for a kiwi)… I called the all blacks to win. Hence why my team above has mostly all black players. So on that note, I await the evidence you are going to provide which shows me calling a Bok victory. Failing that, I am calling you a liar.
As well as a whinging little *****, but you already knew that.
Now instead of talking nonsense on here, why dont you go and make a fool of yourself elsewhere.
I am The Authority.
12 Oct 2012, 02:28 am
@corporal punishment
I did not call a bok victory. Yellowhairman is talking nonsense. I called the ABs to win and they did. Regardless, the boks outscrummed you. See clip above.
Also Louw is a good player but is not an out an out opensider. He is a hybrid and can play blindside too. Alongside mccaw, I would select Louw. Just my opinion though.
Strauss is a decent player and part of a scrum which won many penalties in the tournament. Fair play though if you prefer Hore or Moore.
Savea is a very dangerous player imo… Hat trick on debut and 2 against the argies. I would be reluctant to leave him out. But again, just my view.
12 Oct 2012, 03:28 am
@the authority-29:
You had a slight edge in the scrums (while your first choice props were on) but we won the odd scrum contest as well. It wasn’t decisive in either game, and our props have better alround skills particularly better ball handling. So I personally think as a whole, there isn’t anything between Franks, JDP and Beast (Woodcock seems to be on the downhill slide).
Louw is a good player, and he seems to read the game well and has nice skills. I wonder if the team would have enough sting with him in the backrow alongside McCaw, but it would certainly wouldn’t be a shabby combination.
Strauss was fine in the scrums and lineouts but looked a bit lost in general play (and gave away some penalties). He is perhaps a player for the future – after all the other guys he was up against have many many games under their belt.
Re calling the Boks to win, my recollection is obviously wrong sorry bout that. Did you call the Argies to beat the AB’s the weekend before? I can recall you making some bold prediction that got under my skin a little!
12 Oct 2012, 10:46 am
“I am The Authority”
Narcissist!
12 Oct 2012, 12:29 pm
@cane-4: @TheTackler-22:
I’ve been first and last
12 Oct 2012, 12:32 pm
@katman-13:
Give me things
that don’t get lost.
12 Oct 2012, 13:51 pm
@corporal punishment-30: No didn’t call the argies to win either. I haven’t made any predictions on this site. I called the ABs to win in Soweto but that was not on this site.
I would take an uninjured Bismarck over any hooker to be honest.
Willem Alberts is big, but he lacks a yard of pace and we were easily strecthed in Soweto. Maybe Radiki Samo or Higginbotham to cover blindside, or even Fernandez Lobbe… Not Caballo though, he was cra.p.
I wouldn’t select Digby Ioane personally. Thought he had an average tournament. His last game in particular wasn’t great. I think he knocked on 4 times. Granted he got a try against Argentina, but so did many wings in this tournament.
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.