Barnes blow puts team in disarray

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30-10-09, 06:13
Thequeerone

Barnes blow puts team in disarray

TOKYO: The Wallabies were in disarray last night after vice-captain Berrick Barnes was forced out of tomorrow night's Bledisloe Cup Test after rolling his left ankle at training, with concerns he might also miss the grand slam leg of the tour.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/spor...1030-ho4s.html

Mortlock cannot immediately be looked upon as a future replacement for Barnes because he is not expected to overcome his leg problems until at least the Ireland Test in Dublin on November 15. With Barnes in the line-up, the back line looked formidable. Now it appears out of whack. Ashley-Cooper has been outstanding at outside-centre, fullback and on the wing for the Wallabies this season, to vie with prop Benn Robinson as Australia's most consistent performer. But at inside-centre, he does not appear so assured.
30-10-09, 11:18
TOCC

bring in cooper at 5/8, maybe not for the Bledisloe, but for one of the next matches, he already has a good bond with genia
30-10-09, 11:38
GIGS20

Giteau 5/8 cooper inside centre for me.

Cooper is still a little flighty for mine. He's showed some excellent promise, but can get flustered easily at the top level. Once he's had a full year as the #1 choice for Qld he'll be a lot more composed and would take the pressure, but for now, even Giteau's a better option, with Cooper popping into the role regularly.

On second thoughts, how's Quade's tactical kicking game, if he has a good, accurate boot on him, I'd be prepared to reverse those comments!
30-10-09, 13:23
TOCC

Quote:

Originally Posted by GIGS20

Giteau 5/8 cooper inside centre for me.

Cooper is still a little flighty for mine. He's showed some excellent promise, but can get flustered easily at the top level. Once he's had a full year as the #1 choice for Qld he'll be a lot more composed and would take the pressure, but for now, even Giteau's a better option, with Cooper popping into the role regularly.

On second thoughts, how's Quade's tactical kicking game, if he has a good, accurate boot on him, I'd be prepared to reverse those comments!

his tactical kicking game is a bit hot/cold, generally that was left up to Berrick
30-10-09, 13:30
The InnFORCEr

Gits has been given the Vice Captain's armband!
30-10-09, 13:42
Burgs

Mortlock shouldn't ever be looked at as a replacement for a #12, he is very ordinary there IMHO.
30-10-09, 16:28
James

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOCC

bring in cooper at 5/8, maybe not for the Bledisloe, but for one of the next matches, he already has a good bond with genia

Hopefully Deans will play him there for the midweek matches and if all goes well against Scotland.
30-10-09, 16:38
GIGS20

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOCC

his tactical kicking game is a bit hot/cold, generally that was left up to Berrick

Awesome, two ordinary tactical kickers with a shot at the jersey and one good kicker who'd do nothing but reef the ball away all day......entertaining rugby it won't be!
30-10-09, 18:02
The EnForcer

Quote:

Originally Posted by James

Hopefully Deans will play him there for the midweek matches and if all goes well against Scotland.

I see there are some nerves creeping in about the Scotland game;)
30-10-09, 18:39
James

Quote:

Originally Posted by The EnForcer

I see there are some nerves creeping in about the Scotland game;)

Without meaning to be disrespectful (Scotland would be my second favourite International team) I'm not worried about the Scotland game, not having Barnes will hurt a bit but I just don't think Scotland has the firepower in the backline to beat the Wallabies. The only way I can see us losing that one is if it falls into a slog out in the mud and the teams plays like it did in the first half against South Africa in Perth.
30-10-09, 22:26
tragic

Quote:

Originally Posted by The InnFORCEr

Gits has been given the Vice Captain's armband!

Surely that's enough to get the conspiracy theorists yammering away?
31-10-09, 05:00
mudskipper

Quote:

Originally Posted by James

Hopefully Deans will play him there for the midweek matches and if all goes well against Scotland.

Deans will have to keep Quade Cooper fresh for the weekend tests. I don't expect too much of him during the mid week games. Matt Toomua will do fine at flyhalf for those matches and Tyrone Smith at 12. They both know each others game.

The Tokyo pitch sounds poor in goal, the Wallabies don't need to lose another back.
31-10-09, 07:04
TOCC

Quote:

Originally Posted by mudskipper

Deans will have to keep Quade Cooper fresh for the weekend tests. I don't expect too much of him during the mid week games. Matt Toomua will do fine at flyhalf for those matches and Tyrone Smith at 12. They both know each others game.

The Tokyo pitch sounds poor in goal, the Wallabies don't need to lose another back.

I think Kurtley will be the go to man for the mid-week matches
31-10-09, 08:00
James

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOCC

I think Kurtley will be the go to man for the mid-week matches

:eek: But TOCC Kurtley isn't a Brumby!!:eek:
31-10-09, 08:48
mudskipper

Perhaps the Gloucester match may line up something like this. I would have rested Digby be but there isn't a centre available.

1 Salesi Ma’afu
2 Peka Cowan
3 Sekope Kepu
4 Dean Mumm
5 Mitchell Chapman
6 Matt Hodgson
7 George Smith
8 Richard Brown
9 Richard Kingi
10 Matt Toomua
11 Drew Mitchell
12 Tyrone Smith
13 Digby Ioane
14 Lachie Turner
15 Kurtley Beale

16 Stephen Moore
17 Matt Dunning
18 Mark Chisholm
19 Dave Dennis
20 Luke Burgess
21 Quade Cooper
22 James O’Connor