gits or barnes. (based on last night?)

[jono]

the title should pretty much sum it all up.

my vote is for giteau HANDS DOWN!

[Jehna]

Mm Berrick did a pretty good job I think but there was never a question in my mind. Gits has the experience, insight and talent to be a play maker and leader at 10 and not just a guy who can execute learned plays. Berrick has a wonderful future but I think it is a little unfair to place him in the same league as Gits at this moment

[KenyaQuin]

Berrick's bulked up and looking sharp. I would even suggest he made a couple more runs at the defense than did Gits and he has a lovely step. Gits is more mature and seems to know his bounderies better and therefore his ball delivery and decisions are much slicker. My fantasy lineup for the Wallabies still sees Gits at inside centre with Barnes/Beale at fly giving the Wallabies more options in attack.

[Jehna]

Fair point KQ. I was thinking last night that Gits' versatility may actually work against him. At least we know he's a guaranteed wallaby but the problem comes with finding the best combination which may not actually reflect the position he is best at

[jono]

gits seemed to get a lot more of the ball. and was moving around a lot more.
at the moment hes the more agile and faster of the two.
he also made that hell awsome tackle after he chased for about 20m, and then a second later made the next tackle to whatever player the ball was passed to.
that was one of my highlights for the game.

[Jehna]

Foxsports take on it Jono....
___________________________________________
Giteau leads Force to victory

February 07, 2008

MATT Giteau has won the first round of his battle with Queensland's Berrick Barnes for the Australia No.10 jersey, driving the Perth side to a 39-15 over the Reds in a Super 14 trial.

Giteau was involved in all that was good about the Force but Barnes did not have the same impact, floating out a pass that was intercepted by Drew Mitchell for the home side's fourth try.

Giteau by then had created one try for Cameron Shepherd and put the Force back on the front foot after being battered in the early exchanges.

Queensland positives were more fleeting on a chilly night, although Chris Latham showed his quality and skipper John Roe eased his way back in after a nine-month absence.

The end result was a far cry from the start, which the Reds bossed mercilessly.

With Force prop Gareth Hardy forced from the field after the first passage of play, Latham burrowed over the line for the opening score before a Force hand had touched the ball.

With high kicks the only pressure Force backs were applying, Latham was safe, but when Barnes took his eye off a Shepherd chip to meet it with knee rather than hand, momentum shifted.

With Giteau constantly driving the Force forward with kicks from hand, the advances in territory brought the equalising try from young scrumhalf James Stannard, a late replacement for Matt Henjak.

As the confidence flowed, the move of the night was led by Shepherd inside his own half and finished by a David Pusey romp over in the corner.

The five point Force lead at halftime was instantly increased when Giteau's delicate chip two minutes after the break set up Shepherd for the gamebreaker.

With the Reds playing catch-up, Barnes' hopeful infield pass was perfectly read by Mitchell, who streaked under the posts untouched.

It was to prove Barnes' last meaningful act as he was replaced by Quade Cooper, and with Latham also given the last twenty minutes off, Reds centre Chris Siale capped off a solid performance with a try in the corner.

James Horwill's decking of Mitchell after a chip down the touchline cost him a yellow card, and ended any remaining Reds' resistance.

After Nick Cummins scored a welcome try on his first home appearance in Force colours, Lachlan MacKay scored the night's most welcome try, trotting over after two years in Perth almost entirely ruined by injury.

AAP

[jono]

Barnes' hopeful infield pass was perfectly read by Mitchell, who streaked under the posts untouched.

it was a good pass though. mitchell couldnt have asked for a better one really

[KenyaQuin]

Planet Rugby take on same..

Forceful victory for Giteau
Thursday 07th February 2008

Forceful performance: Matt Giteau

Matt Giteau made a telling statement to new Wallaby coach Robbie Deans when he won his duel with rival Berrick Barnes, leading the Western Force to an emphatic 39-15 win over the Reds in a Super 14 pre-season outing at the Members Equity Stadium, Perth, on Thursday.

Barnes, who wore the Wallaby No.10 jumper in Stephen Larkham's absence at the World Cup last year, was given a timely reminder of the competition he will face now that Giteau has made a permanent switch to fly-half for the Force.

While Giteau was creative and incisive, Barnes showed plenty of early season rust. It also didn't help that the Reds pivot threw the pass which resulted in an intercept try by Force wing Drew Mitchell.

Barnes' compounded his evening of misery when he failed to effectively collect a chip from Cameron Shepherd, allowing the Force to get momentum going at a time when the Reds were in a commanding position.

In contrast, Giteau had a hand in most of the match's decisive moment - including creating a try for Shepherd, which put the Force in the lead for the first time late in the first half.

The only standout players for the Reds, in what ultimately became a drab game for them, were fullback Chris Latham and captain John Roe - the latter in his first game back after a nine-month injury-enforced absence.

Latham put his team in the lead after just six minutes, barging over from a five-metre scrum. Clinton Schifcofske added the conversion for a 7-0 lead to the Reds.

The Force found some momentum in the face a fierce early Reds onslaught, with James Stannard darting over after sustained rucks on the Reds' line. Giteau converted to level at 7-all.

Barnes put his team back in the lead with a drop-goal in the 32nd minute, but four minutes later the Force were in for their second try - through lumbering lock Dave Pusey. It started with a break-out from inside their own quarter, with Shepherd starting it and Fava and Giteau heavily involved. Giteau missed the conversion from out wide.

Giteau took the home team's lead out to 15-10 just before the break with a penalty of his own.

The game ended as a contest inside the first 10 minutes after the break, with two quick tries - putting the Force into a commanding 29-10 lead.

Shepherd crossed to score his team's third try next to the posts, after the Reds failed to control the kick-off and couldn't recover from the mistake. Giteau added the conversion.

And eight minutes later Mitchell intercepted Bares' pass and sprinted 55 metres for a score under the posts. The conversion made it 29-10.

The Reds pulled one back with a try to Chris Siale in the 53rd minute, but by now the momentum had shifted and the Force shut them out with two more scores.

James Horwill was yellow carded for a late charge on Mitchell, after a chip down the touchline, and wing Nick Cummins made the most of the Force's numerical advantage.

Lachie MacKay completed the rout with a minute to play.