Brown is the main man in quest to beat Blacks

[blueandblack]

THE most important player on the field in tonight's Test between the All Blacks and Wallabies at Etihad Stadium will be Australia's number eight Richard Brown.

That might sound strange given the superstars on both sides such as Dan Carter, Matt Giteau, Rocky Elsom and Ma'a Nonu.

Let's face it, Brown would not even be starting in this Test if Wycliff Palu was fit. But the role Brown will play will be absolutely crucial to the Wallabies' chances of winning.

Everyone is looking forward to the head-to-head clash between openside flankers David Pocock and Richie McCaw which will be a cracker.

In just a few short years young Pocock went past stalwarts Phil Waugh and George Smith and now he is gunning for McCaw for the title of world's best No 7.

Pocock has played well for the Force against McCaw in super rugby and he has the physical strength to make the veteran have a tough day at the office. And if he can play like he did against the Springboks last weekend their tussle will be one of the many highlights to watch out for tonight.

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But Pocock's match-up with McCaw alone will not decide

the outcome of the battle at the breakdown.

At the Crusaders and the All Blacks, McCaw works in tandem with number eight Kieran Read, one of the most unsung players in the All Blacks squad.

McCaw has changed his game to focus more on ball running and defence and it is often Read who does the ball scavenging at the breakdown.

This is where Brown must support Pocock, who will have his hands full dealing with McCaw in various facets of the game.

Even though Brown is not Australia's first choice number eight the Wallabies have the advantage of the combination Pocock and Brown have established at the Western Force.

Australia will need that to combat McCaw and Read who are in great form.

The All Blacks have won the last seven Test matches against the Wallabies and the main reason for their dominance has been their ability to slow down Australia's ball.

If Pocock and Brown can work in tandem at the breakdown and if the referee does not let McCaw get away with murder then the Wallabies will have a chance of breaking their run of losses against the All Blacks.

Both teams will try to play a fast game based on their recent Test matches against the Springboks. And tonight is shaping up as a great game that will test the stamina of both sides.

Australia's forwards again stepped up to the mark last weekend in Brisbane and I expect them to continue to give the All Blacks some grief.

The Kiwis have always shown a willingness to attack from all over the park and their outside backs are in outstanding form. But the Wallabies certainly have a better defensive line than the brittle South Africans and this is an area that Australia can use to its advantage.

Without Quade Cooper in the team tonight it is a perfect opportunity for Matt Giteau to step back into the spotlight and direct the Wallabies around the park.

I thought his approach last weekend was positive and he looked hungry and determined which is what he will need tonight.

Having Berrick Barnes on his outside shoulder can take much of the pressure off Giteau but I hope they don't spend the game swapping positions because Giteau should accept the main leadership responsibility.

Many of us will be watching closely to see if the Wallabies can back up two weeks in a row.

Last weekend in Brisbane they played with passion and commitment, which they had to deliver

to silence the masses. However, this group is not known for its consistency.

If they have any hope of winning this year's Tri-Nations trophy they must win tonight because the odds will be almost 1000-1 next weekend when they face the Blacks in Christchurch.

I agree with the comments of former Australia coach Rod Macqueen, who said earlier this week that tonight will be a defining moment for Robbie Deans and the Wallabies.

For years now I and many others with a knowledge of elite sport, and particularly rugby, have stressed the importance of this squad creating a winning culture.

And you only have to look at the lack of silverware at the ARU to know what I am talking about.

The Wallabies must overcome their self-doubt before taking on the All Blacks because they have the ability to be much greater than what they are now.

Tonight in Melbourne is shaping up as the most important match of the Tri-Nations because New Zealand can just about wrap up the title if they win.

The Wallabies can win if they play positive, like they did last weekend, but it will take another sublime performance from each and every player to conquer the mighty All Blacks.

Go the Wallabies!

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1225899263672

[Hoolly Doolly]

id be surprised if browny linesup next week.......he didnt play horrible tho he shouldve nailed corey jane out on the wing to save the try.

[TOCC]

the miss on corey jane was a big miss, you can argue that he was beaten by the speed of jane, but really browny went into the tackle to high and hence was fended off quite easily

[travelling_gerry]

.........then Genia was in a better position and missed.

[palitu]

browny did not have a good night.. especially defensively...

[TOCC]

Brown was the first line defence Gerry, he should have made the tackler, Genia should have made the tackle as well, but your having a laugh if you think running across in cover defense 1m out from the try line is a better position then what brown had
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[Hoolly Doolly]

Browny was also very messy at the back of the scrum. I cant recall any decent plays off our own feed. Higgenbotham isnt the answer at 8 as ive seen how messy he is as well at the back. I thought for the most part our scrummaging was ok so i dont know what the issue is unless richie mccaw is breaking away too early which i cant really confirm without watching a replay.
Might be worth trying elsom at 8 and briinging higgenbotham or hodgson in at blindside. Why Hodgson didnt get a run last night has me perplexed. why even have him on the bench? it was pretty evident browny wasnt working out during the game. make some changes FFS!

[Sheikh]

Might be worth trying elsom at 8 and briinging higgenbotham or hodgson in at blindside. Why Hodgson didnt get a run last night has me perplexed. why even have him on the bench? it was pretty evident browny wasnt working out during the game. make some changes FFS!

Ah, but that would mean Robbie admitting he'd been wrong!

[Hoolly Doolly]

wrong about what?

[Sheikh]

Wrong about Elsom being the best 6 and Hodgson not being good enough.

The Force back-row are not only all good enough for the Wallabies, they are used to playing as a unit. Plus, the addition of another specialist flanker used to scrapping for the ball at rucks (Hodgson) is far more important than a big runner (Elsom) if we can't get the ball in the first place!

[TOCC]

Elsom is the best blindside in the country, you gotta be kidding about needing another specialist flanker to scavenge for the ball, it was blatantly obvious last night that the Wallabies need more players who are able to get there way across the advantage line, removing Elsom only makes that situation worse.

[zimeric]

i think ive had this argument with you before TOCC so ill just say ill agree to disagree with you on that.. Elsom is a better 8 than 6 and Brown is a better 6.. Hodgo is a good back up for all three Backrow positions.

[TOCC]

i think ive had this argument with you before TOCC so ill just say ill agree to disagree with you on that.. Elsom is a better 8 than 6 and Brown is a better 6.. Hodgo is a good back up for all three Backrow positions.

So move Elsom to 8 and drop Brown for Hodgson? Probably a reasonable exchange, alternatively i would be interested in seeing Simmons-Sharpe partnered in the 2nd row with Mumm playing 6 and Elsom at 8.

[Hoolly Doolly]

I was impressed with Simmons effort last night.

[Sheikh]

I agree that Elsom probably is the best traditional blind-side flanker in Australia, but the Wallabies need Hodgson's scavenging skills. Elsom at 8 (as Haji mentioned above) would allow that.

I'm afraid that Brownie isn't quite the player at Test level that he is at Super 14 level - although it's still a bit early in his career to right him off!