Vice-captain Lote a mixed message

[The InnFORCEr]

What happens if Smith goes off? Do Lote and Sharpie have it out on the field as to who becomes captain?

Lote belts Sharpie and steals captains armband

[Flamethrower]

Or he could sneak up behind him and shove him in the back. Lote is good at that.

[Jehna]

FT...ah gold


You know TIF I reckon Sharpie may give Lote a run for his money...at least with a 'few choice words'

[RuckNMaul]

Lote belts Sharpie and steals captains armband

probly more likely to be the other way around (well id like to see it that way)

[The InnFORCEr]

probly more likely to be the other way around (well id like to see it that way)

I was gunna write it that way but it sounded oxymoronish

[Jehna]

Although this is about George, i thought it was an interesting take which supports the comments some of you were making about Tuqiri...
__________________________________________________ _________________________________________________

A deserved honour for George

By Gerry Collins
Posted Thu Sep 27, 2007 12:55pm AEST
Updated Thu Sep 27, 2007 12:53pm AEST

There's something special about being captain of the Wallabies.
In the long history of the international game there have been only 75 players honoured with the title.

And the 75th is George Smith, captaining the Wallabies for the first time against Canada this weekend. It's an honour well-earned by Smith, who has played in 81 Test matches and has never let Australia down. His intrepid play has been inspirational to others for a long time.

His aggression and pilfering ability have given the Wallabies ball that they might never have expected. Yet all that comes with a quiet nature. You won't be seeing George ranting and raving at his fellow players against Canada. Rather it will be a case of "follow me". He will lead by deeds more than words.

Speaking to him today after the captaincy announcement it was obvious that he really was thrilled to be captain. He didn't seem over-awed by it but was well-prepared to go out and do his normal thing. That is to play inspirational rugby that will rub off on his team-mates.

George has had to be a good player all the time. Otherwise he might not be a member of the team, let alone captain. The rivalry between him and Phil Waugh has been a point of interest for Wallabies teams for a long time now. When he won the number seven jersey for the matches against Japan and Wales, it would have proved to him that all the work he has put into playing at his best had paid off.

Obviously that was a big enough honour. Now to be captain of his country is something he can really savour.

Having qualified for the quarter-finals already, Australia was able to take a relaxed attitude to this match against Canada. This kind of game is often dismissed as of little importance. Yet some important things can come out of it.

In the same match at the 1999 World Cup, against the USA, Jason Little was honoured with the captaincy and he was over the moon with the honour of it all.

In that same game, a young Scott Staniforth played his first Test match and scored two tries. Amazingly after not being a part of the 2003 campaign, he finds himself again in the run-on team for this match and pressing for a spot in the 22 for the elimination series.

It was in the equivalent match in the 2003 World Cup, against Namibia in Adelaide, that Chris Latham scored a record five tries.

It's on the record now that Latham got tired of being the king of the consolation matches and turned himself into the best full-back in the world.

Perhaps there will be one of the players in this game who will do a similar thing and grab the opportunity to achieve greater things.

And George Smith will be out there in front of them all, leading from the front and showing the spirit and tenacity of those few 74 special men who have preceded him as Wallabies captain.

Have a good one George. It's an honour you thoroughly deserve.

[RuckNMaul]

perhaps

one last chance mate