Deans gives teenager certainty, for now, on his position

[travelling_gerry]

Wayne Smith | October 23, 2008

RUGBY UNION: Not even Robbie Deans has a clue which Test position James O'Connor will end up calling his own but he knows where he will set out from, yesterday declaring the precocious teenager would play exclusively at fullback on the Wallabies tour.

O'Connor, who will become the youngest Wallaby in 50 years on the tour and second only to 1957 winger Brian Ford on the all-time list of youthful Australian Test players, is talented enough to fill any backline position and in the years to come might very well tick off every number from nine to 15. If so, he at least will start in reverse order.

"Over time, he could play a number of positions but at this moment I believe fullback is the best point of entry," said Deans on the eve of the Wallabies' assembly in Sydney today. "I'd like the simplicity of him being able to concentrate on one role."

Deans' opinion is one widely shared; O'Connor's Western Force coach John Mitchell having announced this week that, although he used the Matt Giteau-sized 18-year-old at inside centre in his four Super 14 performances this season, he intends to periodically rotate him to fullback next year to reduce some of the physical demands on him.

Former Wallabies captain Mark Ella also has called for O'Connor to be given the chance to establish himself at fullback, not as he believes that is necessarily his best spot but because of all the positions he could fill, it is the one causing the Australian selectors most grief.

Adam Ashley-Cooper and Drew Mitchell both have had their moments at 15 this season, but neither has come close to entrenching himself as the long-term successor to Chris Latham. Although he is an exceptional ball-player, an attribute Deans demands of his fullbacks, O'Connor is "only" 180cm tall, which seemingly puts him at a disadvantage in coping with the in-vogue tactic of drawing the fullback into no-man's land by targeting high balls to land just outside the 22.

However, Deans is unconcerned. "He's got great elevation," he said.
Deans plans to use all 34 members of the touring party at some point in the gruelling tour, which takes in five Tests leading up to the finale of a match against a virtual World XV when the Wallabies confront the Barbarians at Wembley on December 3. He is making no promises, adjusting to whatever fortunes arise, but if every player does get game time then it might not just be O'Connor given a stab at fullback but also Waratahs winger Lachlan Turner. How much action Turner sees will be heavily influenced by how Lote Tuqiri performs in training over the next few days. Although he resumed light running this week, he still has some way to go to convince Deans he should be handed a boarding pass at Sydney Airport on Monday.

"He's started running but now he'll have to run a lot more," Deans said. "A lot depends on how he responds to the increased volume of running. He's also going to have a VO2 test (to measure his fitness level after more than a month recuperating from a knee injury)."

Deans refused to draw a cut-off line in terms of how much time he was prepared to give his most-capped winger to get back to full fitness. "It's not worth the conjecture," he said. "We'll respond to what the medical staff tell us. We don't want to compromise his future because he does have a future."

It's the immediate past that will be the focus for Tuqiri and his Wallabies team-mates when they attend the John Eales Medal dinner tonight. Disconcertingly, among the leading contenders for the award will surely be Rocky Elsom, Dan Vickerman and James Horwill, all players who will miss the tour.

However, awards specialist, flanker George Smith, also will be right in the hunt, while Berrick Barnes also could figure prominently, albeit handicapped by the fact he missed the past two Tests because of injury.

Injury also should have an impact on halfback Luke Burgess' chances of claiming rookie of the year, although winger Peter Hynes, 26, is going to take some beating after starting in every Test this season.


http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html

[AndyS]

"John Mitchell...intends to periodically rotate him to fullback next year to reduce some of the physical demands on him."

Wow - implies he will see enough game time to impose physical demands! Not good news for Scotty Staniforth.

[gotheforce]

I think he'll come into 15 from the bench.
Sheps will start but will be moved to the wing when james comes on, i reckon.

But i think John just wants to take him away from the centres, where he will see alot more balls and make a lot more tackles. Putting him into fullback will be pretty good for him. He's got a good boot on him and will be a good tactical kicker. But playing at 15 will also give him some space to run the ball back.

[AndyS]

In which case Mitchell is what, raising his expectations so he can disappoint him next year? As I say, "rotate" and "reduce demands" implies he is playing regularly in some other position.

I do think he'll see a good bit of time at 12. At least part of the reason will be risk management against Giteau deciding to exercise the option to leave. Were that to happen, it would leave Daruda and not much else in support (Valentine at 10 perhaps?) and it would be nice if O'Connor had some experience under his belt such that he could maybe step up.

[Burgs]

Smart move, as I raised before, it isn't a long term option to have two small play makers in #10 & #12.
Ok for one off and injury but if a set team then oppositions would fully exploit it and turn JOC into a Bernie before he has time to physically develop.
Wonder if he has trialled at #9 at all, has the build and skills for it...

[James]

Yeah it probably wouldn't work having two lighter weight guys in the 10/12 channel but I thought that Giteau and Barnes made a great combo defensively so Giteau and O'Connor always could too. But at least if you were to play a ball running 12 rather than a ball playing 12 having a ball player at 15 means you can bring him in to take some of the play-making responsiblilities. I think Deans favours that one a la Leon MacDonald.

Before Daniel Carter was settled in to fly-half Deans played him at 12 and 15 a few times. Didn't work out too badly for him.

[Thequeerone]

Could really work for Sheps to - just to be a fullback limits his selection chances for Wallabies - if he looks attacking on the Wing as well - there would be no reason not to give him a bench spot at a minimum - rather than waiting for the next fullback crisis

[KenyaQuin]

Think JOC needs to be exposed in the backline and 9 would probably be restrictive for someone of his (potential) talents.

Sharing the sentiments of GTF and James, having JOC at 15 provides him the opportunity to pick and chose his involvement in backline play (outside of set play moves).

Whatever the case, can only hope we see him get plenty of game time next year and better still see him in the Forceful Blue for a few more years yet.

[Burgs]

I think we all need to bare in mind too, no matter how great his skills undoubtably are and how much exposure to talented peers and coaches he is getting, at the end of the day he will still be a Colts head and body playing in S14 and we shouldn't mount too much expectation on him.
If he excells, then great, but he is not Gits (yet) and shouldn't be expected to be.

[NTT]

I really don't see what the problem with giving J O'C some extended gametime at 12 is. Pocock played open side as an 18 yr old and he survived, so why would playing 12 or 15 be any different for J O'C? He's gonna be a future Wallaby 10, 12 or 15. He played last year and went alright. What's changed since then except he's now a Wallaby? The Giteau, J O'C and Cross combination is going to be highly exciting and incredibly unpredictable, why wouldn't we use it? Having Staniforth, Mitchell and Shepherd on the end of this unpredictability is gonna be entertaining. Two playmakers, 4 guys who can score tries - priceless.

[pruc]

Pocock is a lot more built then JOC
think this time last year he had just won nudgee college the championship against ipswitch GS with a drop goal

he is still very young to this elite level.
Play him at 15. Let him soak in this elite level and who knows he could turn into the next larkham fullback turned 10

[NTT]

This is my point, Pocock was 'more built' at the same age but played in one of the highest impact positions at 7 as an 18 yr old. J O'C is not as big but plays in a lower impact position as an 18 yr old. The body doesn't stop growing until the early 20s. Pocock survived running into some of the biggest forwards in world rugby at frequent intervals. Why couldn't J O'C handle fewer collisions at less frequent intervals? I've got no problems hiding him at fullback but if it's at the expense of a specialist fullback then i'm not so keen to see it. At 12 J O'C will have world class players each side of him, plus it balances the backline.

[Thequeerone]

Mitch did a clever thing with Pocock in only playing him every 2nd game - to give him a chance to grow/recover reckon JOC should expect similar.

He's got to toughen up quick though - bet at the end of this year he'll have one of the best tackling techniques - he'll need too.

[AndyS]

And as Robbie Deans pointed out, he is slightly taller and only 6 kilos lighter (before Wallaby training) than Daniel Carter. I wouldn't think he is far behind Giteau or Barnes either - it is hardness that matters.

[GIGS20]

Pocock survived running into some of the biggest forwards in world rugby at frequent intervals.

No.......some of the world's biggest forwards survived running into Pocock!

Some didn't (Like Danie Roussow, I remember seeing him flattened by BamBam early in 2007)