Ryan Cross says he is happy as Stirling Mortlock understudy

[travelling_gerry]

By Iain Payten
June 18, 2009 Being stuck behind a Wallabies captain can swallow an otherwise long Test career. Just ask Chris Whitaker.

But star centre Ryan Cross says the plans of Robbie Deans to build an experienced Wallabies "super squad" has kept him - and other fringe Test players - enthusiastic about their roles heading towards the 2011 World Cup.

Cross will start at outside centre in his 12th Test for the Wallabies on Saturday night against Italy in the place of veteran captain Stirling Mortlock, who has been rested as one of eight changes for Australia in the second Test.

With a gruelling 13-Test season still ahead, the careful management of Mortlock's workload is a sign of things to come over the next two years and opens the door for Cross to be an understudy who gets plenty of time on the main stage.

Though, like any player, he'd love to be always starting, Cross says he's happy to buy into a job-share under the "squad mentality".

"Obviously with Stirling being captain and playing the same position, it makes it hard for me," Cross said.

"But it is such a physical and intense game and with all the Test matches coming up, you know there will be chances to play.

"I think we learned that last year. You look at the first Test team (against Ireland) and the last Test against Wales and there was a huge amount of changes.

"I think Robbie used over 30 players, so even people not in the current (30-man) squad can get a chance somewhere down the track."

Deans' mass changes this weekend are an unashamed tactic to season as many young players as possible heading towards 2011.

The risk of the new combinations stumbling against Italy is regarded as low within the Wallabies camp, courtesy of Deans's egalitarian training methods.

For much of a Test week, Deans routinely switches players in and out of backlines and forward packs to the point where deciphering a possible team is impossible.

This has the effect of not only building cohesion within myriad different teams, but also ensuring every player feels a legitimate chance of playing.





http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...016959,00.html

[jargan83]

Crossy can bide his time, Mortlock is probably one head knock away from a disablility pension

[Burgs]

Possibly shelve under "He would say that, wouldn't he."

[shasta]

Possibly shelve under "He would say that, wouldn't he."

Yup. Can't really come out and say "She'll be right. I'll get plenty of game time cause the captain is an aging croc who spends half his life in rehab anyway", can he?

[prop53]

Now there is a bloke with patience look and learn study for the future.