Brumbies kick off pre-season 2010

[zimeric]

prefer cap'n insano... But I guess we can't use that anymore
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[GIGS20]

I just thought I'd spend a little time Un-Bret Harrissing this article

ACT Brumbies and Wallabies playmaker Matt Giteau is happy to play flyhalf or inside-centre during next year's Super 14.
The 27-year-old informed Brumbies coach Andy Friend prior to the recently-completed spring tour that he was comfortable wearing the No10 or No12 jersey for the ACT in 2010.

After finally realising on the Wallabies spring tour that he's not a flyhalf's bootlace

Giteau has filled both roles at domestic and international level.

While he has played predominantly at flyhalf in more recent years, many view him as a better second-receiver.

most view him as a waste of prescious oxygen at 10

Friend

suffered through

every match of the Wallabies' northern hemisphere tour in which Giteau started each Test at flyhalf.

''He said he didn't have an issue either way and that's a fantastic thing for the Brumbies looking ahead,'' Friend said.

I'm pleased, since this seems to indicate a massive drop in Matt's ego, the one thing standing between him and true greatness.

''I told him I think he's the best 10 in the country and that he's the best 12 in the country and that I hadn't yet made my mind up where I think he'd best fit into the Brumbies mould next year.

because I'm mindful of the employment record of other head coaches under whom Matt has served, unquestioning obedience isn't one of the man's strong suits

The former Western Force play-maker

rightly

copped ample criticism during the spring tour, a lot which was unwarranted, according to Friend.

a fact which Friend seems totally oblivious of

''I thought he had a good tour, a very good tour actually,'' the coach said. ''You're always going to cop flak

if you're Matt Giteau and

you wear the No10.

''When you look at his involvement, he created a lot of opportunities which for one reason or another weren't finished but I don't think that was necessarily Matt's fault.''

most of those reasons were Matt running into isolation thinking he could break the line against the best tacklers in the World and Matt failing to pass the ball to his teammates in a reasonable fashion

If Friend does opt for Giteau at inside-centre

he's freakin insane, but[quote=mudskipper;236225], it would create a battle between Toomua and Lealiifano

Giteau will be rested for that match[/in the hope of finding a real flyhalf

while Toomua will only just be returning to contact training after breaking his jaw during the Wallabies' mid-week game against Cardiff last week.

''I want to play 10 but I've learned if you can play 10 you can play 12 so there might be options there too.''

it appears going the other way round is more difficult

[mudskipper]

Gigsy did Gits disappear leaving you standing at the altar? ... you're sounding a little jilted......

[GIGS20]

Nah mate, he just played like crap for two of three years when my membership fees paid him a shitload of money.

[mudskipper]

Nah mate, he just played like crap for two of three years when my membership fees paid him a shitload of money.

I think then, you should get your money back.....

[GIGS20]

Can you ask Gits for me next home game you attend.........ah.....shit.....wait.....don't bother

[Happy]

[mudskipper]

[Happy]

you got served dawg!

[jargan83]

Don't mess with getto gangsta Happy

[mudskipper]

You ought to dance around jargmans advice a while........ he understands....

[Happy]

aww.. how cute, a picture of you when you were just a little monkeyskipper???

[jargan83]

Muddy's clearly bored

[James]

Muddy's clearly bored

Thats what happens to you when you've got no girlfriend/social life and your name is Mudskipper.

[mudskipper]

To Justin Harrison, Henry Vanderglas is a strong, athletic and skilful teammate of the future.

It wasn't always the way.

Harrison's earliest memories of sharing an ACT Brumbies changeroom with Vanderglas was of him being a ''little blond pest'', an 11-year-old who would steal the players' energy drinks.

During the Brumbies early years, Vanderglas was a regular around the place while his dad, Arch, worked as club masseur.

To veteran Harrison it's now partly sobering, partly inspiring that he's sharing a training paddock with the kid from that distant time of the mid to late 1990s.

''Little Henry used to be the kid who'd come in and annoy us when we were in for a rub. He was a pest, but a good little blond pest,'' Harrison said.

''It's certainly very sobering to think of me playing with him all these years later.''

For most Brumbies players, joining the club has been a professional decision, a choice made to leave their home state.

But for the likes of Vanderglas, Matt Giteau, Guy Shepherdson, Huia Edmonds and Peter Kimlin, it's realising a childhood dream. For Academy player Vanderglas his opportunity came against Wellington last season, his first of three caps off the bench.

''I've had an affinity with the team since day one and I've loved them most of my life,'' Vanderglas said.

''Getting to play for the Brumbies, I'm stoked about it. When you're playing for a team you've always supported, it's always a better feeling running out on the paddock.''

It was Vanderglas's passion to play for the ACT that won him his place in the squad. At the end of the 2008 ACT club season, the Brumbies offered him a tier-two position in the Academy, essentially a part-time position during the off-season with a modest $1500 one-off payment.

With time and energy at his disposal having already completed his environmental science degree, and sensing the door into professional rugby was closing, Vanderglas took the gutsy decision of asking more of coach Andy Friend.

''He said he didn't want that, he thought he was tier one [full-time] material,'' Friend said.

''I said I wouldn't consider him for that sight unseen, so I said we'll give you two weeks with no payment and if we don't like you we'll drop you out of the program.

''He backed himself, trained for two weeks.

''We said we really liked it and said train for another two to see that it wasn't a fluke, then we took him on for two more and eventually we said we'd keep him around.''

Friend liked Vanderglas's attitude during that trial stage.

''He was a real sponge with information and every opportunity he got he took it,'' Friend said.

''He wasn't afraid in contact, he'd belt blokes. If the ball was on the ground, Henry would be jumping onto it. It was the sort of attitude you wanted.''


http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news...px?storypage=0