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BERRICK Barnes' chances of holding on to a starting spot for the Wallabies' quarter-final appear to be fading, with the Australian camp talking up a huge physical battle with the Springboks and a rainy slog forecast for Wellington.
Both factors could nudge returning No.12 Pat McCabe in front at the selection table, with coach Robbie Deans leaning towards deploying the hard-running, direct centre to deal with a huge South African centre pairing of Jean De Villiers and Jaque Fourie.
The Wallabies arrived in Wellington yesterday to prepare for the sudden-death playoff, buoyant with news that all players bar Rob Horne were available - including back-three stars Digby Ioane and Kurtley Beale.
The make-up of the midfield shapes as the main point of interest this week, however.
Barnes impressed at inside centre in the Wallabies' victory over Russia, adding another effective playmaking element and helping Quade Cooper control the game.
But McCabe - who missed the game with a shoulder injury - was the man who started in the Wallabies' Tri-Nations victories over the Springboks in Durban and the All Blacks in Brisbane and his style of game could be what Deans turns to for a war of gainline attrition on Sunday.
Wallabies coaching co-ordinator David Nucifora said yesterday they had taken note of the huge physical fight Samoa had launched at the Boks - and said it was a World Cup trend.
"All the games have showed that. The Welsh game, the Irish game last night - physicality that's come in at all the contact points; it's gone up a couple of steps," he said.
"You have to be in it if you are going to win it, so you really have to take teams on in that part of the game."
Injury to the Springboks' gun No.12 Frans Steyn is a boost for the Wallabies in removing his long-range penalty and drop-goal kicking but DeVilliers is a big, experienced centre with 71 Test caps.
Strong defence will be required, with the 30-year-old weighing 103kg and Fourie another handful at 105kg.
Both are 1.9m tall.
Nucifora said the physical battle - and the likely prospect of a wet weather game - would be factors in selection.
McCabe and Anthony Faingaa are seen as a tough-tackling pair but Barnes' fans argue the Waratah is no slouch in defence either, and his composure and creativity may be exactly what is required to help Cooper outsmart the Boks.
Flanker David Pocock said the Wallabies' unavoidable path to victory was muscling up in the forwards.
"They are a big physical team," he said. "They've got Schalk Burger back and he adds a bit more. It is definitely going to be an area where if you want to do well and beat the Springboks, you have to meet their physicality - there is no way around it."
Nucifora said it was also crucial to perform well in the set-piece against the big Springbok forwards.
"It's an area where you have to make sure you are really efficient," he said.
"They will try to strangle you through the set-piece."
http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/rug...-1226157522983
If old Patty is in the run on team we will lose. Not only does Barnes give us more in every facet of the game but it’s what he bring to the rest of the team. QC looked so free out there with BB on the field where he didn’t need to produce magic every time he got the ball. Look at what Ireland did to McCabe every time he got the ball held him up and bang turnover, what do you think the big bokkes forwards will do? This is a massive joke the bloke shouldn’t even be in the squad let alone the match day 22 and god help us if he is in the 15!
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Originally Posted by GAFFA
