Wallaby RWC Squad

The squad was announced this morning, quite a few Queenslanders of course.
Drew Mitchell, Berrick Barnes, Rob Horne and Richard Brown omitted for the time being.
No Stirling Mortlock or Phil Waugh.
Questionmark over Cliffy Palu's fitness - tba

My personal choices for starting 22 in bold.

(caps in brackets)

Rocky Elsom (c) (64)
Ben Alexander (24)
Adam Ashley-Cooper (51)
Kurtley Beale (14)
Luke Burgess (32)
Quade Cooper (24)
Ben Daley (3)
Rod Davies (debut)
Dave Dennis (3)
Anthony Faingaa (4)
Saia Faingaa (11)
Will Genia (22)
Mark Gerrard (23)
Matt Giteau (91)
James Hanson (1)
Scott Higginbotham (1)
Matt Hodgson (4)
James Horwill (24)
Digby Ioane (11)
Sekope Kepu (3)
Salesi Ma'afu (10)
Pat McCabe (1)
Ben McCalman (9)
Stephen Moore (55)
Luke Morohan (debut)
Dean Mumm (33)
James O'Connor (27)
Wycliff Palu (36)
Nick Phipps (2)
David Pocock (30)
Tatafu Polota-Nau (25)
Beau Robinson (2)
Ben Robinson (42)
Radike Samo (6)
Nathan Sharpe (93)
Rob Simmons (6)
James Slipper (14)
Sitaleki Timani (3)
Lachie Turner (14)
Dan Vickerman (54)

Wycliff Palu will most likely be there...it will be good to see him play next week against Samoa.

I would have liked to added Hodgson, Beau Robinson, Samo, Simmons in there as well as Luke Morohan in the backs. Think we need Gits in the mix somewhere - I can see him coming off the bench and lifting for the occasion...one last time.

My big fear is Gits will be picked at 12. Would be great to A. Faingaa given a go against samoa to see how he goes in the centres.

I'm happy with the squad as they have mostly picked on this years form, apart from a few like Mumm, Maafu and Vickerman. End of the line for morty and Waugh.

Line breaker - have Hanson, Dennis, McCabe, Phipps, Beau or Timani actually got caps? I thought they were all still to get there. Very happy that each of them has been picked as they all deserve their chance. Timani has a decision to make.

Are you blokes happy with it?

I copied it from a SMH source article but I must admit I don't recall the matches which they debuted...was there a PI match or a tour to an associate rugby nation? Or maybe they had a match in last year's AI tour in one of the mid-week games?

Also, I was wondering what the difference between 'debut' and 'yet to debut'. I would have thought you either you have or you haven't so those terms mean the same thing.

^^ maybe its to do with the non capped games they play on tour, ie against leinster and leicester? so if you played that game you have debuted, but not capped

Yes, I think that's right Bathite...just added a sentence in my post above.

Yeah not sure mate. Davies, Dennis, McCabe and morohan went on the eoyt last year I think? Henson and timani I hadn't heard of before this year so maybe just the herald maintaining their high research standards!

On another note Lb, are you happy with it? Do you know if Brown is injured or just omitted?

Pretty happy, booma. Like you have said - I too hope certain players miss the next cut.

Brown is injured...according to the 'trusty' SMH article, Deans said he was still in contention.

Even though there are still a good number of experienced players in the squad, you have to hand it to Deans, he really has exposed many new players to the squad.

I wonder who will be his first XV and which combinations he would select. All I know is if australia doesn't win it this year, they will be damn good in another few years.

I was amazed to see that Giteau and Sharpe have so many Caps. Have they really been around that long...?

maestegmafia wrote:I was amazed to see that Giteau and Sharpe have so many Caps. Have they really been around that long...?

Yes, Giteau at least 8 or 9 years...his debut was in late 2002, same as Sharpe.

hey Linebacker, think I would have Ben Alexander over slipper for the prop. Slipper was never as good as Ben when the two Bens were on song, both Slipper and the other prop who didn't make the squad failed.

Isn't that squad a prop short???

OzT wrote:hey Linebacker, think I would have Ben Alexander over slipper for the prop. Slipper was never as good as Ben when the two Bens were on song, both Slipper and the other prop who didn't make the squad failed.

Isn't that squad a prop short???

I haven't counted the props, but generally you take 4 of them in a 30-man squad

Must have a touch of Queenslanditis, OzT.

"Isn't that squad a prop short???"

Alexander
Daley
Kepu
Ma'afu
Robinson
Slipper

then chop 2 as Kiwi says when they cull the squad down to 30 and another 1 for final 22.

Ah yes, didn't read them list.. must pay more attention!!!

Alexander, Robinson and Slipper I reconnized almost immediately, if not straight after, but surely Daley was tried and failed in Perth?? Kepu's been out for so long will have to wait how he does if he comes on against Samoa, and Ma'afu I just didn't remember, drat those snankies when we were being pushed all over the field!!

Locks looking really good, but still just the one front row I think i can see..

Alexander is not big enough or hard enough. He was found out badly in the AI. I think he was yellow carded and conceded a penalty try against Wales (?). I recall things stabilised when Slipper came on. Deans just cannot go with Alexander and Robinson as a combination again. That has been tried and it failed. Badly. They will be absolutely murdered.

that was the last tour when both of them were coming back form injuries. But the 2 tours before they were pushing most of the oppos back.

Agree last tour though they were poor.

Yeah that was 2008 tour right when the scrum appeared to be completely fixed? Then it did a complete u turn again.

Rob B wrote:Alexander is not big enough or hard enough. He was found out badly in the AI. I think he was yellow carded and conceded a penalty try against Wales (?). I recall things stabilised when Slipper came on. Deans just cannot go with Alexander and Robinson as a combination again. That has been tried and it failed. Badly. They will be absolutely murdered.

Exactly, hence I'm hoping RD will favour another rotation up front.

Benn Robinson is out for the rest of the season following what seemed like an innocuos knee injury at training. Big blow for us there.

So Sekoke Kepu, Ben Daley and Ben Alexander will vie for the loose-head prop spot for 3N and RWC

Quade Cooper and James Horwill are being rested for this weekend's clash with Samoa...and Will Genia will start from the bench.

Nick Phipps and Sitaleki Timani have made the starting lineup whilst Matt Giteau, Mark Gerrard and Pat McCabe will feature in the backline.

Rocky Elsom makes his return on Saturday along with Dan Vickerman on the bench. James Hanson and Beau Robinson also have been given opportunites and are named in the 22.

* * * * *

Japan defeated Fiji in the Final of the Pacific Nations Cup today at Lautoka.

Trailing for most of the first half 8-0, then 8-5...the Cherry Blossoms finished strongly (after Fiji had been reduced down to 12 players in the end!) to take out the match 24-13.

2011 Pacific Nations Cup Final