Giteau gaffe may come back to haunt Deans
In the southern hemisphere the Tri-Nations allowed the selection process to be done in the white heat of real battle with competition points and a trophy at stake. During the competition both New Zealand and South Africa chopped and changed their combinations while Australia, after an embarrassing loss to Samoa, went with what coach Robbie Deans considered to be his best team for every match.
The Wallabies’ RWC build-up has revealed a surprising lack of the depth and Ireland are arguably a bit unlucky to be meeting them in only the second game when Australia’s top-line players will be still reasonably fresh.
Throughout this year’s Super 15, I have been impressed with the individual skills of some of the first-pick Australian line-up but the first game against the All Blacks exposed weaknesses, and whether or not Deans’ RWC squad has these covered remains to be seen. Quade Cooper is extremely talented but he is young and not particularly brave. Going forward he is unstoppable but on the back foot he is a liability and the decision not to go with the experience of Matt Giteau may come back to haunt the coach.
Giteau can be a disruptive influence. Twice while with the Brumbies and once with the Western Force he was in the thick of player revolts. The Brumbies have a penchant for disharmony and I wonder if it was this fact that lost Rocky Elsom the captaincy. With a season marred by injury, no one would have argued if he had asked to be relieved of the captaincy so he could concentrate on his own game. But his shell-shocked demeanour after the squad was announced suggest otherwise.
New captain James Horwill’s season has been the polar opposite, and under his leadership the harmonious Reds defied the odds to win the Super 15 title in style.
In the tight, the return of Tatafu Polota-Nau at hooker will improve both the scrum and the go-forward ball. He was consistently one of the best ball carriers in the Super 15.
After suffering a 14-30 defeat to the All Blacks in New Zealand, second row Nathan Sharpe was brought back into the team and he adds much-needed steel to the tight five. I have always regarded Sharpe as one of the best engine room players on either side of the Tasman. At openside, David Pocock is probably the best in the southern hemisphere.
Kurtley Beale, James O’Connor and Digby Ioane will provide thrills aplenty from the back. Will Genia is world class at half-back so the chinks in the armour may be the flightiness of Cooper and the lack of real midfield flair.
For the All Blacks, this RWC squad selection has been all about the backs. From the moment New Zealand suffered the shock loss to France in Cardiff in 2007, Graham Henry and his assistant coaches Wayne Smith and Steve Hanson began planning and putting this squad together.
However, even the three wise men could not have envisaged the problems they would encounter trying to decide on the back three. Each day on the way to work I smile at a billboard advertising a New Zealand beer which has become famous for its’ ‘yeah right’ slogan. The current billboard reads, ‘The real concern is the lack of wingers in New Zealand — yeah right!’
Those who made the cut, Zac Guildford, Cory Jane and Isaia Toeava, can consider themselves lucky to hold off Sitiveni Sivivatu and last year’s best wing, Hosea Gear. In fact, in the end it was really between Gear and Guildford as strangely they were the only specialist wings.
The work rate of Guildford was the tipping point, a bonus he believes he owes to a stint in the sevens’ side that won the gold medal at last year’s Commonwealth Games.
Jane, Toeava, Mils Muliana, Israel Dagg and Richard Kahui have all played in various positions across the back-line; the permutations are endless. Even Henry admitted he isn’t sure which combination is best. Sonny Bill Williams was always going to make the squad as the second string inside centre so cover for Dan Carter was the only inside back talking point. Colin Slade won the spot despite a less than convincing performance against the Boks. In his defence, the team lacked experience with eight of the top players rested for the game.
As captain, one would expect Richie McCaw to start most games so injury cover is all that is needed. Like the three-quarters, utility players have won the day with Victor Vito and Adam Thompson who can play 6, 7 and 8 being selected. Liam Messam has been the unlucky player. Outstanding at Super 15, he lacks the power to take the final step up to international level.
With the tight forwards there was no such selection worries — they have been a settled unit for the last couple of seasons based around the core of Keven Mealamu, Tony Woodcock, brothers Owen and Ben Franks and Brad Thorn.
The selectors have chosen the most experienced All Black squad of all time boasting 1133 caps as they try to win the Rugby World Cup on home soil. Is 2011 finally their year?
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