Latham tells sheepish Shepherd to lead flock

[KenyaQuin]

Latham tells sheepish Shepherd to lead flock
Wayne Smith | June 26, 2008

SIDELINED Wallabies great Chris Latham has called on his successor as Australia's fullback, Cameron Shepherd, to back himself more and for Shepherd's critics to back off him while he finds his feet in the Test side.

It was a frustrated Latham who prowled up and down watching the Wallabies play Ireland in Melbourne a fortnight ago, a match he would certainly have started in had he not torn his pectoral muscle in the Reds' Super 14 match with Robbie Deans' Crusaders. But adding mildly to his frustration was Shepherd's no-risk performance at fullback.

"I think Cameron played a game where he didn't want to do anything wrong, which is understandable," Latham said yesterday. "But at the end of the day, that inhibits what you want to do right."

Read More

[Scotty]

LOL, Latham says HTFU Shepard!!

[Burgs]

"Smith leads race in 2008 most wanky headline"

[laura]

Its a big task for Shepherd to now become Latham's replacement, they are big boots to fill. I dont him for playing it safe, although I do think that from now on he may need to be a bit aggressive in his game. I would rather see him play it safe than kick the ball away and lose possession though, so for now I think Sheps is doing a good job and will only improve with time. Sheps!!

[Scotty]

Sheps needs to start screaming at the ball after he kicks it, like Latho does. He's a madman. A madman!

[laura]

Maybe he needs to pull his socks down? That seemed to work for Latho!

[KenyaQuin]

Agreeing with the commentary following the Ireland game, Sheps needs to get some raw aggression into his game otherwise he's simply warming the chair for Australia's next Top Fullback. Not asking him to be Latham, we know he's a super player (going by last year's S14 season) so just want him to get on and be super (not just safe).

[BLR]

Maybe he needs to pull his socks down? That seemed to work for Latho!

James O'Connor does that, maybe we should bring him in?

[laura]

Only problem is he's not a fullback.

Sheps: Pull your socks down and you can become the socks-down assassin of fullbacks!

[lara93]

yeah..if james o'connor was a fullback he would be great but hes a great player now at 12

[shasta]

Wayne Smith | June 26, 2008

It's not a criticism Latham is making

.

Nope. Seems to be Wayne Smith. And not for the first time.

.................... And it would not help Shepherd that the most often-cited criticism of his game is that, for all the brilliant things he is capable of doing in a match, he also can be counted on for at least one costly blooper.

Cam's pretty safe usually. Wayne must be still wetting his pants over that piece of bad luck that delivered the winning try to Lachlan Turner. He's sure getting a lot of mileage out of it.

[BLR]

Only problem is he's not a fullback.

That doesn't matter, backs just need to run fast and they can play anywhere, it isn't a finely tuned art like the forward play.

[KenyaQuin]

That doesn't matter, backs just need to run fast and they can play anywhere, it isn't a finely tuned art like the forward play.

Sounds like you've just cast your bait BLR..not a fine tuned art you say I'm sure you know better than that.

[BLR]

Sounds like you've just cast your bait BLR..not a fine tuned art you say I'm sure you know better than that.

I get bored sometimes.

[AndyS]

Yes, well, easy for Latham to say with the last of his seventy odd caps under his belt. Of course, it would probably have been a few more if he hadn't taken wild chances when first starting out and got himself dropped. Maybe best Shep gets his legs under the desk for a bit, then he can start to really express himself once he is actually the incumbent and it is a bit harder for the Easterners to squeal how Turner/Beale/AAC/Gerrard/Tahu/Horne/Dunning/Baxter would all be better choices