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Robbie Deans has revealed he tried to lure George Smith back for the 2011 World Cup and has asked the openside breakaway to keep playing for the Wallabies beyond the third Test against the British and Irish Lions on Saturday.
''We were close,'' Deans said on Thursday. ''We were very keen for George for participate. We felt he left too early in terms of his own place in the game.''
Deans was criticised for taking only one specialist openside to the World Cup, but said the plan had been to unleash Smith and David Pocock in a partnership that could have changed the Wallabies' fortunes at the tournament.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/un...#ixzz2Y7H3thRy
Generally speaking you aren’t learning much if your lips are moving!!!
OK, don't think I don't respect George, I think he's the best openside the world has ever seen, but he'll be geriatric by the time the RWC rolls around and openside isn't exactly and old man's game! If he's still up to this standard at that time then sure, but injuries and general tiredness will play a major part in it.
Would George be happy to play the game the way McCaw the cheat does, only rolling out for a couple of tests each year in order to extend his international career? Is he the sort of bloke whose rugby can thrive in that environment? It seems like a reach (at best)
Secondly, if Deans was planning to unleash Smith and Pocock in the RWC but was short changed by Smith's unavailability, let's not forget that he had something like 8 months to come up with a plan "B" wouldn't a good coach have contingencies prepared anyway? If it were me, I would have several backups in place, but not named in the squad, who were getting the coaching and exposure to the environment just in case one of them sustained an injury.
Such lack of planning and foresight might just explain why Deans is the worst performing Wallabies coach in history.
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I am just happy to see my favourite Wallaby back out on the park. Exceptional player and a great bloke.
Go George!!!!
Generally speaking you aren’t learning much if your lips are moving!!!
I love George too, but given the gracious way Liam Gill has accepted being made to stand aside for him tomorrow, I think George should make way for him to have a crack at making RWC2015!
Proudly Western Australian; Proudly supporting Western Australian rugby
I will reserve judgment until after tomorrow's game. He is a legend but a couple of games for the Brumbies is not test level and I am not sure if he still can compete at the next level up. He has been out of that area for a while and though still a class act I think Deans is getting ahead of himself re the RWC
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'Rugby and sex are the only things you can enjoy without being good at them.' -anonymous
Oh, I think he'll compete at that level...THIS year, maybe next year, who knows how long the run will last.
I just think it'd be a shame to tarnish a legendary career by hanging around too long and not leaving as the unquestioned best in the world. Particularly if it is done to paper over the cracks of Deans' lack of foresight and inability to develop World class players.
Let the bloke collect his superannuation for goodness sake
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And if Pocock wasn't injured it would be George who?
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WRF is right
If Pocock didn't go down injured Geoerge Smith would never have got the SOS from the Brumbies
Pocock to come back from injury and Liam Gill carving up I doubt Smith will be in front of either of those two by 2015
“Everyone knows whether it’s rugby, politics or whatever, front-rowers should rule the world, so to have a hooker at the helm makes sense,” Nathan Charles Western Force & Wallabies Hooker.
I have mixed feelings about that kind of thing - we've all cringed seeing greats of various sports labour on past their prime but Stirling Mirtlock shows how someone can reinvent himself as a 'role player' and still be useful at the end of their career.
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George will know if he is up to it or not, he won't require pushing when the time comes.
Tomorrow is a pivotal game for him because it then leads to the rest of this season. If he is average that will be it. If he dominates then he will have the full Test season to cement a specialist bench (6-7-8) role.
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Money talks in Japan
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money talks,fullstop.
Wests Scarborough 1st Grade juggernaut has played finals rugby each and every year since its inception and continues this remarkable feat yet again this season and unbelievably it's still rolling on and as an added little circle jerk for the masses Wests actually hold the record for the current longest unbroken finals record.