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Pivotal clash postponed
By Wayne Smith and Peter Kogoy, The Australian
April 11, 2007
A FEW short weeks ago, Australian rugby was salivating at the thought of teenage whiz kids Kurtley Beale and Quade Cooper going head-to-head in the Super 14 match between New South Wales and Queensland.
But neither now seems likely to start the match at Aussie Stadium on Saturday night.
Beale, 18, has been freshened up as a bench player for the Waratahs in the past two matches, and he is expected to remain in that role.
Cooper, 19 last week, is meanwhile likely to be relieved of the starting duties at five-eighth, instead being used off the bench the bench after showing signs of feeling the pressure in Queensland's past two losses, against the Chiefs and Sharks.
Andrew Brown is set to start at inside centre for the Reds for the first time since the season-opener against the Hurricanes, having finally fully recovered from a rib injury, while Berrick Barnes is likely to swap from inside centre to five-eighth.
"We'll no doubt be considering that," Reds coach Eddie Jones, who will name his side today, said.
"It might be that (Cooper and Beale) are throwing paper planes at each other on the sideline at the start of the game."
Certainly the two gifted playmakers are still young enough for such frivolity, which also explains why they have had their share of problems adjusting to professional rugby straight out of school.
With their sides in freefall to the bottom of the Super 14 ladder, both prodigies have been pushed into decision-making roles far earlier than Jones or Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie would have preferred.
"We'd have liked a longer road," McKenzie said yesterday.
"But hopefully these two will play against each other for the next 10 years.
"It's a great head-to-head thing and it's fantastic to have such talent coming on the scene at the same time.
"We've been talking about Steve Larkham's replacement for a while and now we have these two young, interesting guys arriving together.
"At the same time, I hope it doesn't end up like the back row, the George Smith-Phil Waugh-David Croft sort of thing, where you have good players missing out."
With Reds veteran Ben Tune now just four matches away from retirement, Jones is searching for an experienced player to help to steer Cooper and Barnes around the park. He is thinking of recruiting Waratahs centre Morgan Turinui.
"I'd like to have a chat to Morgan but I thought I'd leave it until after the interstate match," Jones said.
"But maybe I could present him with a Reds jersey just before he runs on this weekend."
Just when it seemed the bleak circumstances surrounding this match might rob the derby of the spite built up over 125 years, along came Lote Tuqiri yesterday to call on his Waratahs teammates to get ruthless against the Reds.
While Tuqiri conceded the match between the 13th and 14th ranked teams in the competition could easily be billed as a battle for the wooden spoon, he was still predicting a tough game.
"They always are," Tuqiri said.
"We're expecting the Reds to be quite physical and we'll train accordingly this week.
"Blokes like (former Queensland halfback) Josh Valentine will tell you the Reds hate us and we hate them right back. There's no love lost and it's going to be quite a physical encounter."
When pressed about the Waratahs' fall from grace, Tuqiri said: "Attitude has got a lot to do with it. We've got the game plan but we're just not implementing it at different times on the field.
"We're letting ourselves down in the basics, catching and passing and one-on-one tackles."
And in a frank admission Tuqiri labelled his season as "less than average".
"I think everyone, bar one or two blokes, can say the same," Tuqiri said.
"While we won our first game of the season (against the Lions in Johannesburg), we've been pretty ordinary ever since."
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
One's 18 and one's crap... What can you do hehe.
I really wouldn't have anticipated this 'face off'. One would chip kick all day to the other one who wouldn't be able to catch them.
I wanted to see Cooper start, the tahs would have had their best chance with him ruining any decent ball coming out of the ruck.
Cooper vs Beale
Cooper gets the vote from me.
Who is everyone tipping? I would love the Reds to will; but my heart says the Tahs will take the points.
Every forwards dream is to become a back...
Objectively, what are you basing that on? Cooper is suffering from the kind of problems that you'd affiliate with an 8 year old. I'm sure his catching will improve over time but in the battle of not being able to catch vs inane chip kicking, I'll tke the chips.Originally Posted by Shaun
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Sometimes the chip kick comes off and tries are scored, Kurtley for me...
Proudly bought to you by a brewery somewhere....
1 from about 863 by my count. But I'd still take the excitement machine over KooWade.Originally Posted by frontrow
they have been talking it up for a while as the rivalry to save the wallabies i havnt got to that article yet in the inside rugby mag but my moneys on beale
Beale has also droped a few and was up for the percy award in SA untill that chip chase try
Most definitely, and they're both young so that can be excused.
But Cooper has been in a class all of his own, as this video attests to (done by our man Chook).
http://video.gothetahs.com/KwooAdeVBennyHill.mpg
Cooper is only having a bit of a confidence issue at the moment.
I believe he is the better player and will come out on top over time.
Beale's style is to always rely on surprise, the unexpected and his undoubtable flair.
I can certainly see why he would have carved up at GPS level.
However from what I have seen of him so far I think at International level he will end up being a Rogers to Cooper's Larkham.
A handy game breaker to inject if things are off track but the second pick if Cooper is fit.
Beale, as I have mentioned elsewhere always looks one tackle away from oblivion the way he hangs in the air doing his League/Sevens style sidesteps.
If he comes up against one of the big hitters like a Jerry Collins and tries it once too often he will be sent into next week.
Both are great future talents, of that I have no doubt, but in my opinion given equal opportunity and no other off field factors, Cooper will be the player to give Australia the greatest benefit.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
haha yea but the other 862 annoy me. i dont care there both average or below for me maybe in 5 years it will be a big showdown.Originally Posted by sagerian
The problem is (and this was said elsewhere, a forum, an article.. no, it's too smart to be from an article)... But the young players don't have much patience for sitting on the sideline and learning anymore. They need to play these kids or else they run the risk of losing them, like Josh Holmes. Even though they're clearly, clearly not ready, they have to get serious game time because all the other super 14 teams would pay good money for "The next savior of Aus Rugby".
Kids are just growing up way too quickly these days!!!!
CHEERLEADERS ROCK!!!
Cooper is much better with the ball in hand (Sage don't start on the catching issue again mate) he is a stronger runner of the ball and hits the gap running, unlike Beale who tends to try and twinkle toe his way through a half gap or just chips. Cooper is also better when is comes to the passing game, his passes are crisp while Beale's are sometimes floaters who sell his man.
Every forwards dream is to become a back...
Very true, very good points indeed mate. Although you've asked me not to use my only comeback hehe.
Every forwards dream is to become a back...