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http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...6-2722,00.html
Wayne Smith
Edinburgh
November 27, 2006
SCOTT STANIFORTH remarked after the Wallabies' Test victory over Scotland yesterday (AEDT) that he hoped his performance at inside centre had given the selectors food for thought. In fact, he had set before them a veritable banquet.
The selectors pretty much had turned over every stone this season in their search for an inside centre good enough to allow them to redeploy regular No.12 Matt Giteau to halfback without destroying the balance of the backline. Each player they tried there, first Mat Rogers, then Steve Larkham, and then finally Stirling Mortlock did well after a fashion, but always the bottom line recorded a net deficit.
Staniforth represented the last roll of the dice before the selectors gave up, returned Giteau to the midfield and left the specialist No.9s of George Gregan, Sam Cordingley, Brett Sheehan and Josh Valentine to fight it out next year for the halfback position.
If the truth be known, it was an experiment embarked upon with little sense of expectation, at least as far as some of the selectors were concerned.
Not to have given Staniforth a trial there would have left them exposed to the charge that they had not explored every avenue, but the fear before the Murrayfield Test was that his uncomplicated, direct game would not gel with all the talent around him.
In fact, the opposite result occurred. Staniforth played the straight man to perfection, fitting so harmoniously into a backline full of jokers that suddenly every possibility is back on the table for World Cup year, including the possibility that Gregan might not command a place in the starting side.
Far from stifling the creativity of the backline, Staniforth, 28, allowed it to shine by reigniting attack after attack. Just when it seemed the Wallabies were going to fall into their customary trap of not only running the opposition ragged but themselves as well, the veteran would hit the line hard to drive faltering team-mates back over the advantage line again.
To date this year, there has been an either-or predicament underlying the selection of each inside centre. A Larkham or a Rogers seemingly committed the Wallabies to all-out expansive attack; a Mortlock or a Staniforth to a bruising, physical game. But as it transpired, Staniforth allowed them to enjoy the best of both worlds.
When the Australians wanted to go wide, Staniforth ran the decoy role; when they wanted to go direct, he ran the crash ball -- and with a vengeance.
Looking on from the inside Larkham, the primary architect of Australia's impressive 44-15 victory over the willing Scots, praised the performance of the Wallabies' No.12, insisting he had had "a fantastic game".
"Scotty gave us another dimension out there," Larkham said, singling out Staniforth's ability to regenerate the attack.
"I think there are certainly times in games when you need that. And tonight he certainly delivered that, particuarly during that period up to half-time when their defence was so good." Looking on from the outside, equally impressed, was winger Lote Tuqiri.
"Scott Staniforth gave us some direction and he got involved, which was good," Tuqiri said.
"He's one of those guys who likes the contact and he got us going forward. He knows how to play up here after having spent a couple of seasons with London Irish."
Asked if the Western Force midfielder might just be the man to harmonise the backline before the World Cup, Tuqiri replied: "Exactly!"
Staniforth could not stop smiling after his dream debut as an international inside centre, having played all of his previous five Tests as a winger.
"I think that's what we've been trying all year to do, to get the right balance," Staniforth said. "Today we had a good balance there."
To be fair, it wasn't just Staniforth who helped supply that balance. Much of it came from right winger Mark Gerrard who, despite some harrowing moments at five-eighth for the Wallabies' midweek side, often slotted neatly into first receiver alongside Larkham, providing the Australians with two ball-players just off the ruck.
That's the formula which assistant coach Scott Johnson believes the Wallabies need to work to, and it matters not what numbers the ball-players wear on their backs.
Larkham deservedly was named man of the match for his stellar performance, but Gerrard also played his part in easily his best performance of the season for the Wallabies.
Dear Lord, if you give us back Johnny Cash, we'll give you Justin Bieber.
I'm so happy with Scotts performance at 12. Gits can stay at 9.
Exciting times ahead.
I still believe Gits is a number 12... hopefully thats the way it will be in the future...
Every forwards dream is to become a back...
Scotty's old fashioned style was a breath of fresh air, as Smith writes, "Staniforth played the straight man to perfection, fitting so harmoniously into a backline full of jokers".
Just watched the replay earlier on Fox. His work rate and passion where so obvious in what has been a pretty pedestrian backline this Tour.
If only they had tried it in the first Test we may well have had an entirely different mood.
As much as we have been talking him up here in the West, sometimes people just need to see things for themselves.
That combination definately has earnt another run with Shepherd in for Rogers on the bench.
Gits is virtually the "Jack of all trades" bench player on the park already, so pick the next best Half on the bench with one or two midfield-outside backs.
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
I think gits is good at 12 but we need a new fresh 9# and i think scott played quiet well. I would like to see the number of tackles he made.
He got involved in the rucks countless times too, awesome work.
Like I said in another thread, rugby coaches must be like movie characters... The audience always seems so much smarter and comes to the correct conclusions so much earlier... How many people on here said Spanner should be 12? Sheesh.
from Greg Growden (SMH)
Meanwhile, Wallabies selectors have reaffirmed they will not put pressure on Super 14 coaches to select players in certain positions during the tournament next year.
The selectors would like to see more of Giteau at No.9 and Scott Staniforth at No.12, but realise that the Western Force are unlikely to pick either in those positions. Johnson, one of the selectors, said he would not be berating the provincial coaches.
"I'm not big on telling people what they should and should not do," he said. "I'm not here to tell someone where they should play someone.
"Sometimes it is good to see what people do in different environments. I'm comfortable with that."
heres a thought for 2007 S14:
9. Henjak
10. Giteau
11. Ione
12. Staniforth
13. Pelesasa
14. Mitchell
15. Shepherd
- seems now everyone is lamenting we don't have depth at the national level at 5/8th....maybe the wonderkid should have a go there?
I think scott should retain number 12 because he has a great work rate and needs to be in close to the action!
For mine, Force backline for 2007...
9. Giteau
10. McKay
11. Ioane
12. Staniforth
13. Pelesasa
14. Shepherd
15. Mitchell
Cross and O'Young on the Bench, Henjak elsewhere....
Might be hard to drop him since his form return...Originally Posted by Sagerian
I think it was Growden who said "Henjak may well have played himself back into the wallabies..." with his form in the APC...
Not to mention based on his photos he is now about 5kg bigger than last year and I think we should not write him off yet - certainly Mitch is still talking him up.
Whiuchever way we look at it - based on form in Europe, in Japan with the Prime Minister's Xv and with the purchase of Cross, we have real depth in the backs this (coming) season! Hooray!
Didn't John Mitchell make it clear a while back he didn't want to play Gits at 9?
Reckon he'll change his mind?
oh and don't worry about sage Blindsid3... sending Henjak elsewhere is his answer for everything. hehe.
Last edited by Jess; 28-11-06 at 09:17. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
I made Happy sad...
I'm not!Originally Posted by Jess
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Yes.. Greg Growden said this.... Growden has said a lot of things.Originally Posted by blindsid3
Oh I agree, there is real depth in the Force backline, but I don't include Henjak. Henjak is capable of being a talented player, he may have done ok in the APC (though not in the game I saw) and against some inferior team from Japan... I'll still hold out and see how he does in big games, not just against some toshiba team for the western force gold.
I'm keeping the faith with Henjak, if Mitch reckons he's the man for the job then I'm backing him!Originally Posted by Sagerian
Oh, edited addition......please do not lower the tone of the site by quoting Growden!
Just happy to be here