Adam Ashley-Cooper refining radar

[laura]

Adam Ashley-Cooper refining radar
September 10, 2008

RELIEVED Wallabies fullback Adam Ashley-Cooper has vowed to repay Robbie Deans' faith by fine-tuning his bombing radar for Saturday night's Tri-Nations decider.

Ashley-Cooper took Australia's record 53-8 loss to South Africa harder than most following a poor general-play kicking performance which left him and his chasers in “no-man's land”.

Wallabies great and expert commentator Tim Horan was among many expecting the Brumbies utility to be dumped in favour of Drew Mitchell after his overcooked bombs simply handed possession back to the Springboks.

But Deans, who also watched Ashley-Cooper fail to execute the garryowen tactics in last month's 39-10 loss to New Zealand, has stuck by a nervous Ashley-Cooper who has gone back to school this week.

“I think everyone was pretty worried about that performance in South Africa, I certainly was,” he said today. “I took the loss pretty harsh, especially individually.

“I wasn't very happy with it, all my kick returns were off and I think that had an affect, an impact on the team's performance so hopefully we can rectify that this weekend.

“(Deans' selection) was a great boost and now I'm really really excited about it.”

The up-and-under kick-return has become an almost universal tactic employed under the new experimental laws but Ashley-Cooper's efforts in Auckland and Johannesburg took the pressure off Australia's opponents as chasers had no chance to compete for the falling ball.

“Obviously the execution wasn't on, the kicks were too deep and I've been working pretty hard this week on those kick returns so hopefully this Saturday night I go out and return it and it pays good results for the team,” he said.

more here...Adam Ashley-Cooper refining radar | The Australian

including this handy bit of info: Reserve halfback Brett Sheehan played as a rugby league halfback for both South Sydney and Brisbane and looms as potential cover at No.10.

[The Lone Hydrangea]

Im glad he is relieved, he better play out of his skin cause he has the hangmans noose around his neck.Goes to show, Shep picked a bad time to get injured.

[Thequeerone]

Bad time or a good time - we won't be the only ones breathing a sigh of relief when he returns

[robyn <3]

he should be thanking the heavens he got on the team, let alone the XV.
i have no idea why he has been pick so often. he is not specialised in any area. we need him on the bench, since he can play all of the backline apart from 9 and 10. hes not the best at any of them, but in a squeeze he can cover it all. i dont mind him on the team, but i would much prefer him on the bench.
if your consistently awful in a certain position, WHY does he get thrown back there every game? sharpie had 2 bad games and got dropped! not fair!

[Vacuous Fangirl]

bcoz he is haaaaaaaaaaaaaawttttttt
he looks sooooooooo gewd out there y wouldnt u want him on the field he's haaaawwwwwwwtttttt. omg lyk totaly drewl!!

[force addict]

Sheps, when will you be ready to pull on the #15 jersey?! soon please.

[robyn <3]

bcoz he is haaaaaaaaaaaaaawttttttt
he looks sooooooooo gewd out there y wouldnt u want him on the field he's haaaawwwwwwwtttttt. omg lyk totaly drewl!!

but i want us to win, rather than to see hot guys run around on a field.

[Jehna]

but i want us to win, rather than to see hot guys run around on a field.

Why would you want that robyn? It's not like we actually like the game of rugby..


GOod news about Sheehan...i'd completely forgotten that but then again i'm pretty sure i remember him as a leaguie and he wasn't that great so perhaps that's why...

[laura]

Ashley-Cooper expecting stern Carter examination
ABC - September 11, 2008, 10:11 am

Wallabies full-back Adam Ashley-Cooper says he expects the All Blacks to target him in Saturday's Tri Nations decider in Brisbane.

The 24-year-old admits he was disappointed with his performance against the Springboks at Ellis Park and was relieved when he was not axed from the starting line-up.

Ashley-Cooper says classy All Blacks fly half Dan Carter has the ability to test him all night.

"He's got a great kicking game and hopefully he's a little bit off Saturday night," he said.

"It's about knowing his left foot, knowing where he likes to kick, knowing where he likes to put them, defending well and getting good field position."

Saturday offers the Wallabies a long-awaited chance to replenish their trophy cabinet if they can upset New Zealand and reclaim their first Tri-Nations series in seven years.

Australia have retained the Mandela Plate against the world champion Springboks, but the sweetest prize for New Zealander Robbie Deans will be seizing the Tri-Nations trophy off the All Blacks in his ninth Test as Wallabies' coach.

New Zealand have held the Tri-Nations crown since 2005 and are favourites to extend their reign into a fifth year this weekend, but All Blacks' coach Graham Henry is wary of an ambush.

"I don't think it (the big loss at Ellis Park) had done us any favours at all," Henry said Thursday.

"They will be hugely disappointed with their performance and the result, which will give them more edge and more attitude. We don't really need that, so that's a pity that happened."

Henry knows from experience not to under-estimate the Wallabies at home. The Australians have had the better of the All Blacks six times in their last nine home encounters, although the Kiwis have won both their two Lang Park Tests in 2006 and 1996.

"This was always going to be a big game, it was always going to be a decider and they have got the advantage, probably, of coming off a big loss which they are obviously disappointed about," Henry said. "It will give them a great attitude."

Henry readily conceded that Deans had out-coached him in their four tries to three defeat in Sydney in July and Deans sees Saturday's match as a perfect opportunity for redemption after their Johannesburg humiliation.

Deans has made five team changes and is promising a much improved effort from his chastened Australians at a sell-out Lang Park.

"Last week's gone and we've got a fantastic opportunity this weekend. We will be better out of necessity and I'm very excited about this week," Deans said.

"They weren't proud of their last outing so the priority for us is to be proud of what we leave behind this Saturday.

"We've seen some great encounters in Tri-Nations and you're going to see an even better one on the weekend."

Ashley-Cooper expecting stern Carter examination Australian Sport - Yahoo!7 Sport

[laura]

Ashley-Cooper sidesteps Deans torpedo
Wayne Smith | September 11, 2008

IT looked like an exercise in deliberately conceding field position to the opposition.

Step One: The Springboks from the kick-offs -- and there were quite a few of them at Ellis Park a fortnight ago -- would launch spiralling torpedoes deep into Australian territory. In the thin air of the high veldt, it was not unusual for Conrad Jantjes and Butch James to rifle their kicks 80m downfield.

Step Two: Wallabies fullback Adam Ashley-Cooper would return the favour. Not with a monster "torp" of his own, however, but instead with a midfield bomb that neither he nor wingers Lote Tuqiri and Peter Hynes chased. Not that it would have done them any good because invariably his kicks were, as he put it yesterday, "off".

The Springboks, untroubled by any Australian defenders, simply swept on to the ball around halfway and within moments were pounding the Wallabies line.

Coaches invariably wear the blame when things go wrong on the field, but these muddleheaded tactics should not be laid at the feet of Robbie Deans.

They were, instead, entirely the invention of the players and Ashley-Cooper for one expected to wear the wrath of his coach. He wasn't alone, with most critics believing Deans had no option but to entrust the fullback position to Drew Mitchell for Saturday's Tri-Nations decider against the All Blacks in Brisbane.

Deans thought otherwise, and much to Ashley-Cooper's surprise, retained the Brumbies utility in the No15 jersey.

more here...Ashley-Cooper sidesteps Deans torpedo | The Australian

[benny]

When I read the heading "AAC refining radar" thought the best news had happened to Australian rugby and he was retiring.. bugga !!

Put Shep on one leg or mitch there PLEASE, or even huxley would be better in his condition currently.