Rob Horne

[chiselhead]

Whilst Beale was getting all the reviews and all the hype.........and doing nothing other than being a speed bump to temporarily slow the attackers, Rob Horne flew in under the radar. How good is this kid? he is very fast, has outstanding acceleration and is a very powerful defender. I was disappointed he didn't get taken away with the wallabies.

[TommyM]

Future Wallaby 13 for sure. I can't believe how damaging he is for his size and weight. If he can stack on another 5 or 10kg and maintain his aggression he will be phenomenal

[waratahjesus]

i think another season or two and he will move to 12, he has quite a good passing game and his decision making for an 18 year old is fantastic, will be interesting to see if he falls to second year syndrome like turner did a bit but he seems to have all the skills to go a very long way!

[waratahjesus]

http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/n...423220756.html

Horne the centre of attention for Deans in midfield battle
Rupert Guinness | February 4, 2009

ONE key quality Wallabies coach Robbie Deans looks for in a player is "willingness" - an attribute he saw in NSW Waratahs teenager Rob Horne last year.

Horne, then 18 and in his first year out of school, impressed Deans from the outset. But he impressed everyone who saw him make his Super 14 debut for the Waratahs at the Sydney Football Stadium, off the bench against the Brumbies in round four. NSW won 24-17.

He impressed again in round nine on his first start for the Waratahs against the Force in Perth, scoring a try in a 17-12 victory. And again in the home semi-final against the Sharks with his big hit on opposite Francois Steyn, with NSW winning 28-13 to make the final.

Then there were all those runs, sharp lines, passes and dogged tackles that did not make the headlines, but that Horne produced - and Deans quietly noted - throughout the 11 Super 14 games he played last year, including the lost final against the Deans-coached Crusaders.

Deans sought him outside the Waratahs locker room after that final, when hours away from formally becoming the Wallabies coach, to explain what he wanted from him in the Australian under-20s side.

Tomorrow night Deans will again be watching Horne at the SFS. This time, it will be against the Brumbies and it will be his first start for the Waratahs since recovering from a groin injury.

Horne will start the game at outside centre - where he finished last year - alongside another rising star on the comeback from a groin injury, Tom Carter in the No.12 strip.

Meanwhile, Wallaby Timana Tahu, who started in Horne's place against the Fiji Warriors last Friday, will play off the bench. He and Matt Carraro still figure in a tight centre selection battle that Waratahs coach Chris Hickey says will be decided on what the NSW selectors believe is the best combination, rather than the best individuals.

Deans rates Hickey's centres options highly, but is especially keen to see Horne back in the fray.

"He is a player of the future," he said. "He hasn't had a lot of involvement in Super rugby, but with the involvement he has had, he has shown he has got some capabilities."

Asked what stood out, the Wallabies coach quickly said: "His willingness. He has got a bit of pluck about him. He is courageous and he likes to attack."

Deans, who yesterday painted a positive picture about the finals chances of all four Australian sides in the Super 14, is excited about the centres battle.

"They have some choice which is good, and I am sure we will see all of it," he said. "It is not a problem who plays where."

Whatever combination Hickey picks, he expects to use every one of the contenders this season. After naming a near full strength side yesterday for tomorrow night's game, he said: "We have a lot of versatility with people like Robbie Horne and Timana Tahu who are all capable of playing 12 or 13. That versatility in the midfield will be a real strength for us."

Hickey indicated he doubts a centre's durability over a full season. "The reality is there are 13 games to play and it's a matter of getting through the full season," he said.

[chiselhead]

RH gets the starting 13 for the Tahs opening game. This kid could be anything

[mudskipper]

Actually Rob Horne is the real thing. This kid has got it in multitudes... I would like to formally invite him to move to the Brumbies when his Waratahs contract is up…

Watching him play I mow understand why the Waratahs took him over the talented speedster Alfi Mafi.....

[James]

If you guys are going to brown nose can you at least make it not a Tah?

[mudskipper]

If you guys are going to brown nose can you at least make it not a Tah?

well believe me I don't like saying it... but the kid is good... expect a good season from Horne...

[waratahjesus]

if his performance at the last trial against aac and mortlock was any indication of how he will play this season, then wallaby selection this year should be a formality.
he put some great hits on, was in everything and has pace to burn as well as the intellegence to always use his support players for both link play and diversion during his running.
only thing i would like to see out of his game is, he seems to do this little jump when he gets the ball, it seems to be like a young peoples thig to do these days, but sometimes he hops a bit and cuts down his own time it appears, a little jump okay, but when he does the big leap, i dont really understad what he is doing!
reckon he will e in a 12/13 jersey come the 2011 world cup!

[chiselhead]

if his performance at the last trial against aac and mortlock was any indication of how he will play this season, then wallaby selection this year should be a formality.
he put some great hits on, was in everything and has pace to burn as well as the intellegence to always use his support players for both link play and diversion during his running.
only thing i would like to see out of his game is, he seems to do this little jump when he gets the ball, it seems to be like a young peoples thig to do these days, but sometimes he hops a bit and cuts down his own time it appears, a little jump okay, but when he does the big leap, i dont really understad what he is doing!
reckon he will e in a 12/13 jersey come the 2011 world cup!

I tend to agree. He is a bit kamakaze and I fear he will suffer a lot of injuries in his career. He is a standout at a young age. A lot of other kids get a lot of hype and you wonder where they got it from but this kid is skillfull and as hard as the coffin nail.

[waratahjesus]

he is a good kamakaze though, he manages to run at gaps all night, i havnt seen him run at someone yet, he does tend to swerve at the last moment to avoid big impact.

its his defence that surprises me time and time again, he puts in some of the biggest hits ive seen in a long time, regularly taking on forwards and backs alike. hopefully the injury bug avoids him as he could be a great if he continues to develop and grow.

[James]

as well as the intellegence

Tahs trying to bring something new into their game huh? It's gonna be hard with Tuqiri and Tahu. Gotta have it before you can use it.

[waratahjesus]

Tahs trying to bring something new into their game huh? It's gonna be hard with Tuqiri and Tahu. Gotta have it before you can use it.

good point, the tahs are stupid, very funny.
maybe the force can lend us some intellegence, in exchange we can give them a magic bean that improves fuel iff.......wait you already have that, well, what do we have to offer, ohh i know, a winning culture!

[James]

good point, the tahs are stupid, very funny.
maybe the force can lend us some intellegence, in exchange we can give them a magic bean that improves fuel iff.......wait you already have that, well, what do we have to offer, ohh i know, a winning culture!

You'd need to actually win something first WJ.

[waratahjesus]

undefeated in 09 v force unwon in 09,
i think i can call it a winning culture
best team in aus = winning culture
grand final = winning culture
have the force ever had a trophy in there entire history?
cos we have had quite alot in ours!
your jersey is a reflection of ours! thats how much rugbywa admired the tahs!