Rocky Elsom a chance for switch against Springboks

[travelling_gerry]

Wayne Smith | August 11, 2009

Article from: The Australian

A STINT at number eight for Leinster could see Rocky Elsom come into the reckoning for a new strike weapon role at the back of the Wallabies pack as all selection options go on the table for the critical August 22 clash with the All Blacks in Sydney.

"The Dance of the Desperates" is how the New Zealand media is portraying the Bledisloe Test, with the Tri-Nations' hopes of both sides hinging on the outcome after both have suffered two away defeats. With home ground advantage having proven decisive so far, the Wallabies' desperation levels might even exceed those of the thoroughly rattled All Blacks.
While that sense of desperation should not be allowed to intrude on the selectors meeting, the moment is fast approaching when coach Robbie Deans must make some hard calls.

Halfback Luke Burgess might have run out of chances, at least for the moment, and so too tighthead Al Baxter, but the most vexing selection issue might be how to get the backrow mix right in accommodating the return from injury of Elsom.

The most direct solution would be to reinstate Elsom at blindside flanker in place of Richard Brown, but a variation on that theme would be to name Elsom at six but to retain Brown's energy and high workrate against the All Blacks by switching him to number eight in place of the underperforming Wycliff Palu.

An unexpected third option emerged yesterday, however, when Elsom revealed that before he left last September for his eight-month stint in Ireland, he was asked by Deans to play as much number eight as possible for Leinster.

Opportunities were limited, with Leinster boasting Irish and British Lions number eight Jamie Heaslip.

"But I managed to play a bit there when Jamie wasn't available," Elsom said yesterday.

While he insists he has no specific ambitions to become a number eight, certainly not at the expense of his former Waratahs team-mate Palu, Elsom for some time has been intrigued by the possibilities the position opens up.

Certainly it would give him more scope to develop the ball-running side of his game which progressed to such an extent in Ireland that his Leinster captain, Brian O'Driscoll, hailed him as the best rugby player in the world after Leinster won the Heineken Cup final.

The Wallabies need all the firepower they can muster against the All Blacks and must surely be tempted to use a Palu-Elsom-George Smith backrow in Sydney.

While the Wallabies appear to have the measure of the All Blacks' lineout, they need to come up with a way of countering the Springboks in that area in Perth (August 29) and Brisbane (September 5). Switching Elsom to number eight and bringing Dean Mumm into blindside flanker at least numerically would even up the battle, with each side having four jumpers.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html

[GIGS20]

Does Wayne Smith watch rugby?

I can't say there's a whole lot wrong with Trestle's set piece this year......sure one ref decided before the game that he was the one taking the scrum down, but a clinical, dispassionate observer would say he was taken down as often as he dropped it himself in that game.

He's been pretty good......not worthy of dropping considering the depth we have at Tighthead.

as for any suggestion of keeping Palu on the field............

He does make a point about Burgess tho!

[Swee_82]

Does Wayne Smith watch rugby?

I can't say there's a whole lot wrong with Trestle's set piece this year......sure one ref decided before the game that he was the one taking the scrum down, but a clinical, dispassionate observer would say he was taken down as often as he dropped it himself in that game.

He's been pretty good......not worthy of dropping considering the depth we have at Tighthead.

as for any suggestion of keeping Palu on the field............

He does make a point about Burgess tho!

While Trestle has held up fairly well this year, I personally thought the scrum went a little better once Alexander was on. Perhaps they just didn't bother trying anything on against him since he doesn't come with Baxters reputation.