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Wayne Smith | September 29, 2009
Article from: The Australian
THE stern message from Wallabies coach Robbie Deans seemed to be aimed more at the veterans named in the spring tour training squad yesterday rather than the 10 newcomers - no one will take you seriously until you take yourselves seriously.
The passage of nine days had done nothing to cool Deans's anger over his side's shameful 33-6 capitulation in Wellington as he spelled out what will be the focus of the 43-man squad - with eight to be trimmed by the end of next week - in the countdown to the tour-opening rematch against the All Blacks in Tokyo on October 31.
"Obviously it's important that we get it done (a win over the All Blacks) but, most importantly, taking ourselves seriously in the first instance would be a good start," growled Deans.
"Until we do that, no one else is going to take us seriously. If we don't respect what we do and the opportunity that we have, we won't produce anything that will demand a lot of the likes of the All Blacks in Tokyo."
Deans's anger did not spill over into the sacking of any of the players used during the Wallabies' miserable one-win-from-six Tri-Nations campaign, but that's not to say some of the mainstays won't be culled next week when he finalises his 35-strong touring party.
Former Wallabies captain Nathan Sharpe appears the player most in danger of being left behind, though more for reasons of fitness than form. He still is recovering from the shoulder injury he sustained in the one-point loss to New Zealand in Sydney a month ago and will need to prove his fitness soon. "And that's not a given," warned Deans.
Still, with two other Western Force second-rowers in Tom Hockings and Sam Wykes not able to be considered for the squad because of injury, so too NSW's Will Caldwell and rookie Brumbies Test lock Peter Kimlin, Deans will be anxious to have a lineout jumper of Sharpe's experience available for the demanding Grand Slam tour.
Who knows whether Sydney University pair Ben McCalman and Dave Dennis would have earned squad selection had it not been for the spate of middle-row injuries and the fact that, with the confirmation of a November 3 fixture against Gloucester at Kingsholm, the Wallabies face seven gruelling matches in four weeks on tour.
"Well, they've played all year and they're versatile," Deans said. "Most importantly, we're not over-endowed with specialist locks right now."
Deans made much the same observation in explaining the selection of Australian under 20s halfback Richard Kingi, despite the fact the squad also includes the three other number nines used in Tests this season - Will Genia, Luke Burgess and Josh Valentine.
Deans cautioned that Kingi, a 20-year-old father of three, had been brought into the squad very much as a development player and the expectation is that the youngster, who made two Super 14 impressive appearances for the Reds this season, against the Crusaders and Hurricanes, will be one of the eight players released at the end of next week.
"But he's been thrown a rope, so to speak," said Deans. "It's just an opportunity to throw him into this context and see how he copes."
Kingi's former Reds coach Phil Mooney warned none of the three established halfbacks in the squad should take the youngster lightly. "He's an extremely talented player and he's a competitor," Mooney said. "He backs himself. He'll be nervous coming into that squad but he won't die wondering."
The same could be said of Waratahs hooker Damien Fitzpatrick, 21 and Force winger Nick Cummings, 20, both of whom have worn the tag "future Wallaby" for the past year or two.
Cummings, certainly, will have his hands full breaking into the touring party, with the Wallabies well-blessed out wide, especially now outside centre and captain Stirling Mortlock and the most dangerous attacking player in this year's Super 14 Digby Ioane are back from injury.
But Fitzpatrick seems assured of a tour berth with the selectors only naming two other hookers in the squad, the established Test pair of Tatafu Polota-Nau and Stephen Moore. Sadly, injury once again has scuttled the chances of Adam Freier.
While the Wallabies will not play a full-scale trial match in front of paying spectators, Deans was at pains to stress an internal trial, played under a referee, would form part of next week's training camp in Sydney.
One player desperate to impress in the trial will be Brumbies captain Stephen Hoiles whose Test career looked to be stalled after playing against France last season. Everything, it seems, will come down to what Deans termed his "presence over the ball" at the tackle.
The Wallabies coach conceded his side had not produced "a lot of outcomes" during the Tri-Nations series, but brushed aside the question of whether the team would embark on its first Grand Slam tour in a quarter-century with any confidence. "I think confidence is over-rated," he said. "I think toughness and a resilience are more important."
Kingi's former Reds coach Phil Mooney warned none of the three established halfbacks in the squad should take the youngster lightly. "He's an extremely talented player and he's a competitor," Mooney said. "He backs himself. He'll be nervous coming into that squad but he won't die wondering."
The same could be said of Waratahs hooker Damien Fitzpatrick, 21 and Force winger Nick Cummings, 20, both of whom have worn the tag "future Wallaby" for the past year or two.
Cummings, certainly, will have his hands full breaking into the touring party, with the Wallabies well-blessed out wide, especially now outside centre and captain Stirling Mortlock and the most dangerous attacking player in this year's Super 14 Digby Ioane are back from injury.
But Fitzpatrick seems assured of a tour berth with the selectors only naming two other hookers in the squad, the established Test pair of Tatafu Polota-Nau and Stephen Moore. Sadly, injury once again has scuttled the chances of Adam Freier.
While the Wallabies will not play a full-scale trial match in front of paying spectators, Deans was at pains to stress an internal trial, played under a referee, would form part of next week's training camp in Sydney.
One player desperate to impress in the trial will be Brumbies captain Stephen Hoiles whose Test career looked to be stalled after playing against France last season. Everything, it seems, will come down to what Deans termed his "presence over the ball" at the tackle.
The Wallabies coach conceded his side had not produced "a lot of outcomes" during the Tri-Nations series, but brushed aside the question of whether the team would embark on its first Grand Slam tour in a quarter-century with any confidence. "I think confidence is over-rated," he said. "I think toughness and a resilience are more important."
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html
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Originally Posted by TOCC
snigger, it's when Giteau does take charge and runs those 'simple plays' of which you speak when we get SMASHED!
