Elsom running out of options

[TOCC]

People are still calling for shepherd to play for the wallabies yet Elsom has played more pro rugby in the past 2 years...

Ohh Please - the best blindside in the country - maybe three years ago but this is a long time in the rugby world - He has done bugger all since he has been back and is so one dimensional with his crash ball style that it has become too easy to read. Bye Bye Rocky

Personal opinions aside, his stats from the 2010 EOYT dwarf any Australian blindside statistics from 2011 super rugby season in terms of impact and workrate..
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[mudskipper]

People are still calling for shepherd to play for the wallabies yet Elsom has played more pro rugby in the past 2 years...


Personal opinions aside, his stats from the 2010 EOYT dwarf any Australian blindside statistics from 2011 super rugby season in terms of impact and workrate..
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But he didn't play more than 6 or so matches... So the stats may look better than a guy who plays half injured for many games... I think Rocky has played 8 matches in 2 years for the
Brumbies.

[James]

People are still calling for shepherd to play for the wallabies yet Elsom has played more pro rugby in the past 2 years...

Force fans are calling for Shepherd to play.

Elsom should be Wallabies captain, coach and CEO of the ARU if he played for the Force.

[mudskipper]

Force fans are calling for Shepherd to play.

Elsom should be Wallabies captain, coach and CEO of the ARU if he played for the Force.

Making offers you can't keep is what gets the west in so much trouble...

[normie]

Making offers you can't keep is what gets the west in so much trouble...

Please explain.

[TOCC]

But he didn't play more than 6 or so matches... So the stats may look better than a guy who plays half injured for many games... I think Rocky has played 8 matches in 2 years for the
Brumbies.

Incorrect muddy, Elsom has played 13 super rugby matches in the past two seasons, as well as a further 12? wallaby caps in the tri-nations and sprint tour..

Shit, 25 caps in in the last 18months is pretty good for a bloke who is apparently 'always injured'
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[blueandblack]

Please explain.

Pretty sure muddie is proving s/he is stuck in the past.

[TOCC]

How many games has Pockock played in the last 18months? It's about 27 if my estimate is correct...

I understand people dislike Elsom because of his apparent personality traits, but lets not bullshit the facts
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[Sheikh]

The problem with Elsom isn't 25 games in 18 months but 1 game this Super season. He'll need to play pretty much every game in the Tri-Nations to be fit for the RWC.

But should he even be given that opportunity? There are other 6's in Australia who have proven fitness and form. If he wasn't the captain I doubt he'd get on the bench, yet alone be the starter, and there wouldn't even be the discussion.

[shasta]

There's a 34yo No.8 / blindside / second row / lineout jumper / one time winger playing for the Reds. Radike Samo's S15 form has been screaming "PICK ME" all season. With Higginbotham, McCalman and Hodgo likely in the squad, there is plenty of back row flexibility for the coaches. If he gets through the finals Ok and his form continues, both Elsom and Palu will have to play their arses off to get to the final RWC squad. Unless the selectors have already made their minds up.

[TOCC]

Even as a Reds supporter i acknowledge that there are crucial flaws in both Samo and Higgers games.. Neither have the work rate that Elsom has, Higgers was exposed twice defensively against the Chiefs on the weekend, its rare to see Elsom caught out like that.

Yes Elsom does have some injury issues, but its not the first time exeptions have been made in a RWC year.. think Tune in 1999, Mortlock in 2003 and Latham in 2007..

[GIGS20]

I just don't think Elsom has been anywhere near his potential since returning from Ireland. It might be the Wallaby Captain thing playing on his mind, he might be phoning it in, he might just be too old/lazy/arrogant.

I don't know what it is, but it's pretty clear, Hodgeo is a real long shot for the Wallaby 6 (I mean 100:1 long shot) and he's a better option than Elsom, even if Elsom WAS fit.

My call? I'd pick Simmons and Higginbotham in the squad, with maybe a look at somebody like Wykes who isn't genuinely either a Lock or a Flanker and let them fight it out for the role. If Hodgeo and the bloke playing for the Tahs was given a go as well I wouldn't complain.

[palitu]

TOCC, Larkim in 07?

[Stone Cold]

I hope Hodgo gets a crack because his workrate and heart are massive...but I think you'll find Wallabies going for a bigger blindside in RWC. I'd give Higginbotham a crack personally. I may have been drunk when watching many of the (reds) games but he seemed to be able to break lines at will this season.

[TOCC]

Hodgo has a extrodinary workrate, unfortunatly for him, he doesnt really have the size to break/bend the line, Australia are going to need someone like Rocky/McCalman/Higgers at blindside to fill this role, on top of that, the awesomeness which is Pocock will reduce the need for a second 'on-ball' backrower like Hodgson.

I agree Elsom has reached the form he displayed in Ireland and just prior to leaving, and i also personally agree that Higgers is currently the in-form player to fill the role which Elsom has left open due to injury. But... i still think, that if Elsom regains his fitness and displays enough at training and hopefully one or two matches, then he should be selected at blindside for the RWC.