You heard it here first!

[.X.]

without a doubt - however he didn't, in fact I would go so far to say henjack's pretty average season with the force has/will play are large part in allowing gregan to be there for the 2007 cup kick off.

glad someone sees my point

[littleleck]

=Gregan taking a few steps, and having our backs hit behind the advantage line is causing injuries to our inside backs. (OK we are stretching this one, but work with me) Who is injury prone? Larkham, Gitteau and Mortlock. Who do they play for in the Super 14? Brumbies. Who is their Halfback? Gregan!!!!=

I think ill agree with Burgs on this one. With the exception of giteau, both larkham and mortock have been very injury prone from the moment they stepped on a rugby field.

If the aim of the australian rugby selectors at the moment is to get the team as strong as possible of RWC2007, i believe gregan is the way to go. I think he proved himself to still be capable of competing at international level during the super 14. As much as i would love to see a youngster like Josh Holmes get a couple of tests in the green and gold, i think gregans experience is something which will be invaluable during the campaign in france next year. I'll happily see him retire the moment the full time whistle goes in the final, but until then i think he is the way to go.
Up the Woodies

[Burgs]

The other thing I feel important is, as tempting as it may be, there is only so much we/they should "devalue" the Wallaby jersey by "trying out" different combinations.
A National jersey (or Cap) is the highest honour available to any player of our code around the globe.
To seriously consider someone to replace a player of Gregans calibre they need to be an International standard Scrumhalf forcing their way into selection calculations and the only one even close to that at the moment (with Whitaker gone) is Cordingley. The rest are speculations of a pretty high order.
In my view the ARU need to organise a pile more Australia "A" and non Cap Wallaby fixtures to be testing the merits of the second string players rather than chucking Test Caps around as certificates of potential.

[.X.]

The other thing I feel important is, as tempting as it may be, there is only so much we/they should "devalue" the Wallaby jersey by "trying out" different combinations.
A National jersey (or Cap) is the highest honour available to any player of our code around the globe.

I couldnt agree more Burgs - Our Caps should be the highest valued comodity in Rugby.

Here is my problem. The Wallabies have approx. 7 Tests in the Bundy Rum Test Series including the Tri Nations this year. Our European Tour will be another 5+ Tests (sorry I dont know the exact numbers). We are asking our Senior Citizen (in Rugby Years) Half Back and Captain to play all of those plus next years Super 14 and Tri Nations plus 7 Games of the World Cup (4 pool games, Quater, Semi and Final) We have lost our experienced Reserve Half Back with the retirement of Chris Whitiker with his moving to England on his Superanuation Tour.

What happens if George gets injured. Or what is more likely, has a form slump? The only other Half Back with Test experience had a less then exciting season for the Western Force and didnt even make the Wallabies Squad. Our only hope is by blooding one or more half backs, getting them experienced at the Test Level.

[no.8]

Exile - There is merit in your arguement.

The biggest thing in it's favour is that we are not particularily interested about winning Cook Cup and whatever useless trophy we play Ireland for. The Bledisloe, Nelson Mandela Trophy and Tri-nation is a bit different.

What we are really interested in (mainly because we want to see what the IRB does when we win 3 of them!) is "Bill".

So in a way yes pick Larkham/Giteau and Gregan/Cordingly because we want them to play the highest level of Australian Rugby against the 1st, 2nd & 3rd best teams in the world - but when we play teams lower down the world order - like 5th and 6th - we should be trying out Josh Valentine, Brett Sheehan and Matt Henjak and Lachlan McKay, Berrick Barnes and Two Dads.

Then in the future we would have an experienced half back pairing for the big games.

[.X.]

But how do we bring on new talent in to the Wallabies without "devalluing the Test Cap"?

Australia A is not the answer - these young kids need experience at the top level now, not when George gets injured or has a Force slump

[The Lone Hydrangea]

where the bloody hell is Peter hewat and Chris Whitaker ???

in sydney.hewat is a choker under pressure

[Happy]

But how do we bring on new talent in to the Wallabies without "devalluing the Test Cap"?

i think that is only a problem because Australian's don't like to loose. we want to win all the time, sometimes you can stretch a winning streak out and collect all the trophies, but eventually, unless you experiment and prepare to loose a few times, your trophy cabinet is going to be emptied and you'll have people asking - what is wrong, players are old, sack the coach (sound familiar).

It is times like this I remember words spoken by Edward Jones just after we lost the world cup, where he was asked in the lead up games when we lost a few we should have one, and maybe should have won some others by a larger margin - "Don't show all your moves" .. he knew which ones to win and by how much, give as little as you can away to the opposition. And in the same way, don't become predictable by choosing a team to win every game.

You can't win everytime, so choose the ones that matter. 07 is where it is important, not the cook cup this year, and dare I say not the bledisloe either!! Next year you want the team starting to gel and bear some fruits! Win the bledisloe then.

Look at New Zealand - they have managed to time their best rugby performances smack bang inbetween world cups!!! For about 7-8 consecutive years

Give Knuckles time and patience this year to experiment, allow them lose with some untried and untested international players - not lose on purpose of course, but if they get beaten by a better side, appreciate there is a greater good happening. Let them secretly create a game plan and program that, come October 2007, will ensure we will be one of the teams on the pitch during the final.

My 2c.

[littleleck]

in sydney.hewat is a choker under pressure

couldnt agree more.will potentially spew if i see him running round in the green and gold

[Shaun]

For me Drew Mitchell should have bin in the squad and so should Hewit!

[Shaun]

Maybe not hewit now that i think bout it.. he is to erratic...

[travelling_gerry]

well heres my smokie folks.......Cameron Shepherd....Western Force all round nice guy....and highest points scorer.....and only 2 tries behind the season leaders....to start on the bench and after Latham sucumbs to an old injury early in the first half....our man Cam to come on and plays a blinder..........

[Shaun]

sounds about right

[Happy]

well heres my smokie folks.......Cameron Shepherd....Western Force all round nice guy....and highest points scorer.....and only 2 tries behind the season leaders....to start on the bench and after Latham sucumbs to an old injury early in the first half....our man Cam to come on and plays a blinder..........

then game 2 he gets to start!

[Shaun]

YEOW!!! Sheps is gold!