Wallabies squad for Lions tour

[frenchkiwi]

Let the games begin...

British and Irish Lions: Leigh Halfpenny, Alex Cuthbert, Brian O'Driscoll, Jonathan Davies, George North, Jonathan Sexton, Mike Phillips; Jamie Heaslip, Sam Warburton (captain), Tom Croft, Paul O'Connell, Alun-Wyn Jones, Adam Jones, Tom Youngs, Alex Corbisiero.

Reserves: Richard Hibbard. Mako Vunipola, Dan Cole, Geoff Parling, Dan Lydiate, Ben Youngs, Owen Farrell, Sean Maitland.

Wallabies team:

15. Berrick Barnes, 14. Israel Folau, 13. Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12. Christian Leali'ifano, 11. Digby Ioane, 10. James O'Connor, 9. Will Genia, 8. Wycliff Palu, 7. Michael Hooper, 6. Ben Mowen, 5. James Horwill (captain), 4. Kane Douglas, 3. Ben Alexander, 2. Stephen Moore, 1. Benn Robinson.

Reserves: 16. Saia Fainga'a, 17. James Slipper, 18. Sekope Kepu, 19. Rob Simmons, 20. Liam Gill, 21. Nick Phipps, 22. Pat McCabe, 23. Kurtley Beale.

On paper you'd have to say advantage lions for goalkicking with halfpenny, wallabies have in Beale the only X-factor player on the bench (an X which could swing for or against them!), Roberts out means that both backlines are a little lacking in on-field time together (except for welsh back 3), Davies and Barnes are both playing out of position, Wallabies backrow a bit green.

Which team will gel first? Will the Wallabies hometown fire give them that extra edge in the first half, or will it be wasted in mistakes? Can the lions' more experienced forwards scrum and maul their way over the top? Or will the likes of unproven Lealiafano or Hooper surprise and explode onto the test scene? etc etc. exciting.

[mazolaman]

That is a bloody good looking Lions side....

I think there is a lot on how Warburton captains.

[Ken Gargett]

i got asked by some mates for a few thoughts. this is the edited stuff. family site here and all. i am not overly impressed, as you might gather. i think we have a shot but i think we'll be lucky. after being one of the very few aussies in the ground (the gabba) for the first test last series, we can only hope we get some home advantage this time. certainly didn't last time. about 29,000 of the 35,000 crowd in red then. scary. and both latham and especially burke missed tackles they should have swallowed and it was all over. we were very lucky to sneak away with a series win last time. very lucky.

as for the team, pretty much as expected though surprised he didn’t shoehorn kurtley beerle in somewhere. after all, what are a couple of suspensions a year and maybe next time, he’ll punch the opposition and not his own teammate. pity someone doesn’t punch deans. i see he is on the bench. i was a bit worried that his three games this year might have been seen by deans as a bit much rugby to prepare for a series against the lions.

it is an okay team – just could be better. it will be crashball, fingers crossed, unimaginative crap with the people from mud island doing it better than we can. we do have some hope but i just don’t think that there are enough reds to carry it off. i pray i am wrong. at least, for the first time in my memory, losing to any team from mud island has a silver lining – hopefully the end of the worst wannabee coach in the history of mankind. in any sport. ever. honestly, you wonder how deans even finds the ground. pity he can’t find the airport and bugger off back to the land of the long loud whinge but even they had enough sense to dump him.

i might point out that a couple of those nsw’ers are formally qlders. we’d take izzy back any time (especially next wed) but you can keep that turncoat barnes. deans is deadset the most brain damaged moron that has ever drawn breath. what goes on inside his head makes what goes on inside a labor caucus meeting look sane and ordered. every day, it seems it proves himself more and more clueless.

honestly, would the all blacks have copped six years with a bloke winning just over one out of two? they wouldn’t cop six games of that. but we re-sign him! genius. we were worried someone else might sign him. so in ruining our own rugby team, we have deprived eritrea of a coach because no idea who else would have wanted him.

barnes has played something like 77 minutes this year. that is it. not finished a game this century. of that 77 minutes, i believe almost none is at fullback? on the other hand, izzy has been playing at fullback. so let’s move him as well. mccabe on the bench. well, that will be special. so he’ll be brought on later if we need to chase points? god save us.

mowen has played 8 all year. so let’s move him to 6. l’fano has played 10 all year. so let’s move him to in-centre. o’connor has played centres, wing or fullback. let’s move him to 10. palu has played possum all year. so let’s include him.

anyone else think that half these supposed lions injuries are actually blokes hurting themselves laughing so hard at the way we keep trying to stuff ourselves.

in other words, let’s stuff the team around as much as possible. of course, the best way to sort it would be to make certain they at least had a few games together to build combination, get match hardened, etc etc. no, let’s make certain that doesn’t happen.

hooper might be a very good player but he misses tackles. too keen on the showy play, the speccy run. liam gill is a class above him. he will get turnovers. he will make the crucial tackles. he will always be there. unfortunately, in this case, being there means being on the bench. gill is a superstar. not that the blind freddie currently in charge of our rabble could see that.

tragically, to get rid of deans, we have to lose. if only we could win this series and dump deans. then i’d be a happy man.

we will not beat this lot playing conservative, hopeful rugby.

what about –

izzy

digby

a-cooper

o’connor

cummins/moraghan/?

cooper

genia

mowen

hooper

gill

and the same tight five.

leaves us a smidge dodgy in the lineouts but they have been so bad of late that it hardly matters.

see some of you at lunch tomorrow.

[El Presidente]

We are seriously underdone with too many players in key positions playing too few minutes this year. While the attack risks being rusty, it is in defence where lack of game time normally shows up.

Looking at the side, I think the wallabies will run the ball switching left to right to left with plenty of high ball to Folau's wing once they are in the 22.

Lions by 7.

[Isotonic]

As an avid AFL lover and only casual Rugby follower can someone please try and place how significant an event the British and Irish Lions tour is? In Victoria we just don't give rugby or league the coverage to fully understand it. I remember being at VCE the last time the Lions toured and seeing thousands of Brits in their red and white all over Melbourne. It seems like this really is the pinnacle of world rugby. Am I wrong? I realise the World Cup probably takes the cake but is this the next best in terms of significance for a Wallaby?

Does this trump State of Origin of prestige?

Also... As much as I want to see Izzy tear the Lions a new one all it will do is remind every AFL lover how much of a fiasco his charade with GWS was. Fleeced the AFL of $2M+ in what could only be described as a historic failure. Izzy was born to play rugby and its probably the only time in recent years the AFL got something so horribly wrong.

Also probably indicates the man is a freak athlete. Anyone else ever played 3 separate sports a the highest level?

[Ken Gargett]

As an avid AFL lover and only casual Rugby follower can someone please try and place how significant an event the British and Irish Lions tour is? In Victoria we just don't give rugby or league the coverage to fully understand it. I remember being at VCE the last time the Lions toured and seeing thousands of Brits in their red and white all over Melbourne. It seems like this really is the pinnacle of world rugby. Am I wrong? I realise the World Cup probably takes the cake but is this the next best in terms of significance for a Wallaby?

Does this trump State of Origin of prestige?

Also... As much as I want to see Izzy tear the Lions a new one all it will do is remind every AFL lover how much of a fiasco his charade with GWS was. Fleeced the AFL of $2M+ in what could only be described as a historic failure. Izzy was born to play rugby and its probably the only time in recent years the AFL got something so horribly wrong.

Also probably indicates the man is a freak athlete. Anyone else ever played 3 separate sports a the highest level?

karmichael hunt played league for australia, top level rugby in france while waiting for clearance and now is playing very well with the suns. he has more than justified his spot.

you're wrong re izzy and the afl. he was not a success on the field - no question re that - but he was massive for them in other ways. attracting interest to the new club in sydney's west for one. he also brought in far more dosh than they paid out. i know one of his highest ranking club officials, who also thought that he might never even get on the field, has said privately that he had more than paid for himself in sponsorships the day he signed. the afl consider him a huge success in every way bar his personal success on the field. but clearly they can't trumpet that too much. had he been a success (and they have long believed inglis was the most likely to be a success in a code swap), that would have been icing on the cake.

every club would love an izzy.

lions tours are massive in that, these days, they happen every 12 years only.

comparing to state of origin is difficult. league rules nsw and qld. rugby might be international and this is much, much bigger than origin internationally, but if the test clashed with an origin game, in qld and nsw, it would be loyal fans and a brown dog only (and most of them would video it to watch post origin). but in rugby terms, second only to a world cup. and the rugby world cup now apparently the third biggest sporting event on the planet, behind the soccer world cup and the olympics.

[Isotonic]

K Hunt has definitely done it. His effort at the suns has been surprising and has actually made AFL fans sit up and admire his contribution. Especially 2012.

Izzy may have made an initial impact for GWS in terms of advertising but it was also a side show. Did more kids start playing AFL because of Izzy's involvement? I don't really know. He certainly didn't have an impact on field. I actually felt sorry for him at times and then quickly realised anyone on his money isn't worth feeling sorry for. A clever man is most certainly is.

Back to rugby though... will Izzy cut it as a top line Wallaby? Will he be a better player than Lote? His marking ability would be a huge plus.

[frenchkiwi]

We are seriously underdone with too many players in key positions playing too few minutes this year. While the attack risks being rusty, it is in defence where lack of game time normally shows up.

Looking at the side, I think the wallabies will run the ball switching left to right to left with plenty of high ball to Folau's wing once they are in the 22.

Lions by 7.

what's the ground like - heavy underfoot or? weather forecast seems ok. i think that about a month ago i put a $10 bet on the lions by under 12, so i've got a lot riding on this game . i'll keep the adrenaline going and won't hedge. my hope is that both sides surprise us with some fluid and skillful rugby despite the lack of time together on the pitch. Get the ball to North Folau et al

may the best team on the night win it!

Does this trump State of Origin of prestige?

agree with Ken, no comparison from an international perspective, you'll be looking at many tens of millions of viewers, only happens every four years, rugby's global audience watches even when its not their players on the field...

[Ken Gargett]

K Hunt has definitely done it. His effort at the suns has been surprising and has actually made AFL fans sit up and admire his contribution. Especially 2012.

Izzy may have made an initial impact for GWS in terms of advertising but it was also a side show. Did more kids start playing AFL because of Izzy's involvement? I don't really know. He certainly didn't have an impact on field. I actually felt sorry for him at times and then quickly realised anyone on his money isn't worth feeling sorry for. A clever man is most certainly is.

Back to rugby though... will Izzy cut it as a top line Wallaby? Will he be a better player than Lote? His marking ability would be a huge plus.

i think izzy will do well. good for him to be starting at suncorp. has played many big games there and an origin crowd is way more intense than a rugby one. he has always been exceptional in the air so that does help.

i agree with you completely re izzy on field but i have spoken to several of the afl's top adminsitrators and they were over the moon with the interest, media coverage and money he brought in. doubt he'd cinvinced many kids, if any, to take it up but who knows. and certainly he took a large chunk of dosh but they feel they got way more than their money's worth.

i think it is one of those that on the surface, looked a dud deal but for lots of other reasons, was a great success.

[Ken Gargett]

what's the ground like - heavy underfoot or? weather forecast seems ok.

currrently been raining all day. cold and wet. but suncorp drains well. i expect it will be damp, slippery and conditions slightly favouring the lions. but not enough that will mean a legit excuse. if the wallabies good enough, home support (provided we don't do the same as last time and sell all the tickets to the lions fans) and that suncorp factor - wallabies play better here than anywhere - might be enough. getting very excited. heading off to a lunch of about 30 fans. a nsw table, a poms table and a qld table. already in my wallaby gear.

and i know rob will want to see all 30 of them post lunch.

it is byo and everyone has to bring a magnum. i have a 1993 masi amarone classico.

see you all post game!

[Jeremy Festa]

Boom! Just scored an invite to the captain's dinner and corporate hospitality. Frothing.

Wife insisted on coming with me. She's Irish.

I hope she isn't given too much of an opportunity to gloat.

Could become embarrassing.

Please Wallabies! Please!

[Smokin_Safari]

Hey Ken - please have a sip of that Masi for me. Wish I could be there to throw hot dog scraps at the coach. Marty

[ARRV]

OK - back from lunch so context

Deans is crap

but

GO YOU WALLABIES

SMASH EM

no rocks under the pillow - leave it all out there

[frenchkiwi]

just watched a fair bit of eng v wallabies Nov'2012, similar lineup, not that long ago.

Barnes was fullback but interestingly he was everywhere and played a lot as an alternative playmaker from 2nd phase onwards, and to my surprise had a commanding performance. His vision and pass created the 2 tries as well as numerous line breaks on wide plays, even from inside his own 22. No aimless upandunders lots of good attacking options. Solid under high ball, try-saving tackles, you name it. Imagine that the playmaker thing will happen again tomorrow night to take some pressure off O'Connor. Now if only Barnes could recapture that kind of form. I can see why he was selected at fback on that performance.

Hooper was one of the best ball carriers and quick to the breakdown but contained there by eng. Phipps had a good game, and so did Beale at 10. Scrum with Alexander - Robinson and later Moore was ok. AAC and Palu were solid and accurate.

Obviously that was after a few games together and vs. a solid but unspectacular England. It was sans Genia or Horwill though. Encouraging for tomorrow if the Palus and Barnes can find form, and the rookies find themselves at test level.

[Ken Gargett]

just watched a fair bit of eng v wallabies Nov'2012, similar lineup, not that long ago.

Barnes was fullback but interestingly he was everywhere and played a lot as an alternative playmaker from 2nd phase onwards, and to my surprise had a commanding performance. His vision and pass created the 2 tries as well as numerous line breaks on wide plays, even from inside his own 22. No aimless upandunders lots of good attacking options. Solid under high ball, try-saving tackles, you name it. Imagine that the playmaker thing will happen again tomorrow night to take some pressure off O'Connor. Now if only Barnes could recapture that kind of form. I can see why he was selected at fback on that performance.

Hooper was one of the best ball carriers and quick to the breakdown but contained there by eng. Phipps had a good game, and so did Beale at 10. Scrum with Alexander - Robinson and later Moore was ok. AAC and Palu were solid and accurate.

Obviously that was after a few games together and vs. a solid but unspectacular England. It was sans Genia or Horwill though. Encouraging for tomorrow if the Palus and Barnes can find form, and the rookies find themselves at test level.

may i say congrats on the most deserved award for the most optimisitic human on the planet since dave warner thought he was next aussie cricket captain - palu find form? has he ever had form? form for playing 10 minutes a game?

put differently, i think most aussie fans would be far more confident if cliffy ran out in red.

i pray i am wrong.

[mazolaman]

And from an English mans point of view, we enjoy the lions for many reasons, not least of which is the fact that we do not often get a chance to see the combined Britain and Ireland in a sporting field.

For the players, this is a rugby peak, to be chosen in the lions.

My gut says the lions will win big...

[Ken Gargett]

And from an English mans point of view, we enjoy the lions for many reasons, not least of which is the fact that we do not often get a chance to see the combined Britain and Ireland in a sporting field.

For the players, this is a rugby peak, to be chosen in the lions.

My gut says the lions will win big...

i suspect your gut may well be close to the mark.

having a cigar last night with someone who shall remain nameless (and after yesterday, it will be a very quiet day at the footy for me) and shame on him for jumping ship and supporting the lions (no names but take a wild guess...) - i hate deans too but i can't bring myself to want us to lose just to get rid of him. the funny thing is that unlike every other rugby game where you feel good about winning, if we did win this one, i think i would have a lump in my gut telling me something.

the absolute nightmare would be to lose this series and they keep deans.

[frenchkiwi]

getting very excited. heading off to a lunch of about 30 fans. a nsw table, a poms table and a qld table. already in my wallaby gear.

and i know rob will want to see all 30 of them post lunch.

yeah well you and all the other lucky b*$tards going to the game, have a good time and a drink on our behalf!

[Ken Gargett]

not much chance of even looking at a drink. have spent most of today sleeping.

just heard from a mate at the lunch. he was first to leave as he had to go home to his ten year old's birthday. apparently he slept through the entire thing and is in disgrace. his wife told me this morning that he is banned from having lunch with me again.

and i suspect that there are a lot more very damaged people out there.

i'm really hoping the people near me don't cheer too loudly. i'm off for another round of berocca etc.

[michaelhealy]

So what is everyones thoughts on the first test other than thr fact the i was wrong and Izzy is bloody spectacular. That little in and away and the burst of speed to beat Sexton was magic. I think Australia, injuries aside, are very much in this series. I feel for Lealifano. Uluckiest guy in world rugby. With last years ACL tear and then knocked out in the first minute last night, i hope is is ok to playbthe rest of the series. One thing i cant stand about Australian Rugby is they dont value the role of a goal kicker. What i wouldnt have given to see a kicker of Matt Burke's quality and reliability. That and a lot of missed tackles was the difference. JOC is not the answer at 10. Put Beale in. The attack wont be any less creative with him there.

[dicko]

14 points missed from kicking. Lealiifano KO was a massive blow. He could have taken over kicking duties after JOC missed the first two. Also, it meant pat McCabe came onto the field. He missed crucial tackles.

I liked seeing Izzy and George north tear up there respective wings (well, not so much George north but what a unit).

Genia played a brave game. As good as Izzy in the air.

I was at an Irish pub watching the game. Needless to say my mates and I were a pocket of gold in a sea of red! Looking forward to game 2 and 3

[michaelhealy]

Ill be watching the second test from the hospital as the missus is having the baby the day before

[mazolaman]

Well, what a match!

I should have known no Australian side would lie down.

Can't fault Deans too much, Australia were hard on at the breakdown, and weren't letting the Lions boss things.

Standouts for me were Genia, Richards, and Moore for Australia, and Sexton, O'driscoll, O'connell and Corbisiero for the Lions.

Gatlands replacements didn't make much sense, as the Wallabies began to boss the scrum when he changed that, and quite a few of the Welsh players, while ok, didn't bring any flare to the match, seeming to run out of ideas, or not coping well with the blitzcreig. Halfpenny the only Welshman to shine, banging them over form everywhere.

Bad luck for Beales, who was playing well, but Australia had no luck with the kicking all game.

Nobody had a bad game in a bloody tough match. Maybe James O'connor..

Lions will be better with someone like Roberts driving through.

I still question Warburton's captaincy, and feel O'driscoll, Oconnor, or Robshaw would be better.

[El Presidente]

Great game and congrats Lions

The forward battle ebbed and flowed with both packs taking the momentum at different times. Great hard stuff.

Backline injuries obviously took any chance of cohesion off the Wallabies. Losing our first choice kicker and skillful playmaker after 50 seconds was an awful blow. Having to put an open flanker in the centres come the second half showed us up badly. The big outside backs of the Lions were always threatening.

Beale to 10. Mogg to fullback, Lealiifano hopefully fit to play in the centres alongside ....O'connor? Defensively it will be very risky.

I fear we may have lost out best chance for victory in this series.

[Ken Gargett]

Well, what a match!

I should have known no Australian side would lie down.

Can't fault Deans too much, Australia were hard on at the breakdown, and weren't letting the Lions boss things.

Standouts for me were Genia, Richards, and Moore for Australia, and Sexton, O'driscoll, O'connell and Corbisiero for the Lions.

Gatlands replacements didn't make much sense, as the Wallabies began to boss the scrum when he changed that, and quite a few of the Welsh players, while ok, didn't bring any flare to the match, seeming to run out of ideas, or not coping well with the blitzcreig. Halfpenny the only Welshman to shine, banging them over form everywhere.

Bad luck for Beales, who was playing well, but Australia had no luck with the kicking all game.

Nobody had a bad game in a bloody tough match. Maybe James O'connor..

Lions will be better with someone like Roberts driving through.

I still question Warburton's captaincy, and feel O'driscoll, Oconnor, or Robshaw would be better.

it was a cracker game.

Agree with most of that though a little generous to us.

Watched it on replay day after which was interesting as from the other side of the ground so you see a lot of very different things that you miss either way.

I think you've been very very kind on deans.

Always hugely frustrating to lose a game on kicks, especially that way. But “no luck”! What a very kind way of putting it. 4 out of 9? that isn't bad luck, that is dud kicking. And I gather that beale, who was good when he came on but remains more stupid than soup, apparently played in his low studded boots, for dry weather. Any wonder he slipped? God spare us.

Agree re genia. Thought he was truly outstanding. Richards? Do you mean robinson? I thought the entire tight five were exceptional for us. Congrats to Blades for the scrum. Pity he wasn't in charge of the lot.

Palu hardly sighted. At least n to enough to deserve a spot. Hooper a bit too quiet in the first half and most of the second was forced to play out of position but did miss that tackle leading to the 2^nd try. Mowen tried hard.

The reason I think deans has to take the blame was picking players out of position who failed. Barnes. I thought he was dire right up to the injury. His kicks were poor, defence non existent and positional play hopeless. Right from the kick off he got in genia's way. And did it several times – genia eventually banished him to the far side to keep him out of the way. He played exactly like a bloke who has had no rugby for ages – what was he doing there?

And o'connor the same. Agree he was poor. He looked lost. The only time he looked good was when he started to run off beale. In other words, play not as a fly half. Which is what a rabid brown dog could have, and did, tell deans was needed. But the braindead tosser insisted. Sad to see mccabe injured but yet again he was hardly near international standard. What an awful miss on north.

Izzy was fabulous. I thought he'd be good (the way he has handled Origin in the past) but not that good. what a debut! How he saved that try was extraordinary.

Digby quiet. Has deans ever watched digby play? He is so effective for the reds, running off cooper, up the middle. Helps put the side on the front foot, gains ground. But did we try that even once? Or did I miss it? What is wrong with deans? Does he think that if we repeated that, no matter how successful, people would think he was stealing from mckenzie?

Injuries will make selection interesting.

Given that a poll in the Sydney Morning Herald even had a majority wanting cooper back for the next test, over all comers, seems even Sydney getting on board the quade train. And interestingly, most of the comments were very much suggesting deans' time has come and gone. For me, the silver lining was that this game was surely one more nail in the coffin of that rugby vandal.

When you look at the talent we have, it is so frustrating to think we might not win this series. Well coached and properly selected, I would have thought we should have been a good thing for 3-0. the opposite might apply. Also of concern is that the wallabies never play better than when they are at Suncorp.

Convince me that this would not be a far better team -

beale

digby

a-cooper if fit?

O'connor

izzy

cooper

genia

mowen

mcmeniman

gill

same tight five

coach – fozzy bear (or anyone breathing, other than that kiwi moron).