Beale at 10

This is perhaps as significant a move for Oz as the entry of Goosen for the Boks. It follows the abject failure of both Cooper and Barnes in the 10 slot. So what should we make of Beale?

Firstly he is a dangerous runner....he totally fooled Fury in previous tests and has had some fine running performances against the Boks. But he looked very inept recently defending the ABs, with Dagg in particular showing up his defence.

So I am a bit concerned with our tank like loosies.....Louw is not the best open field tackler and Alberts is a big ship to turn. Goosen may have to commit to defending around the fringes.

That's the bad news. The good news is Alberts and Goosen should have a field day running in 10 channel.

I think Deans is playing an Ace in Beale and it may or may not counter the Gossen effect. Nonetheless, Beale on his day is as good a stepper or runner than Dagg or Goosen can ever be and thats what makes him more dangerous at 10 than at fullback. He also has a lot of experience and I am sure they will have a few tricks up their sleeve.

Dagg has mae many a good back look ordinary and will continue to do so. Beale wont need a lot of room to get through and our loosies will need to be extremely solid and JDV will have to make his tackles. MaCabe is a strong runner and an enormouse defender for the Wallabies so his match up with Steyn will be a collison of titans if Steyn gets to play.

Goosen will play a lot flatter than Morne so he will have more opportunity to break lines and unleash his magic. However it also exposes him to Samo, Hooper and Beale who can hit the line a lot faster than our boys.

Nonetheless, this game will be won by our tight five and the ability of our loosies to dominate their oppoonents and last the 80 minutes. If we only match the Wallabies without any advantage and it is left for a battle betwen the halves and the back lines then I will back the Wallabies 9 times out of 10 simply because they have more x factor and experience to play the passing game and will fiond the gaps better than us partiicuarly if Steyn is out

radtad

I tend to agree with you about the Wallabies backline attacking options.   I even agree with you on the issue of the dangers we face on that issue.   However, if I was the Wallaby coach I would really worry about Beale playing outside a very inexperienced scrummie - I mean inexperienced on interational level - their loss of Genia is for them really problematic.

The reason here is that Beale in tests thus far was really a liability for the Wallabies.   He was erratic and in some respects extremely poor.   Granted that was at full back and the situation may be different at flyhalf - note that I say MAY.   Based on what I have seen thus far in tests this year - the chances are very good that Beale may be found wanting.   I am hoping for a nice entertaining game - but an off-form Bele would not add value and under such circumstances  could reduce the effectiveness of their strongest asset - namely backline play.

In any event - I doubt whether Francois Steyn would in fact play - so lets wait and see what happens.   I do not think that the Wallabies backline would over-power the Springboks - but am much more worried about high stratgic kicks aimed at Krirchner with accompanying pressure applied.   Kirhner under an accurate  high ball when pressure is applied is a joke - and the Aussies is defnitely going to try that strategy.   In any event Kichner's positional play is also a joke and that is also likely to be exploited by the Aussies.

In the main I have full confidence in Goosen and still believe that the Springboks will win by 20+ points.   Am going to put a few bucks on that one.

. 

Mike,

Yeah completely forgot about the Genia factor as he is simply the best and probably the most influetial player in world rugby at this point in time. However if the Wallabies manage to just maintain their own set piece and ball then it will be interesting.

The problem with Beale is that he is due for a good one and this opportunity maybe interesting and I do suppose it is to counter the threat of Gossen in a way?

Kirchner is going to be seriously caught out soon if not this game then maybe the next. I like your enthusiasm but I dont think we are a team that is 20 points better than the Wallabies at this stage anyway. Im picking 7 and below

Beale @ 10 100x better than BArnes. RE Cooper he's injured and hasnt had that much rugby this year... so wouldnt say its fair to say he's failed this year.

Beale has got some tricks that Cooper's got but the problem is and big topic in Oz atm is Dean's boring predictable defensive tactics.

I think SA are big favourites for this game on a number of levels but think Samo will be lining up Goose early.... both to run at and throw his 120kg fijian frame at in defence....

Cant wait hopefully ref keeps out of the game and Wallabies win.....

Samo better watch out - get rough with Goosen and he will not see the game through once Alberts, Vermulen and Louw are done with him.

It would be very unwise to infuriate the Mighty Boks redsman. Just spread the ball wide and play some fancy stuff to entertain the crowds while we run away with the game. 

it'll all be legal unlike your mate greyling on mccaw as gooder effort as it was...  Goosen is yourman and frankly if boks dont win it will be because an extraordinary game from Wobblies - which judging by the track record of last 7/8? encounters Wobblies got the wood on the meat eaters... 

Anyway at least Barnes IS not 5/8....

My prediction is that wobblies will run out of breath with 10 to go and BTW who's the ref?

I am not really a betting man and not sure that an out-of-form player can suddenly work a miracle and come back to form - especially if he is under pressure.   I think that Cooper was a key player for them insofr as backline attacking play is concerned and they also miss O'Connell.      

BTW this was in article on Fox - I rekin its spot on. Wallabies had 4 captains this year and no stability. MArto made these comments re QC after Argies game.

"I reckon we’re tracing it too, and I honestly believe this, is after the Argentina game.

"He didn’t feel any love.

"Sure there were a few kicks charged down, a few (bad) passes. But he thought: we pulled that Test out and won, he then went into the dressing room and felt no love from the coaching staff, no love from any of the players. In fact, a few of the players got up him.

"He entered a winning Wallabies dressing room and felt like it was a loss.

"The problem is; he’s pumped up. Remember, he’s a 24-year-old in a pressure environment. He’s thought: at the Reds, we’re always pumped up, even when we lose, Ewen (McKenzie) pumps us up.

"I think he’s a victim of Robbie Deans’s lack of communication skills."

-QC importnat but JOC (Oconnor) is definitely a future 5/8 - he is the package too...

coopers been running his big mouth and his teammates have had enough, im good friends with digbys brother and he showed me a txt here in melbourne where digby said everyone in the wallabies and the reds pretty much think hes a dick and theyre all expecting him to go league.
hes been in such horrible form and now blames the "culture" bawahahahahahahahahahaha, talk about a lack of pride, what kind of a player says even if he was fit and selected to play for the wallabies, he wouldnt do it??? a complete child, a very immature tossa.

its a shame that cooper dosent know how to put the team first, but i guess he can see the writing on the wall, cos christain leilafano will be the future No10 for the wallabies, much like goosen is now.
i also cant help but wonder why cooper wants to be like SBW so much, he wants to box and play league and when he asked to go to japan for a sabatical, ARU told him to get lost.
what an overrated tossa, a fine example of one of a few but many problems inside the australian rugby culture.
i do hope the aussie fans are on their hands and kness every day counting their lucky stars for a spXV conference which is designed to make them competitve.
 

@clevermike,

the inexperienced halfback is definately an issue, wallabies lack of depth in 2012 has been sorely found out after key players go missing and their team struggles with the basics.
phipps made a lot of blunders in the pumas game but he is new and both mackenzie and deans dont want to ever est genia and give others a chance and that has now come to bite them on the butt.
one thing deans has done right is moving belae to 10 where both beale and phipps are familiar with each others game thanks to their time with the rebels.
still not a world class halves pairing, but it is the best with what theyve got.