Aussies change three
1 Sep 2010
Robbie Deans has dropped Saia Fainga’a, Dean Mumm and Richard Brown for the Test against the Springboks in Bloemfontein.
Deans has retained the same backline from the Loftus defeat, but has brought in three players to his pack who he deems are more physical. Hooker Fainga’a struggled with his lineout throws, gave away penalties and generally wasn’t a factor in the loose, and is replaced by Stephen Moore – who will win his 50th cap.
Mark Chisholm, who wasn’t on the bench last week and hasn’t been selected by Deans since Australia’s narrow win over Ireland in June, replaces Mumm. At No 8, Ben McCalman, who usually plays lock for the Force, ousts team-mate Brown.
Rob Simmons drops out of the 22, while Scott Higginbotham hasn’t recovered from a back injury. Drew Mitchell will also lead the team out in his 50th Test.
Australia – 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 James O’Connor, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Ben McCalman, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom (c), 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Mark Chisholm, 3 Salesi Ma’afu, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson.
Subs: 16 Saia Fainga’a, 17 James Slipper, 18 Dean Mumm, 19 Richard Brown, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Berrick Barnes, 22 Anthony Fainga’a.
27 Comments
1 Sep 2010, 14:21 pm
Slain Dragons
1 Sep 2010, 14:29 pm
Robbie Deans just tightening his noose
1 Sep 2010, 14:30 pm
A lock at No. 8?? Spies to run circles around this guy!!
1 Sep 2010, 14:34 pm
Chisolm at 8 is quite a change. He’s a mobile lock for sure, but ok…..
1 Sep 2010, 14:35 pm
Robbie a word of advice mate…this wont help….Victor will still steal 5 of your lineouts on Saturday.
1 Sep 2010, 14:35 pm
@iori Yagami(iori Yagami)-3: Spies can’t even run circles around himself…he’ll probably try to run himself over instead.
1 Sep 2010, 14:57 pm
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-4: chisholm not at 8 mate
1 Sep 2010, 14:58 pm
@pokkel(pokkel)-6: LOL
Ja
And he will miss the tackle on himself as well
1 Sep 2010, 15:05 pm
@grant10(grant10)-7: Yeah I totally misread the article. Apologies. Mum’s the word….
1 Sep 2010, 15:15 pm
@pokkel(pokkel)-6: @grant10(grant10)-8: LOL That is true!!
1 Sep 2010, 15:43 pm
Moore will be throwing to Vic all game…
McCalman will be eaten
1 Sep 2010, 16:57 pm
can we beat the ozzies twice in a row?
1 Sep 2010, 17:14 pm
who the hell is Ben McCalman
1 Sep 2010, 18:16 pm
Smells of desperation from Deans…MacCalman at 8 especially.Moore hasn’t been right since returning from injury,Chisholm a retreaded blindside.Higginbotham starting to look like a bit of a sicknote…plus with Ma’afu at 3….
Desperation I tell u
1 Sep 2010, 18:50 pm
The change at hooker is a good one, chism is also better than mm but horeill is even better. Bad move dropping Brown unless Palu is around
1 Sep 2010, 21:44 pm
If McCalman “usually plays lock for the Force”, somebody should tell the Force that. This is their profile of him:
Name: Ben McCalman
Position: Backrow
Height: 192cm
Weight: 108kg
Date of Birth: 18/3/1988
Super 12/14 Caps: 2010: 13
Emirates Western Force Debut: 2010 v Brumbies, Perth
Tests: 2010: South Africa (Brisbane), South Africa (Pretoria)
Test Caps: 2
Test Debut: 2010 v South Africa, Brisbane
Honours: Wallabies 2010-, Australian Schoolboys 2005-06, Australian Under 19’s 2007, Australian Under 20s 2008
A surprise call-up to the Wallabies training squad in October 2009, Ben represented Australia from Schoolboys to Under 20s level over the last four years, and has had his talents compared to current Wallabies Number 8, Richard Brown. The 21-year-old was a member of the Waratahs Academy in 2009.
Ben and fellow recruit Mitch Inman are already well-acquainted, having been AIS Rugby Scholarship holders in 2007 and playing in a Premiership side together at Sydney University in 2008.
1 Sep 2010, 21:46 pm
And the Wallabies are similarly confused:
Name Ben McCalman
Club Sydney University (NSW)
Position No.8/Flanker
Nickname Dog
Height 192cm
Weight 105kg
Date and place of birth 18/03/1988, Dubbo, NSW
Representative honours Australian Schoolboys 2005-06; Australian U19s 2007; Australian U20s 2008
Ben McCalman was born in Dubbo, on March 18, 1988 and raised in the small town of Warren, NSW. He was educated at Kinross Wolaroi School in Orange and went onto achieve Australian Schools selection in 2005 & 2006. McCalman is a tall, athletic and aggressive flanker who now calls Sydney home. He studies and plays rugby for Sydney University and gained selection in the Australian U19s in 2007 and U20s in 2008. During 2008 he also won the Premiership in First Grade with Sydney Uni with a comprehensive win in the grand final over Randwick.
1 Sep 2010, 21:47 pm
Thank goodness we have this site to set us straight.
2 Sep 2010, 02:38 am
Given injuries, the best side the Wallabies could field.
Mumm is still not playing as a lock since his move from blindside. Bad setpiece work, and is not the enforcer Deans seems to want there.
I really hope Chisholm finally steps up. He just has not been able to convert his great S14 form into Test form.
Brown has been horrible, holding his spot purely due to injuries to Palu and Higginbotham.
McCalman, while normally a blindside, will hopefully bring some mongrel at least.
Faingaa’s setpiece has always been weak, both scrummaging and lineout throwing.
Moore should definitely help the Wallabies in this regard.
Only other change I would make is drop either Beale or O’Connor, and bring in a real winger. The two just have too similar styles of play (lots of X-factor, but no consistency and poor defence) to have both.
Lachie Turner and Pat McCabe are both with the squad as back cover, and would offer more in this area. Better finishing too.
2 Sep 2010, 04:22 am
@DonutDunning(DonutDunning)-19:
I thought I heared a shout of joy from your side when Brown was dropped…
Commentators have been singing the praises of Beale AND O’Connor so I think a slim change of them being dropped. But I agree with you.
2 Sep 2010, 05:08 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-20: Commentators have been singing the praise of Beale for 3 years, despite him not offering anything until his change to fullback halfway through this S14 season.
He still has the worst defence I have ever seen in a test player. O’Connor also not up to scratch in this area.
You think last weeks win will put the wind back in the Bok sails, or are the tactical weaknesses still just too glaring to win back to back?
2 Sep 2010, 05:29 am
@DonutDunning(DonutDunning)-21:
“He still has the worst defence I have ever seen in a test player.” You should keep your eye on Spies on the weekend
I think they were singing his praises re ability rather than performance before…
I am not sure what will happen this weekend, with the smoke from the fire JC is stoking the outcome may well depend on what the players want. Play out of their skins to keep PDivvie or make a point and lose badly.
On the flip side I am also not sure what the Wallabies will do, they really look like an almost team, almost good, almost brilliant and at the same time almost clueless at times. If they bring their A game and the Boks are already thinking about their holidays we may be in for a hard night!
If I had five bob the bet would have to be the Boks, for no other reason than they are at home…having said that, Bloem does not seem to be a happy hunting ground for them!
2 Sep 2010, 05:41 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-22: Basic physics (mass x acceleration) would suggest that Spies, at 108kg and 10.7sec 100m, should have one of the most powerful hits in world rugby.
He really needs to take some tackling lessons from Jerry Collins. Or even from the 75kg Aplon. That kid has heart.
You are right about the Wallabies. Sadly under Deans they have become much like the French, you just never know which Wallabies team is going to turn up.
I’m praying it’s the Brisbane Wallabies, and not the Ellis Park Wallabies…
2 Sep 2010, 05:47 am
@DonutDunning(DonutDunning)-23:
I think if Spies can tackle like Aplon he will be banned!
Alas, there seem to be little heart in it unless it is a clear track in front of him. A real pity.
You still get the feeling they can click at any moment and when they do they will be very hard to beat. Maybe it is just the age old problem of lack of depth that is killing them. The forwards try but just can’t keep up…but next year they will all be 12 months more experienced and I still tip them for a finals spot.
Funny, I will be happy with the Ellis Park (Soccor City?) Wallabies.
2 Sep 2010, 08:45 am
at last Brown has been dropped…he has been ineffective throughout!!
Unfortunately Deans did not have a choice but to select him because of all the injuries.
2 Sep 2010, 14:30 pm
So Deans leaves Faiianga on for 80 mins without subbing him when he was clearly tired and making mistakes, then drops him because he didn’t perform?!
The entire Wallaby team was kna-ckered, yet he left the bench virtually untouched, especially ridiculous because it was at altitude??!! WTF?!
Faiinga should have been subbed by the better S Moore at the 50 min mark at the latest.
These coaches, sometimes they must just get drunk on their own bath water and forget about what’s happening in the real world!
……or maybe Deans had the local Pakistani bookie staying at his hotel????
3 Sep 2010, 10:20 am
Good to see five -step Genia is playing. That way SA should walk it.
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