Wallabies side to play Italy

Deans has picked an unchanged side which defeated the All Blacks to win the 3N:

15. Kurtley Beale (NSW Waratahs)
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies)
13. Anthony Fainga’a (Queensland Reds)
12. Pat McCabe (Brumbies)
11. Digby Ioane (Queensland Reds)
10. Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds)
9. Will Genia (Queensland Reds)
8. Radike Samo (Queensland Reds)
7. David Pocock (Western Force)
6. Rocky Elsom (Brumbies)
5. James Horwill (Queensland Reds, captain)
4. Dan Vickerman (NSW Waratahs)
3. Ben Alexander (Brumbies)
2. Stephen Moore (Brumbies)
1. Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs)

Run on Reserves:

16. Tatafu Polota Nau (NSW Waratahs)
17. James Slipper (Queensland Reds)
18. Rob Simmons (Queensland Reds)
19. Ben McCalman (Western Force)
20. Scott Higginbotham (Queensland Reds)
21. Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs)
22. James O’Connor (Western Force)


5/2 bench given the very big Italian pack and effective scrum. The bench is starting to change shape as players are becoming available: TPN and Slipper in for Maafu and S Faingaa as I predicted. Simmons remains ahead of Sharpe. O'Connor still on the outer, but Deans is rewarding the group who did the business recently.

Future changes I can see is O'Connor in for AAC on the wing; Barnes on the bench for 4/3 bench split; Slipper in for Alexander; Palu to the bench for McCalman. Sharpe? Curious - but he will be there against sides who have a good line out (eg SA).

Italy showing growth in 6N last year, they beat the French and probably should have beaten Wales and Ireland. Won't be easy - let's hope the W think the same, Should be a good match to watch.

This looks good for Robbie, Dont change a winning team,I'd say he wouldnt veer too far from this line up for Ireland either even if it is only six days later.

Yeah there's merit in selecting the same team. Combinations will smoothen out the more this happens.

He'll need to make sure the bench get a good run each outing to stay fresh so early leads- something Oz are very good at, will help. Come the knockouts theyre going to need good subs on at the death against the top teams but other than that. Pretty solid.

It's confusing what is going on with Sharpe. While not a hard man, I thought he played really well against the Boks in Durban, whereas Simmons looked a little ineffective to me in his tri-nations games. I have no doubt he will be a very good player for us for years ahead, but at 22 and tall as a flag pole, he may still be a bit underdeveloped for right now.

Great to see TPN and Slipper back. Drew Mitchell is the other player that could come into the reckoning Rob, if he found form. I didnt watch the Barbarians game the other day, but keeping in mind what the game was, the reports on him seemed good. On paper at least, this is the best side I can remember us putting out for a few years.

boomeranga wrote:It's confusing what is going on with Sharpe. While not a hard man, I thought he played really well against the Boks in Durban, whereas Simmons looked a little ineffective to me in his tri-nations games. I have no doubt he will be a very good player for us for years ahead, but at 22 and tall as a flag pole, he may still be a bit underdeveloped for right now.

Great to see TPN and Slipper back. Drew Mitchell is the other player that could come into the reckoning Rob, if he found form. I didnt watch the Barbarians game the other day, but keeping in mind what the game was, the reports on him seemed good. On paper at least, this is the best side I can remember us putting out for a few years.

Yeah Mitchell looked ok - not a lot of touches - but he made no errors. As usual the press went over the top with the performances of the returning wallabies. It was a scrappy and very ordinary game to watch. Barnes was looking quite good. Horne quite good but missed 2 glaring tackles which would have seen him dropped if he did that in the main side. slipper was ok but hard to tell. TPN hardly seen all game - blowing very hard too (along with many of the players who looked well below the fitness levels needed)

Only one prop on bench???

Well am getting excited already, can't wait!!!

For the first time, in a long time, I actually think the Wallabies bench looks pretty strong. The bench and strength in depth has always been a real achillies heal but having the following names on the bench suggests that the wallabies might actually have some genuine options or strong impact players:
TPN
Slipper
Simmons
Sharpe
Higginbotham
Palu
Burgess
Barnes
Mitchell
JOC

I don't think we have had that sort of depth on the bench before. Granted most of these guys are coming back from injury and lack fitness but they could make some impact in the last 20 of each game. Could be quite exciting.