Luciano Orquera: The Most Average Rugby Player In The World Cup?

Firstly, this is mostly addressed to those who managed to watch the full 80 of the Italy/Aus game. However, if you've seen him in the 6N, you probably know enough already...

We all know Italy's problems, and how much of it comes from the lack of a decent pivot at 10. Indeed, Masi is a good fifteen, and with Bergamasco and Canale, they have enough outisde to be able to create something. However, since Dominguez, they have not had such a player to boss the backline, and have gone through many players, from Masi, McLean, Marcato, Pez and Burton alone in the last few years.

For the WC, bizarrely, it seems Mallet has settled on another member of the Argentina-Italian player sharing pact in Luciano Orquera. Honestly, this seems to me to be the difference between an adequate side challenging for the QFs, and one frustrated from their backs' inability to convert the phenomenal work of the forward pack into something productive and, ultimately, points.

Usually, a player who is criticised has one thing he is good at; even Hape is relatively good at tackling. However, I look at Orquera, and I see nothing positive about him at all. He is incredibly small and even O'Gara feels embarrassed for his defensive inailities. He has no leadership skills, apparently no positional skills, certainly no tactical awareness nor indeed creative, off the cuff skills. His passing is dire; several times in the game, he would send a pass behind the shoulder of a player a mere four yards away, causing them to check back and lose all momentum. He also is a fan of the pass back into the second bank of players in the backline, something that was really overused during the 6N especially.

He is an useless kicker; several times he kicked out on the full or missed touch for a penalty, choosing to try a cross field kick which went about twenty yards away from any Italian player and which clearly infuriated the pack who had won the penalty. He also doesn't kick at goal, for obvious reasons.

I am really struggling here to give him some leeway, but I cannot. There is not a single facet, not one, where I can concede that he is of international standard for a fly half, or indeed any position. What makes his selection all the more puzzling is the fact that Kris Burton is playing for Treviso in the Pro12, and can only be wondering how Orquera got the nod over him. Burton is a drop goal specialist, yes, and does add little more than this, but surely this would be Italy's benefit, someone who would be able to keep the score board ticking over when they have dominance? He's not the long term option, but why is he relegated for Orquera? Could it be his Aussie heritage? Or would this not have aided the Italians in the Southern Hemisphere, especially as the were playing Australia first up?

In Semenzato, they may well have found a successor to Troncon. Italy, now, is in need of someone, not necessarily to be an icon for the country from 10 in the way Dominguez was, but someone able to guide the ship with at least some success. Orquera, for me, has been the most disappointing player of the WC so far, not least because he is in a vital position, and playing for a team who, really, many people believe should be losing the 'plucky underdog' tag and be pushing on to the point where, going into the Ireland game, it really is in the balance who makes the QF.

Anyway, opinions on the man? Opinions on Italy, and if they have anyone else to play 10, or what they need to do, both short and long term, to ensure they have a functioning backline able to score tries?