Radike Samo on the wing for Australia

James O'Connor;
Radike Samo,
Adam Ashley-Cooper,
Berrick Barnes,
Drew Mitchell;
Cooper,
Luke Burgess;
Ben McCalman,
David Pocock,
Scott Higginbotham,
Nathan Sharpe,
James Horwill (c),
Sekope Kepu,
Stephen Moore,
James Slipper.

Res:
Tatafu Polota Nau,
Saia Faingaa,
Salesi Maafu,
Rob Simmons,
Rocky Elsom,
Will Genia,
Nick Phipps.

Australia as above for the game. Samo (a number 8) is on the wing...

Seems odd to me, why risk your no.1 8 on the wing? Why not play a reserve winger? Are they ALL injured?

I'm sure he'll play a good game - he's a great player - but it does strike me as an odd choice.

edit: (team list nicked off Boomarang in another thread - thought this could do with a thread of its own)

It will be interesting, does he have enough toe?

They are SO fraught with injuries, it's pretty much all they can do. Wasn't Spies once selceted on the wing for SA?

Mr Bounce wrote:They are SO fraught with injuries, it's pretty much all they can do. Wasn't Spies once selceted on the wing for SA?

Did he? Biltong should know...

Any other "out of position" tales? Preferably ones that went well unlike Bergamasco...

Also, I don't know the Aus squad well, what wingers do they have and which are injured?

Yes, but spies was actually a wing when he started his career.

Gethin Jenkins is a surprise wing selction

IronMike wrote:Gethin Jenkins is a surprise wing selction

Midfield Mike, how many times do i need to tell you guys, he does need to bulk up a little though.

Australia are struggling.

Their only backs reserves are 2 scrum halves.

biltongbek wrote:Yes, but spies was actually a wing when he started his career.

He probably should have stuck with the wing.

I can see Artimiev running around Samo for a try. Simplekievic looks a very good winger too. I'd say he will get snapped up in a big euro league soon.

Are they really stretched so thin by injuries that converting an 8 to the wing is the only option? I'd have thought centre due to Samo's size with Ashley-Cooper back on the wing or surely one of the scrum-halves they have on the bench is able to cover?!

Mauro v2 anyone?

Samo's story is apparently:
Fijian
Debuted in S12 with Brumbies as a wing
Debuted for Wallabies as a lock
Went to France - cut
Went to Japan - cut
Was smoking weed on a beach somewhere unable to get a contract until Horwill blew his knee and McKenzie rang him last year
Lock for Reds
8 for Reds
8 for Wobblies
Wing for Wobblies

He's so old that when he tells people he is 36, his team mates from 2004 (now the commetary team) laugh. I think it's fair to say we didn't expect to see him playing wing in this tourney, but with the injuries to the others it was either him, Higginbotham (who needs a proper run) or the halfback Phipps. We've got no one else fit.

Banahan has notably been selected on the wing for a handful of England matches...

Any other "out of position" tales? Preferably ones that went well unlike Bergamasco...


I wrote this a couple of months ago

https://www.606v2.com/t12337-successful-international-players-out-of-position

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj2GUswRtBA
Samo gets the better of Siviatu...

Strange decision by Deans and co.

Samo can certainly run and he can easily break tackles. That is not a problem. He will always get over the advantage line. In fact being on the end of the Cooper, Barnes and AAC Samo could even score 3 tries.

The problem is that he will let in about 6.

Very tempted to add Samo to the wing for my RWC dream team. Could be a handy crash centre Tuilagi style. Oz should control the game vs Russia so he shouldn't have too much to do defensively, though Beale will have to be switched on at full back. Also likely Samo will come into the defensive line and Cooper will drop back when defending lineouts and scrums.

Against Russia they can get away with this. Imagine though if he's still out there for the QF against the Boks then god help the Aussies.

True Sam, as a back row option Samo on the wing could score a hat-full of tries, even 1 would be worth 5 points. Plus, you don't lose any points for getting skinned, so he could be a very astute transfer!

Missing matt giteau perhaps Dingo Deans ?

leinsterbaby wrote:I can see Artimiev running around Samo for a try.

The problem is one would have to run around Samo's hair. Not easy.

This is just a stopgap for now. If this was a serious match, then I am sure Deans would use a Prop instead.

sirtidychris wrote:Missing matt giteau perhaps Dingo Deans ?

Yeah everyone knows playing a second five on the wing is the new RWC vogue.

He´s actually played on the wing so it´s not like chucking Dallagio on the wing. He´s also played sevens so could probably cover any position on the field if he really wanted to.

TheGreyGhost wrote:

sirtidychris wrote:Missing matt giteau perhaps Dingo Deans ?

Yeah everyone knows playing a second five on the wing is the new RWC vogue.

Yeah but you could keep AAC on the wing, Giteau could play in the centres or Gits and Barnes could play 10 with Quade at fullback and O'connor on the wing...the benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing but Gits should have gone his flexibility, leadership and experience would have been invaluble, especially in an environment like the RWC where the young uns are not prepared and injuries are prominant. Fair play if Australia had breezed the pool stages but they lost to Ireland, a team with terrible form coming into that game including 3rd in the Six nations.

TheGreyGhost wrote:

sirtidychris wrote:Missing matt giteau perhaps Dingo Deans ?

Yeah everyone knows playing a second five on the wing is the new RWC vogue.

Giteau would have made 0 difference to Australias campaign. Australia have better players in the squad. They're just injured.

sirtidychris wrote:

TheGreyGhost wrote:

sirtidychris wrote:Missing matt giteau perhaps Dingo Deans ?

Yeah everyone knows playing a second five on the wing is the new RWC vogue.

Yeah but you could keep AAC on the wing, Giteau could play in the centres or Gits and Barnes could play 10 with Quade at fullback and O'connor on the wing...the benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing but Gits should have gone his flexibility, leadership and experience would have been invaluble, especially in an environment like the RWC where the young uns are not prepared and injuries are prominant. Fair play if Australia had breezed the pool stages but they lost to Ireland, a team with terrible form coming into that game including 3rd in the Six nations.

Giteau has never been a leader. His kicking is weak under pressure and he has started in all of Australias most incompetent displays in recent years including losses to Samoa, Scotland and possibly one of the England losses. He has a history of missing pressure kicks. His only strength is his flexibility which Barnes also has.

Leinsterbaby

I strongly disagree you don't get 92 caps and play in two rugby world cups including a final and have nothing to offer in the way of experience and leadership, he is only 28 and TBH his kicking and nerves would have been better than Quade Coopers recent showing. Yes he has had some bad games but he has also been the star player on too many occassions to remember and the samoa game you speak of which essentially sealed his fate he scored 18 points including a try and was by no means the worst player...I agree there are better players in the 30 i wouldn't have started him but he is without a doubt good enough for a place in the squad (specifically over the one dimensional McCabe) ...Bearing in mind most of the 1st team played in their losses scotland, england and samoa and they all still got a ticket.