A Wallaby Flyhalf Dilemma

Being a Wallaby selector at the moment cannot be an easy job. With so much talent and so little talent being scattered around the desert that is Australia, the process of selecting the right combination of players to represent the Wallabies at this years Tri Nations and more importantly the RWC 2011, is not going to be easy. For this article, however, I will be focusing on an area of the pitch where Aussie rugby has an abundance of talent and as such it can be said that the Aussie selectors find themselves in good quandary, but a quandary never-the-less. So who are the candidates for the Wallaby number 10 jumper?… 1) James O’Connor 2) Matt Giteau 3) Quade Cooper 4) Berrick Barnes.

I will start with the crazily- talented but erratic thief from the Gold Coast, Quade Cooper. The Reds have slipped under the radar somewhat this season but have managed to emerge from this position as strong title contenders, and while last season this position on the log could have been attributed to the twinkle toed talents of one Quade Cooper, this year has been slightly different. The combination of Genia and Cooper sparkled last year, but this year the Red’s success can be put down more to a solid team effort rather than just the efforts of a few exceptional individuals. Having said all of this, Cooper has matured as a player and it could pose a significant challenge to the others vying for this spot to depose him from the mantle as incumbent to the Wallaby number 10 jersey.

Matt Giteau has been a beacon of light in an otherwise underperforming Brumbies team, having said this its not that hard to stick out like a soar thumb in a team filled with shit heads. So what can be said then, are his performances actually very good or is he simply being made to look better than he really is due to the walking misfits that surround him? I think the latter, but that is not the crux of the matter. With the low levels of talent in the centre birth in Australian rugby currently, I believe Giteau’s talents would be best used at the inside centre position. There his quick feet and his willingness to take the ball to the line could be exploited far more effectively then if he is played at the pivot position. His kicking has been below par too this season and as such a more consistent figure is required to play at first five eighth.

Berrick Barnes. BORING! I can’t say much about Berrick Barnes because every time I watch him I tend to develop an urge to sleep. He seems a solid enough player, but the Aussie backline has always been one filled with raw ability and as such I don’t see why this formula should be changed.

Many of you would now be shouting at your computer, saying that a consistent and solid performer is what is needed to win a World Cup. But in the Wallaby case, this is not so! Poor imagination in the centres dictates this. A man with flair and vision is required at number 10 for the Aussies this year, and I know just the person… James O’Connor has stuck his hand up as the fore-runner for Wallaby outside half this season. Based on what I have heard, the boy is a source of trouble off the pitch, and I have to say my cock-ometer does read a ten when I see that pansy lookalike hit the field… So you now know that it is hard for me to say this but it is warranted. He is magic on the field, his vision and ability to read the game, his outlandish side stepping ability and his ability to command a game have made him the stand out man in the flyhalf position in Super Rugby this year. He looks the complete player to me, and with all the hype coming from across the pond about Patrick Lambie, James O’Connor must surely be grabbing the limelight now. He has also mastered the kicking duties, with only Peter Grant having a better record from the spot this season. If you are asking me, this kid is dockable in my mind; he is reaching Rene Ranger status for me, and that is saying something.