Goodbye Gits

This post comes in two pieces. Neither of them really having to do with the other beyond the fact that they're both about rugby and working up to the RWC. The first part I just have to get out of the way. It's in the wake of Australia announcing who is on their World Cup squad for 2011 and the omission of Mat Giteau in that list. There were rumblings in the twitter world from Giteau himself before the squad was announced that all but came out and said that he was not part of the short list. Be it deserved or not - Giteau should know better. That's like the Saffie players yapping about the officials and thinking they weren't going to be cited for it during the SuperXV league. He made two tweets referring to his omission. Ridiculous. He's 29 and he's having a 5 year old squabble with Robbie Deans. Like I said, deserved or not - there really shouldn't be all this bunk. Professionals should act like professionals. And if Deans wants to leave Giteau out of the squad because he can - he's putting the Cup on the line all in order to show Gits what for.

Here's my opinion about whether Giteau deserves to wear the green and gold or not...

1. You can't base his right to be a Wallabie on his Brumbie season. All of the players sucked it on the Brumbies. They had one good game from what I saw all season long. ONE. Can anyone really say that Alexander, Steven Moore, or Adam Ashley-Cooper really had a better season? There were so many teams and so many players that had poo seasons...I think it's unreasonable to judge him on that.

2. Australia vs. Manu Samoa - I wrote about it before...there was one team that night that showed up to play and it wasn't Australia. Giteau wasn't the only one who played like crap. The only difference is that he was the only one who owned up to it. Cooper sucks it whenever there's pressure applied to him and it takes more than just a kicker to lose a game. There's missed tackles and gaps in defense and an offense that doesn't fire. Yes, Giteau still has a part in all of that but he's not the only one that didn't show up to the game. There's the kicking thing...but O'Conner and Cooper have been known to have fickle boots too.

3. Wash Up or Predictable? Maybe. But I go back to not basing this decision on the last 6 months. Barnes didn't play! So how can one really say that Barnes is all that much more reliable than Giteau? And Phipps? It's hit and miss to say if he really deserves a chance right now. He doesn't have enough experience in international play to even start comparing someone like Giteau who has what? 92 or 93 caps? Predictable? Who doesn't get predictable when there isn't much to work with in the backs? There has been consistency in 3 years! The reason why the All Blacks and the Boks have such strength and reliability in their backs is that there is consistency and experience. With Giteau gone...there's that many years and games of experience...even on the bench...gone.

4. Barnes is unreliable. Maybe not in a on-the-field sense but in a...will he survive a game? Giteau plays through pain and he will finish games if he's needed. Barnes...well - there's this whole curling up into the fetal position thing that is a little concerning. Barnes is a safe bet. Safe doesn't win you games in the WRC.

Summary: Giteau should have been named on the squad.

Here's the Wallabie squad for the 2011 RWC:

Backs:
Kurtley Beale, James O'Conner, Drew Mitchell, Digby Ioane, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Rob Horne, Pat McCabe, Anthony Faingaa, Berrick Barnes, Quade Cooper, Nick Phipps, Luke Burgess, Will Genia

Forwards:
Ben McCalman, Radike Samo, Wycliff Palu, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom, Scott Higginbotham, James Horwill (C), Rob Simmons, Nathan Sharpe, Dan Vickerman, Ben Alexander, Sekope Kepu, James Slipper, Salesi Ma'afu, Stephen Moore, Saia Faingaa, Tatafu Polota-Nau

My thoughts on the 30...

Backs...Berrick Barnes and Rob Horne are sketchy choices. They've both been injured for so long...I can't even remember if they've played an entire SuperXV game this last season. I repeat...Matt Giteau should have been selected. That's a choice that will be paid for in full. I also don't like Quade Cooper...at all. I have no love for him. However - it is impossible not to select him for the Wallabies - I get that. But he's all flash and players can't work off of him. He shouldn't be a #10 at the very least. His defense is shockingly terrible and when there's pressure applied to him - he cracks. Every team in the world knows that and he will never see relief. Cooper will be Australia's undoing...unless Genia and O'Conner can dig him out but that will be double the work and I don't know if those two can do that much digging in 6 weeks - their jobs will be oh-so much easier if Drew Mitchell is healthy but only time will tell with that one.

Forwards: Pretty predictable selection and passing of the captaincy to Horwill. He led the Reds to a SuperXV title and Elsom didn't play all season. It makes sense. I will always question why Saia Faingaa (aka Stupid) makes the Wallabies. He's a terrible player who makes terrible and emotional decisions on the field. He'll get yellow cards - mark my words and the Wallabies will pay for it. Ben Alexander - I love him and I'm so happy that he's getting a chance! I just really want him to score...multiple times and on multiple teams. Radike Samo - Cinderella story!! The only iffy choice in the forwards (Stupid isn't an iffy choice...it's a "what were you thinking in selecting him" choice) is Tatafu Polota-Nau. He's a tank when he's healthy...but my question is...when is he healthy?

I guess we'll see how Dean's choice plays out in...yup less than a month. I hope that Australia atleast represents well...it's all one can hope for without Giteau.