Tahu has Deans on side

2008-09-04 10:23

Sydney - Even if Timana Tahu is one of the casualties of the Wallabies' biggest Test defeat and loses his starting spot for the Tri-Nations decider against the All Blacks next week, he will not be cast adrift.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has long-term plans for Tahu and is certain to quickly forgive the former Kangaroos representative for being exposed by the Springboks during his forgettable run-on debut at Ellis Park last weekend.

In some quarters, Tahu has been treated as a scapegoat for the 53-8 thrashing, with his defence questioned. But Deans will be far more forgiving, and Tahu's Ellis Park appearance will not be his last in the Wallabies No.12 jersey.

This experiment will continue during the Wallabies' long end-of-season tour of Hong Kong and Europe in November and December.

Since Deans selected Tahu in the Tri-Nations squad, he has spent many hours working one on one with the rugby newcomer. In recent weeks, Deans and Tahu have been sighted away from the rest of the Wallabies squad at training, working on attacking drills.

That won't change, but there will be some variation, with the Wallabies coaching staff now set to work more on Tahu's defensive strategy and alignment.

The ploy didn't work

It was not the first time this year the Springboks focused on an opposition No.12. In the Perth Test, Springbok forwards, in particular Schalk Burger, Pierre Spies and Juan Smith, repeatedly ran one out at the far smaller Berrick Barnes.

The ploy didn't work, because Barnes went low in his tackles and chopped the big forwards down before they could go anywhere.

Barnes later credited torturous sessions at Brisbane Broncos training, trying to stop Shane Webcke, for his effective low tackling style.

The Springboks' tactics were similar in Johannesburg. Apart from the same backrow, the South African midfielders, in particular opposite number Jean de Villiers, repeatedly charged at Tahu to test the newcomer's mettle.

Unlike Barnes, Tahu instead attempted to take them chest on, or wrestle them around the midriff. This tactic wasn't successful, because even if Tahu eventually stopped them, the attacking player often made several metres before either being dragged down, or getting a pass away, which created an overlap.

As Barnes and Matt Giteau discovered in the earlier Tests, the best way to down a Springbok is to go low.

Off the bench

With Barnes unlikely to play in the Tri Nations decider in Brisbane on Saturday next week, Deans has the quandary of either persevering with Tahu, which is not entirely out of the question, or moving Stirling Mortlock to inside-centre, allowing Ryan Cross to start in his preferred No.13 spot.

In Cross's favour is that off the bench he has yet to flounder at Test level this season.

The other obvious changes will occur in the pack, with hooker Stephen Moore set to replace Tatafu Polota-Nau, whose lineout throwing flaws were sadly on show at Ellis Park. Even at the team's training sessions in the lead-up to the Test, Polota-Nau, who in recent times had generally improved his throwing accuracy, was having problems finding his target.

In the Test, it became a concern, prompting calls yet again for someone else to throw the lineouts so the Wallabies could continue to take advantage of Polota-Nau's many other skills, in particular his mobility and great ball skills.

The lineout degeneration will also help Nathan Sharpe's chances of returning to the second row, at the expense of Hugh McMeniman. Dean Mumm will also press in that area, after playing so well off the bench in the Durban triumph, and George Smith is in line to take over from Phil Waugh at openside breakaway.

- Rugby Heaven