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Tuqiri upgrades Giteau to Carter-class
By GREG GROWDEN - SMH | Friday, 11 July 2008
CARTER CLASS: Lote Tuqiri believes Matt Giteau and his All Blacks counterpart Dan Carter are the top two international No 10s, and whoever claims the No 1 spot will be determined by which forward pack dominates during the coming Bledisloe Cup series.
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As far as frustrated spectator Lote Tuqiri is concerned, Matt Giteau, who produced his best 80-minute performance for the Wallabies last weekend, is closing in on Daniel Carter as the world's premier five-eighth.
Tuqiri returned to full-contact training at Warringah Rugby Park on Thursday after jarring his knee in the first test against France. He was unhappy to miss last weekend's second match against France in Brisbane, knowing well that Giteau would have set him up beautifully on the wing.
Instead, Peter Hynes, Ryan Cross and James Horwill were the grateful try-scoring recipients as Giteau dominated the midfield, setting up all of Australia's four tries in their 40-10 triumph. Tuqiri just wished he had been part of it.
"Matt was on fire in the Brisbane test," Tuqiri said. "Everything he did, he did really well. He is coming into his own now. He is already a world-class footballer, but is now maturing into someone on the top tier. Physically, he is getting bigger, and becoming more confident, particularly adding the bulk enables him to do everything. That is very encouraging for us."
And Tuqiri could not remember a better performance from the man who replaced Stephen Larkham as the Wallabies' key pivot. "It is probably the best I've seen him play over 80 minutes," Tuqiri said. "The first half I thought to myself, 'Geez, he's not really putting a foot wrong here.' And he didn't let up in the second half.
"He pretty much showed everything great kicking ability, knocking everything through the sticks, and setting up tries with flick passes, plus hit-and-spin moves. He pretty much had it all. And the scary thing about 'Gits' is that he can serve a lot of things up."
Tuqiri said the main difference between Giteau and Larkham was in communication. Larkham was more the silent assassin, while Giteau lets everyone know what is going on, including the forwards.
"Steve Larkham just went on instinct," Tuqiri said. "He didn't say what he going to do. He just did it, and other players would run with him. Gits does a bit of that, but he yaps a bit more."
The test winger believes Giteau and his All Blacks counterpart Carter are the top two international No 10s, and whoever claims the No 1 spot will be determined by which forward pack dominates during the coming Bledisloe Cup series.
Tuqiri also reckons he will be back to partner Giteau in the Wallabies first Tri-Nations test, against South Africa in Perth on Saturday week, but that will ultimately be decided by how he goes during the early training sessions next week. The most likely scenario is that Tuqiri will replace Lachie Turner on the wing.
"At the moment, the knee feels all right, and I should be sweet for the Perth test," Tuqiri said. "I don't see myself not being available for selection."
Meanwhile, the Australian Rugby Union will allow test second-rower Dan Vickerman an early release from his contract if he follows his plan to devote himself to studying economics at Cambridge University following the Tri-Nations.
ARU chief executive John O'Neill said that Vickerman met ARU officials last week, and "had a very sensible conversation".
"He put it all on the table," O'Neill said. "Given his performance with the Wallabies and the Waratahs, he meets the criteria for an early release. He's told us he is going off to study in Cambridge. He assured us that he is not going off to play professional rugby in the UK, but will play intervarsity rugby. In these circumstances you do have to take a leap of faith."
Unlike Rocky Elsom, who is to play a season with Leinster, Vickerman's situation is not being treated as a sabbatical.
"In Elsom's case, which is different, he is not going to let us down," O'Neill said. "I think he will remember how good we've been to him in allowing him to go to Ireland for the short term. And I reckon Rocky will come back."
http://www.rugbyheaven.co.nz/4615348a22363.html
Yep, this is once again the wannabies trying to convince every1 they are better than the AB's, and who better to tell it than lote tuquiri, the smartest guy i've ever come across, geez his opinion is so trusted as it is backed with tonnes of experience and intellect, grow up tuquiri, idiot, giteau has only been so good in 3 tests this year because the france side was sh!t, ireland are sh!t, remember super 14? he didn't dominate in that did he, does that explain why force wern't in the finals? good luck wannabies, 3 good tests against easy opposition versus 3-4 years of consistancy at the very top level, kick started by that performance against the lions and johnny wilko (the best 10 at that time) who he demolished, when has giteau ever done that? the ps2? c'mon tuquiri a dual international and international for 2 differrent countries should know better
By GREG GROWDEN - SMH | Friday, 11 July 2008
CARTER CLASS: Lote Tuqiri believes Matt Giteau and his All Blacks counterpart Dan Carter are the top two international No 10s, and whoever claims the No 1 spot will be determined by which forward pack dominates during the coming Bledisloe Cup series.
Related Links
As far as frustrated spectator Lote Tuqiri is concerned, Matt Giteau, who produced his best 80-minute performance for the Wallabies last weekend, is closing in on Daniel Carter as the world's premier five-eighth.
Tuqiri returned to full-contact training at Warringah Rugby Park on Thursday after jarring his knee in the first test against France. He was unhappy to miss last weekend's second match against France in Brisbane, knowing well that Giteau would have set him up beautifully on the wing.
Instead, Peter Hynes, Ryan Cross and James Horwill were the grateful try-scoring recipients as Giteau dominated the midfield, setting up all of Australia's four tries in their 40-10 triumph. Tuqiri just wished he had been part of it.
"Matt was on fire in the Brisbane test," Tuqiri said. "Everything he did, he did really well. He is coming into his own now. He is already a world-class footballer, but is now maturing into someone on the top tier. Physically, he is getting bigger, and becoming more confident, particularly adding the bulk enables him to do everything. That is very encouraging for us."
And Tuqiri could not remember a better performance from the man who replaced Stephen Larkham as the Wallabies' key pivot. "It is probably the best I've seen him play over 80 minutes," Tuqiri said. "The first half I thought to myself, 'Geez, he's not really putting a foot wrong here.' And he didn't let up in the second half.
"He pretty much showed everything great kicking ability, knocking everything through the sticks, and setting up tries with flick passes, plus hit-and-spin moves. He pretty much had it all. And the scary thing about 'Gits' is that he can serve a lot of things up."
Tuqiri said the main difference between Giteau and Larkham was in communication. Larkham was more the silent assassin, while Giteau lets everyone know what is going on, including the forwards.
"Steve Larkham just went on instinct," Tuqiri said. "He didn't say what he going to do. He just did it, and other players would run with him. Gits does a bit of that, but he yaps a bit more."
The test winger believes Giteau and his All Blacks counterpart Carter are the top two international No 10s, and whoever claims the No 1 spot will be determined by which forward pack dominates during the coming Bledisloe Cup series.
Tuqiri also reckons he will be back to partner Giteau in the Wallabies first Tri-Nations test, against South Africa in Perth on Saturday week, but that will ultimately be decided by how he goes during the early training sessions next week. The most likely scenario is that Tuqiri will replace Lachie Turner on the wing.
"At the moment, the knee feels all right, and I should be sweet for the Perth test," Tuqiri said. "I don't see myself not being available for selection."
Meanwhile, the Australian Rugby Union will allow test second-rower Dan Vickerman an early release from his contract if he follows his plan to devote himself to studying economics at Cambridge University following the Tri-Nations.
ARU chief executive John O'Neill said that Vickerman met ARU officials last week, and "had a very sensible conversation".
"He put it all on the table," O'Neill said. "Given his performance with the Wallabies and the Waratahs, he meets the criteria for an early release. He's told us he is going off to study in Cambridge. He assured us that he is not going off to play professional rugby in the UK, but will play intervarsity rugby. In these circumstances you do have to take a leap of faith."
Unlike Rocky Elsom, who is to play a season with Leinster, Vickerman's situation is not being treated as a sabbatical.
"In Elsom's case, which is different, he is not going to let us down," O'Neill said. "I think he will remember how good we've been to him in allowing him to go to Ireland for the short term. And I reckon Rocky will come back."
http://www.rugbyheaven.co.nz/4615348a22363.html
Yep, this is once again the wannabies trying to convince every1 they are better than the AB's, and who better to tell it than lote tuquiri, the smartest guy i've ever come across, geez his opinion is so trusted as it is backed with tonnes of experience and intellect, grow up tuquiri, idiot, giteau has only been so good in 3 tests this year because the france side was sh!t, ireland are sh!t, remember super 14? he didn't dominate in that did he, does that explain why force wern't in the finals? good luck wannabies, 3 good tests against easy opposition versus 3-4 years of consistancy at the very top level, kick started by that performance against the lions and johnny wilko (the best 10 at that time) who he demolished, when has giteau ever done that? the ps2? c'mon tuquiri a dual international and international for 2 differrent countries should know better
