Rocky Elsom leaving a big hole

The Wallabies named their squad for the Autumn Tests yesterday, later that night Leinster named him in their squad to face Munster rugby in the Celtic League.

It will be tough for Robbie Deans to watch Elsom running ariound in Ireland when he could have been playing for The Wallabies, does the overseas rule need to be relaxed?

That Leinster Squad:

BACKS: Chris Whitaker, Chris Keane, Jonathan Sexton, Felipe Contepomi, Brian O’Driscoll, Gary Brown, Shane Horgan, Luke Fitzgerald, Fergus McFadden, Rob Kearney, Simon Keogh, Eoin O’Malley, Girvan Dempsey

FORWARDS: Cian Healy, Stephen Knoop, Ronan McCormack, Bernard Jackman, Brian Blaney, John Fogarty, CJ Van Der Linde, Stan Wright, Cameron Jowitt, Malcolm O’Kelly, Leo Cullen, Devin Toner, Rocky Elsom, Trevor Hogan, Stephen Keogh, Shane Jennings, Sean O’Brien, Kevin McLaughlin, Jamie Heaslip

Wallabies look to blood some younger players

18-year-old utility back James O’Connor has been joined in the extended 34-man touring party by Western Force teammate openside flanker David Pocock, Queensland Reds flyhalf Quade Cooper and NSW Waratahs prop Sekope Kepu.

The selection of Cooper will take some pressure of the inside centre spot should Berick Barnes shoulder play up on the tour. Cooper can move into 10 and Giteau move to centre without weakening the team at all.

In what should be a competitive tour Robbie Deans will no doubt be using Wales as the true test of his charges as the 6 Nations champions will be in full flight by the time the teams meet.

Wallabies Spring Tour Itinerary

Saturday November 1: v New Zealand, Hong Kong
Saturday November 8: v Italy, Padova
Saturday November 15: v England, London (Twickenham)
Saturday November 22: v France, Paris
Saturday November 29: v Wales, Cardiff
Wednesday December 3: v Barbarians, London (Wembley)

Has the Deans effect worn off?

Something has struck me over the past few weeks of the Tri Nations, Australia when under pressure are reverting a little to the tactics that have been their downfall over past seasons.

It appears that instinctively the players revert back to the slower phase based play when they are threatened, whilst their major competitors The All Blacks still play a more aggressive open style.

After the first few Tri Nations Tests of the year Robbie Deans approach was being lauded and rightly so. I think that the players need to take a look at how they drop his guidance when under pressure and work on this aspect of their game.

Perhaps time will help, but they need to fix this if they want to be competitive over the coming years.