Rugby World Cup 2015: Rob Simmons reveals Australia’s shock lineout weapons
DAVID Pocock and Michael Hooper are Australia’s most important players on the ground, but could they now be used in the air? Lineout caller Rob Simmons thinks so.
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AUSTRALIA’S lineout general Rob Simmons has revealed that flankers Michael Hooper and David Pocock could be used as shock lineout targets at the World Cup.
There is much conjecture over the state of the Wallabies’ lineout after it was disrupted regularly by the All Blacks in their past two games, while the selection of Hooper and Pocock is directly related to the debate.
It is clear after the Rugby Championship that Pocock and Hooper must start together in Australia’s strongest starting side, but with the lineout performing poorly, can they have two short openside flankers together when most teams will have four tall lineout options?
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“I’ve got to try to look at those things and see what the best way to run the lineout is, sometimes it is to actually use them, which might surprise a few people, but it also surprises the defence,” Simmons responded.
“Defences mainly think they’re not going to jump, then you throw it to them and it’s ball won. You move on to the next one.”
Simmons was one of the very few Wallabies to have his reputation enhanced by the Bledisloe Cup debacle at Eden Park, because he was sitting on the sidelines with a wrist injury.
New Zealand’s constant poaching of Australia’s throws highlighted Simmons’ importance to the side, but the lock believes the wobbly lineout can be a “weapon” for Australia at the World Cup.
“It’s a weapon, our whole set-piece, that’s what we’re aiming for,” Simmons said.
“Our lineout, and on the back of that our maul, and our scrum, that’s how we’re trying to improve ourselves as a forward pack in that area.
“And put that perception out there — and make it a reality as well — that this what we’re serious about and that’s the start of it.
“Before the backs do anything with the ball, you’ve got to win it first and make it dominant.
“I’ll be doing everything I can to make sure we improve in that area, we can always improve in every part of the game.
“I’ll take it on myself to make sure nothing is taken for granted, we’re always pushing our own standards and not trying to mark it anyone else, always trying to get better.
“We’ll do reviews everyday to see if we’re slacking off a bit, or we’re going really well and use our strengths for our own weapon.”
Simmons said the Kiwis were exceptionally clever in disrupting lineout ball and expected some hiccups.
“We went about it the right way, the calls were definitely all the correct ones, it was just little things within our own team of drills and cues we gave away,” Simmons said.
“That’s why a couple of those balls got pinched.
“But on the other hand, the All Blacks are always going to be more difficult at that stage of the game. They defend a different way to most teams, and they’re very good at it — they’re probably one of the best defensive teams in the world.
“So it was always going to be a harder test.”
Originally published as Rugby World Cup 2015: Rob Simmons reveals Australia’s shock lineout weapons
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