In the words of Maxwell Smart... " Is this the Sharpe end 99?"

With the red hot form of Nathan Sharpe at the 2011 Rugby World Cup to date most would have assumed his selection on the bench for Sunday's crucial semi-final against the AB's was a fait accompli! It seems Robbie Deans however has other plans, with the Wallabies most experienced lock (and current player) left out of the match day 22 all together!

Sharpey now finds himself stranded on 99 tests for the Wallabies, and with next week no sure thing... his record could be as unenviable as the great Don's batting average... the century so close, but no cigar!

But do milestones really matter? When it's all said and done, who really cares how many runs we have on the board... isn't it the journey we enjoy along the way that matters most?

I'm sure Sharpey agree's that statistics and milestones are for the statistics guys, and its the life experience and team success that really matters... the fact he is not out there on Saturday will hurt him the most... but he will not show it... as one of the Wallabies true leaders, Sharpey will stand by his men and call for them to "Go for Gold" and get the team through to next week...

If they can do it, with Rob Simmons preferred for the bench lock role against the AB's... I'm tipping Robbie has one last 'rotational' twist up his 'team of ultimate depth' sleeve... watch for Sharpey's experience to be injected against the Northern hemisphere's finest on October 22nd!... I'm tipping the Rugby World Cup final 2011to feature the resurgent Wallabies, and to mark the perfect end for a true Wallaby great, Nathan Sharpe...

... so is 99 the end... in the words of Maxwell Smart "I think not"!