Tuesday’s rugby news has a fresh Lions squad, Burgess playing Rebel saviour, Sevens drama and a man in a chicken costume being awesome.
[one_half last=”no”]
All-new Lions squad announced
The British and Irish Lions will unleash a fresh line-up for Wednesday night’s clash with the Western Force, with coach Warran Gatland resting all players who participated in Saturday’s domination of the Barbarians. The 23-man squad will be captained by Brian O’Driscoll in the continued absence of Sam Warburton, who is now likely to make his return from injury against the Reds next Saturday. Ireland full-back Rob Kearney was also omitted with a grade one hamstring tear.
The resting of key players with niggling injuries may have been affected by the Western Force’s outspoken desire to use their physicality to get under the touring side’s skin, with Robbie Deans adding, ‘The Force will really look to take them apart limb by limb.’
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]
Burgess rushed back into Rebels
Halfback Luke Burgess is being propelled back into the Melbourne Rebels line-up and will reportedly debut against the Brumbies on Friday night. The 37-Test veteran arrived in Melbourne on Monday after completing a two-year stint in France.
Burgess was due to join the Rebels for the 2014 season, but with Nick Phipps joining the Wallabies training camp and Richard Kingi out injured, the 28-year-old has been prematurely drafted into coach Damien Hill’s squad. Hill plans to promote Nic Stirzaker to the run-on side with Burgess on the reserves bench for his first match. But just by turning up to training Robbie Deans has probably pushed him ahead of Nic White for Wallabies halfback contention
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”no”]
Sevens player angered by Super ring-ins
Australian sevens player Tom Cusack has urged selectors to stick with specialist players in the pursuit of 2016 Olympic gold. ‘Sevens is a completely different game now. If you don’t have any exposure to it, you will be found out,’ Cusack asserted.
Reds winger Luke Morahan and Waratahs duo Bernard Foley and Matt Lucas have all been named in Australia’s 12-man squad for the June 28-30 Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament in Moscow. Cusack’s comments come after Michael Cheika criticised the ‘cherry-picking’ of state players for its de-stabilising effect on Super rugby franchises.
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]
Mascot takes charge
I was captivated by Eales’ goal, I reveled in Kefu’s try, but I may have recently stumbled upon the greatest rugby story I have ever heard. It was a night like any other when the Highlanders played the Blues this weekend. But in an off-camera incident, the Highlander’s chicken mascot aka Andrew James heroically chased down and tackled a naked streaker using a technique he likes to call ‘the smother hen.’
‘Being a chicken mascot, I’ve got a lot of pride,’ Mr James says (what a great sentence). ‘It was for the team, the supporters, and the stadium.’ In response, Australian fans have been quick to chastise Robbie Deans and his inability to promote proper tackling technique among Australian mascots
[/one_half]
