Wednesday’s top rugby news focuses on the Brumbies’ wingers, the Bulls facing a mass exodus overseas and the French to tour in 2014.
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Tomane re-signs with Brumbies
It has been a good year for Joe Tomane with two Tests against the Lions and a Super Rugby Final coming up this weekend. The winger is understandably enjoying his time in Canberra and has just signed a new contract to extend his stay in the capital until the end of the 2015 season.
Coach Jake White is obviously a fan of Tomane. When the South African arrived in Australia to coach the Brumbies, he sought out the 23-year-old winger. Shocked to find that he was essentially unwanted by the NRL’s Gold Coast Titans, White set about getting Tomane a release. Thus far, it has worked out well for both of them ‘If I rewind 18 months ago, Joe was a novice and now he’s got Wallabies experience’ the Brumbies coach said. Now the duo have a couple more years to continue to build on their relationship.
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Link eyes Speight
Henry Speight has been one of the in-form wingers of this year’s Super Rugby season, especially from an Australian perspective. Now the Brumbies flyer, who set up their first try in the win over the Bulls with a blistering run and flick pass, is attracting plenty of attention from Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie. Speight is still not eligible to play for the Wallabies, due to his time playing for Waikato in the New Zealand National Provincial Championship.
However when he becomes eligible, he should be expecting a call from Link. ‘I’m well aware of his form. He’s had an outstanding year’, the new Wallabies coach said of Speight. McKenzie is currently trying to clarify the exact date that Speight becomes eligible for Wallabies selection. While that may come too late for the Rugby Championship, it would be surprising if Speight was not on the end of season tour.
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France to tour in 2014
It’s not quite the British and Irish Lions, but it has been confirmed that the Wallabies will face off against France in a three-Test series in June 2014. The series will see the two meet in Brisbane on 7 June, Melbourne on 14 June and finally in Sydney on 21 June.
Traditionally a European powerhouse, the French have not been in the greatest of form. They finished last in this year’s Six Nations Championship and also failed to win any Tests in their recent tour of New Zealand. As well as recent form, they will be looking to overturn a poor record in Australia, where they have not won since a 28-19 victory in Sydney back in 1990.
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Bulls face overseas exodus
The Bulls squad that begins the 2015 Super Rugby season will be starkly different to the one that faced off against the Brumbies last weekend. It has been confirmed that eight players with Springboks experience will be heading to Europe now that their 2014 campaign has finished.
Probably the biggest name amongst them is star flyhalf Morne Steyn, who will join French club Stade Francais. Given six of the eight players are considered part of the Springboks’ ongoing plans, the mass exodus will impact the national side as well as the Bulls. The other players to be joining Steyn in heading overseas are Chiliboy Ralepelle, Juandre Kruger, Dewald Potgieter, Jacques Potgieter, Jano Vermaak, Wynand Olivier and Zane Kirchner.
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