Wednesday’s rugby news has the ARU’s post-Dublin guidelines, hard truths for the Rebels, the Tahs playing underdog and Mealamu sent home after injury.
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New standards for Wallabies
The ARU are in the process of developing a uniform set of team protocols that will apply to both Super Rugby teams and the Wallabies as a result of the controversy from last year’s spring tour and the mass punishments handed out.
This agreement will bring an end to a lengthy dispute between RUPA and ARU concerning the handling of the manner. RUPA officials have criticised the public shaming of the players without any true gauge of alcohol consumption or an agreed upon curfew time. The midnight curfew was only decided two days after the night-out, with RUPA also incensed that they were not consulted at any point before the suspensions were made public. [/one_half]
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Rebels told to lift game
After an upset 32-7 thrashing at the hands of the Force last weekend, Rebels’ coach Tony McGahan has made his team fully aware of his expectations for their upcoming match against the Crusaders. Lock Hugh Pyle says that a brutally honest video review session let the team know that their underachieving performance was not acceptable. “It was fairly harsh,’ Pyle said. ‘We all know it wasn’t good enough.’
McGahan also talked down the role of the changes to the starting line-up for the Force match, saying, ‘It certainly wasn’t the six guys who came on who let us down.’ He added that the move was implemented to give some players experience and test the team’s depth. [/one_half]
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Cheika names line-up
The Waratahs will bring a virtually unchanged line-up into Saturday’s pivotal match against the Brumbies. The return of captain Dave Dennis will be the only adjustment, with blindside Stephen Hoiles relegated to the bench. Cheika was keen to paint his side as the underdogs despite the surrounding hype, saying of the Brumbies, ‘They’re the best team in Australia, they made the final last year and it’s up to us to take on the best and try to compete with them.’
And although the Brumbies have expanded their play under the tutelage of Stephen Larkham, the Waratahs’ coach sill believed that the upcoming fixture will represent a clash of attacking against conservative mindsets. [/one_half]
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Mealamu injured
A calf injury to Blues hooker Keven Mealamu has forced the Kiwi to return early from South Africa. ‘We’ve decided to protect him a wee bit, send him home and not take the risk because if he blows it he’ll be out for 12 or so weeks,’ Blues coach John Kirwan said.
Mealamu has battled calf injuries for the past three seasons and the latest setback may concern All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, who is currently finalising his plans for the 2015 World Cup. Andrew Hore is set to retire before the World Cup and while Wellington’s Dane Coles is the likely successor, Hansen would have been counting on Mealamu’s 2015 inclusion given the concerning lack of depth at the position. [/one_half]
