Friday’s rugby news has Beale ready to fill in, Horne with an amazing recovery, Scotland appealing their suspensions and Nonu returning.
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Beale ready to step up
Kurtley Beale has been standing in for the injured Israel Folau this week at training and has emphasised that he will be ready to step up if called upon for the Wallabies’ quarter-final. “I’ve been getting a bit of time there (in training). I understand the role and the job at hand. If I’m picked I’ll be ready to go,” Beale said.
David Pocock is similarly under question, and Ben McCalman has been taking the injured no.8’s spot at training, with this contingency seeing Michael Hooper to return from a one-game suspension, taking the No.7 jersey back off young gun Sean McMahon.
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Horne back in the picture
Rob Horne has emerged as a possible bolter for the Wallabies team to play Scotland in the World Cup quarter-finals after making a miraculous recovery from a shoulder injury. After a grim prognosis after the win against England, Horne made it through a full-blooded contact session just 11 days after he was forced from the field in that match.
“He got into some contact today and said he felt good,” Cheika said. “He’ll jump in again on Friday and we’ll make a decision from there.” Horne would still have to beat out Australia’s current starter Drew Mitchell on the wing.
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Scotland appealing
The Scottish Rugby Union announced on Thursday morning it was challenging the punishments handed to hooker Ford and lock Gray for dumping Samoan Jack Lam on his head with an illegal two-man tip tackle. The SRU subsequently announced that it will only appeal the length of the ban, and not the finding of guilt.
“Both players have exemplary records and are widely acknowledged as model professionals who play the game in the right spirit,” the SRU said. “Their actions had no malice or harmful intention.” Unless the Scots’ appeal is successful and they can then beat the Wallabies, it appears both players’s tournaments are up with three-week bans.
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Nonu back with All Blacks
Ma’a Nonu replaces Sonny Bill Williams in the midfield, continuing his long-standing midfield partnership with Conrad Smith in the All Blacks side to face France in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final. “The big boys have to step up to the plate and the team that does this the best will move through to the next round. It’s as simple as that,” said coach Steve Hansen
Meanwhile, centre Mathieu Bastareaud has been dropped from the French side. Nehe Milner-Skudder has won the contested wing berth over Waisake Naholo and captain Richie McCaw returns, having recovered from the leg injury that kept him out of the All Blacks’ final pool game against Tonga.
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