Australia A - Back on the Cards

[Highlander35]

Similarly to Kiap's point: for a number of years there were a substantial number of Welsh aligned but English Qualified players who were part of various academy set ups in the English premiership (primarily Bristol and Bath, but some across Gloucester, Worcester & others) who would turn down Welsh selection to remain English Qualified and hence provide the clubs with an RFU incentives when they were retained.

EDIT: Nobody asked, but this is one area I would be keen to see FIFA rules applied to the U20 Championship, Trophy and qualifying tournaments thereof: whereby selection at one of these events doesn't lock you in to that country, but it does prevent you from obtaining new eligibility through residency.

 

[Adam84]

Similarly to Kiap's point: for a number of years there were a substantial number of Welsh aligned but English Qualified players who were part of various academy set ups in the English premiership (primarily Bristol and Bath, but some across Gloucester, Worcester & others) who would turn down Welsh selection to remain English Qualified and hence provide the clubs with an RFU incentives when they were retained.

EDIT: Nobody asked, but this is one area I would be keen to see FIFA rules applied to the U20 Championship, Trophy and qualifying tournaments thereof: whereby selection at one of these events doesn't lock you in to that country, but it does prevent you from obtaining new eligibility through residency.

It’s an interesting one.

there’s a few PI players who live in Australia who don’t make the Junior Wallabies but then elect to represent Fiji/Samoa/Tonga etc at the JWC for the experience.

Emosi Tuqiri is one who comes to mind for this.

 

[Dctarget]

It’s an interesting one.

there’s a few PI players who live in Australia who don’t make the Junior Wallabies but then elect to represent Fiji/Samoa/Tonga etc at the JWC for the experience.

Emosi Tuqiri is one who comes to mind for this.

Would they not already be qualified for Aus? Is Emosi part way through residency qualification for Aus at time of of JWC?

 

[PhilClinton]

Would they not already be qualified for Aus? Is Emosi part way through residency qualification for Aus at time of of JWC?

Emosi was born in Australia.

EDIT: That is wrong sorry - but he's been in Australia since at least 2002 I believe, born in 2000 in Fiji.

 

[Highlander35]

It’s an interesting one.

there’s a few PI players who live in Australia who don’t make the Junior Wallabies but then elect to represent Fiji/Samoa/Tonga etc at the JWC for the experience.

Emosi Tuqiri is one who comes to mind for this.

Yes, so I think the important part would be about "gaining" new eligibility. If they've been somewhere for the 5 consecutive (or 10 total) years required, I wouldn't want that to be lost by turning out for an alternative, the goal would be preventing talent that has been sufficiently "identified and developed" avoid being acquired by someone else through residency.

Maybe some PI players might not turn out hoping to gain Aus/NZ/Japan eligibility, but I can't imagine it would have as drastic an impact as the previous lock in requirements.

 

[Wallaby Man]

I’d support opening the eligibility up further by not locking players in for junior and A teams, however it would need to come at the expense of the ludicrous grandparent rule.

 

[RebelYell]

Fereti Sa'aga played Samoa U20s one year then Australia U20s the next

 

[Highlander35]

I took this way off topic and that's my b.

The situation I would like to change is that for example, a player like Mosese Tuipulotu could represent Samoa or Australia at the JWC, and not be tied to either one of them: he could go play for Samoa, the Wallabies, or Scotland by current rules around birth/heritage.

But he could not however go to Ireland, or Japan for 5 seasons and turn out for their National teams as he had been identified and selected for another National Union.

There was a situation like this about a decade ago involving Adama Traore (not the one you're thinking of) who played for Gold Coast United then Melbourne Victory (at the time) who had indicated that once he'd gotten his citizenship he'd like to represent Australia instead of Cote D'Ivoire, declining selection in a couple of squads. But because he'd played in U17, U18 & U20 tournaments he was ultimately ineligible.

It's not something that "fixes" anything in the system: but it does start to standardise an approach that's being taken across a number of high level leagues with things like JIFF.

 

[SouthernX]

So what’s the timeline looking for in terms of an Australia A’s European tour squad announcement?

Imagine the A’s will still be playing club rugby in coming weeks.

 

[SouthernX]

When is the squad announced?

 

[Members Section]

When is the squad announced?

has there been approval for the Portugal game yet?

 

[SouthernX]

has there been approval for the Portugal game yet?

I was unaware the tour might be TBC.

Thanks for the info

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

has there been approval for the Portugal game yet?

Yes. I posted the notification on the T2 forum a couple of weeks back (the site seems to be down at present). It's being played the day before the Wobs play France at Stade Jules Ladoumegue which is the home ground of RC Massy.

 

[qwerty51]

Wow, pretty sure it was originally scheduled for Stade de France, that’s some downgrade.

 

[SouthernX]

Sounds like Brad Wilkin will be racing against the clock to get fit for the Australia A tour due an ankle injury he suffered yesterday in qpr playoffs.

As he plays a very niche position (strictly open side flanker) who would be the next cab #7 off the rank

Fraser McReight
Brad Wilkin
Michael Hooper
???

 

[LeCheese]

Sounds like Brad Wilkin will be racing against the clock to get fit for the Australia A tour due an ankle injury he suffered yesterday in qpr playoffs.

As he plays a very niche position (strictly open side flanker) who would be the next cab #7 off the rank

Fraser McReight
Brad Wilkin
Michael Hooper
???

Not sure how his shoulder is going, but Liam Wright could be in the mix (at either 6 or 7)

 

[Agent]

Sounds like Brad Wilkin will be racing against the clock to get fit for the Australia A tour due an ankle injury he suffered yesterday in qpr playoffs.

As he plays a very niche position (strictly open side flanker) who would be the next cab #7 off the rank

Fraser McReight
Brad Wilkin
Michael Hooper
???

What is Charlie Gamble up to? Is he injured?

 

[SouthernX]

This was the last Australia A squad that went to Tonga. Will be interesting to see the ins and outs.

Definite outs: Pone, IFL

Gibbon and 9Lonergan would be who I think are coming in as replacements.

Lachlan Anderson (Melbourne Rebels)
Jock Campbell (Queensland Reds)
Josh Canham (Melbourne Rebels)
Pone Fa’amausili (Melbourne Rebels)
Folau Fainga’a (Western Force)
Issak Fines-Leleiwasa (Western Force)
Bernard Foley (Kubota Spears)
Josh Flook (Queensland Reds)
Jake Gordon (NSW Waratahs)
Ned Hanigan (NSW Waratahs)
Tom Lambert (NSW Waratahs)
Lachlan Lonergan (ACT Brumbies)
Cadeyrn Neville (ACT Brumbies)
James O’Connor (Queensland Reds)
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (Melbourne Rebels)
Ollie Sapsford (ACT Brumbies)
Blake Schoupp (ACT Brumbies)
Lachlan Swinton (NSW Waratahs)
Sam Talakai (Melbourne Rebels)
Corey Toole (ACT Brumbies)
Seru Uru (Queensland Reds)
Rhys Van Nek (ACT Brumbies)
Joey Walton (NSW Waratahs)
Brad Wilkin (Melbourne Rebels)
Harry Wilson (Queensland Reds)

 

[Members Section]

This was the last Australia A squad that went to Tonga. Will be interesting to see the ins and outs.

Definite outs: Pone, IFL

Gibbon and 9Lonergan would be who I think are coming in as replacements.

Lachlan Anderson (Melbourne Rebels)
Jock Campbell (Queensland Reds)
Josh Canham (Melbourne Rebels)
Pone Fa’amausili (Melbourne Rebels)
Folau Fainga’a (Western Force)
Issak Fines-Leleiwasa (Western Force)
Bernard Foley (Kubota Spears)
Josh Flook (Queensland Reds)
Jake Gordon (NSW Waratahs)
Ned Hanigan (NSW Waratahs)
Tom Lambert (NSW Waratahs)
Lachlan Lonergan (ACT Brumbies)
Cadeyrn Neville (ACT Brumbies)
James O’Connor (Queensland Reds)
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (Melbourne Rebels)
Ollie Sapsford (ACT Brumbies)
Blake Schoupp (ACT Brumbies)
Lachlan Swinton (NSW Waratahs)
Sam Talakai (Melbourne Rebels)
Corey Toole (ACT Brumbies)
Seru Uru (Queensland Reds)
Rhys Van Nek (ACT Brumbies)
Joey Walton (NSW Waratahs)
Brad Wilkin (Melbourne Rebels)
Harry Wilson (Queensland Reds)

Only person to go "up" is Pone cant even think who the next to replace him is with Holz at La Rochelle

 

[SouthernX]

Only person to go "up" is Pone cant even think who the next to replace him is with Holz at La Rochelle

IFL was promoted, there’s going to be some names coming from Eddie squad that need to be integrated . I.E hollloway and hoops