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Australia A - Back on the Cards

Wilson

Phil Kearns (64)
IFL was promoted, there’s going to be some names coming from Eddie squad that need to be integrated . I.E hollloway and hoops
I don't think we'll see Hooper (or Cooper/Foley) in the Australia A squad. I'm not even sure we'll the departing players like Samu and Hodge, but that's probably down to individual decisions.

As far as outs from the Aus A squad go, it Looks like Gordon and Wilkin will both be out injured, not sure about any others.
 

Highlander35

Steve Williams (59)
The travelling squad probably only needs to be 18-ish bodies. You'd find it hard pressed given the final 33 selected that most of those not playing against France would play in this fixture due to the lack of gametime, which is around 13 blokes with another 4 or 5 acting as a combination of holdovers and covering blokes under niggles.

Anticipating that Kerevi and Tupou will miss the France fixture due to injury, this is what the Aus A Matchday squad could look like to me:

Jorgenson, Vunivalu, Flook, Paisami, Pietsch, JOC (James O'Connor)?, IFL, Schoupp, Faessler, Rhys van Nek, Philip, Neville, Kemeny, Wilkin, Gleeson,
Res: Fainga'a, Gibbon/Lambert, Talakai, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)/Holloway, Wilson, Lonergan, ???, Wright

With a yet to be considered Fly half cover?
 

Wilson

Phil Kearns (64)
The travelling squad probably only needs to be 18-ish bodies. You'd find it hard pressed given the final 33 selected that most of those not playing against France would play in this fixture due to the lack of gametime, which is around 13 blokes with another 4 or 5 acting as a combination of holdovers and covering blokes under niggles.

Anticipating that Kerevi and Tupou will miss the France fixture due to injury, this is what the Aus A Matchday squad could look like to me:

Jorgenson, Vunivalu, Flook, Paisami, Pietsch, JOC (James O'Connor) (James O'Connor)?, IFL, Schoupp, Faessler, Rhys van Nek, Philip, Neville, Kemeny, Wilkin, Gleeson,
Res: Fainga'a, Gibbon/Lambert, Talakai, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)/Holloway, Wilson, Lonergan, ???, Wright

With a yet to be considered Fly half cover?
I think reserve fly half is down to Debreczeni, Edmed or Creighton based on injuries/exclusions. Debreczeni probably has the inside line given he was called into Aus A previously.

I do think there might be a few more guys rested from the main squad though, the French game is a day later and they'll likely want some emergency reserves as well as keeping some players coming off big minutes fresh for the world cup. I'd expect one of the hookers won't play that weekend, Slipper might be rested given big minutes already this year and I could also see them resting Nic White in the backs. Additionally there will probably be a couple of niggles out of the camp that see players held back just in case.
 

Dctarget

Tim Horan (67)
For players who have taken up medical jokers in France - is their contract signed with the assumption they can't/won't be called up for the RWC?
 

Brumby Runner

Jason Little (69)
The travelling squad probably only needs to be 18-ish bodies. You'd find it hard pressed given the final 33 selected that most of those not playing against France would play in this fixture due to the lack of gametime, which is around 13 blokes with another 4 or 5 acting as a combination of holdovers and covering blokes under niggles.

Anticipating that Kerevi and Tupou will miss the France fixture due to injury, this is what the Aus A Matchday squad could look like to me:

Jorgenson, Vunivalu, Flook, Paisami, Pietsch, JOC (James O'Connor) (James O'Connor)?, IFL, Schoupp, Faessler, Rhys van Nek, Philip, Neville, Kemeny, Wilkin, Gleeson,
Res: Fainga'a, Gibbon/Lambert, Talakai, LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)/Holloway, Wilson, Lonergan, ???, Wright

With a yet to be considered Fly half cover?
Didn't Ollie Sapsford get a run with the A team recently. Could play or cover 12 or 13. I have it in mind that Flook was also injured a week or two ago. Is that correct?
 

Wilson

Phil Kearns (64)
For players who have taken up medical jokers in France - is their contract signed with the assumption they can't/won't be called up for the RWC?
I doubt it. I don't think you could contract that in and you'd have a hell of time telling the player no. It's not like they have the same influence over a medical joker as they do a regular contract player either.

I'm pretty sure they'll be excluded from Australia A though, I don't think there are release provisions for A teams and even if there was there is significantly less benefit from calling them in from somewhere local. That probably extends to foreign contracted players too, which is part of why I doubt Cooper and Foley would be there, even if they wanted to be.
 

Wilson

Phil Kearns (64)
Didn't Ollie Sapsford get a run with the A team recently. Could play or cover 12 or 13. I have it in mind that Flook was also injured a week or two ago. Is that correct?
Sapsford did get a run last game, but he didn't exactly impress. Him and Walton look like the obvious backs to drop out as I don't think they're any chance of a wallabies call up. Flook's injury was just a concussion, should be fine before the squad is even called in.
 

Members Section

John Thornett (49)
Sapsford did get a run last game, but he didn't exactly impress. Him and Walton look like the obvious backs to drop out as I don't think they're any chance of a wallabies call up. Flook's injury was just a concussion, should be fine before the squad is even called in.

Sampsford is currently playing in the NPC so unless he was promised a spot I can see him leaving just to train
 

SouthernX

John Thornett (49)
Apparently Wilson isn’t selected for Australia A!

Jim Tucker hinted at that in his rugby australia website article reporting on the brothers vs east semi final.

This might be a bigger head scratcher than Quade snubbing. 3rd best #8 in Australia on the outer for whatever reasons. (Probably position versatility)
 

Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
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Braveheart81

Will Genia (78)
Staff member
So, something like:

1. Gibbon
2. Lonergan
3. Talakai
4. Swain
5. Salakaia-Loto
6. Swinton
7. Wilkin
8. Samu
9. Lonergan
10. Foley
11. Toole
12. O'Connor
13. Flook
14. Pietsch
15. Wright

16. Fainga'a 17. Lambert 18. Johnson-Holmes 19. Hanigan 20. Uru 21. Tuttle 22. Paisami 23. Anderson
 

Dctarget

Tim Horan (67)
Not only is this good prep, it's great to keep Wallabies fans talking in the off weeks.

By my count there's a squad of 26. Which is interesting, I thought that it was meant to be 15 supplemented by the non 23 members of the RWC squad. No Hooper, Cooper, Ikitau. I think they're done.

Great to see Wilkin included, thought he might've been injured, also big wraps for Josh Canham though a bit of a fuck you to Neville.

Love the all red centres.
 

Wilson

Phil Kearns (64)
I'm a bit surprised to see Foley still there, I thought for all money the overseas based players wouldn't be a part of it.
 
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