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Rebels tour of UK/Ireland

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RugbyReg

Rocky Elsom (76)
Staff member
The RaboDirect Rebels have released the following squad for it's upcoming tour of the UK and Ireland.

RaboDirect Rebels UK/Ireland Tour
Depart: Saturday, August 6
Return: Sunday, August 21

30 Man Squad

Eddie Aholelei*
Nigel Ah Wong*
Peter Betham
Rodney Blake
Danny Cipriani
Sam Cordingley
Tim Davidson
Pama Fou*
David Hardisty*
Nic Henderson
James Hilgendorf
Luke Holmes
Mitch Inman
Lloyd Johansson*
Luke Jones
Richard Kingi
Michael Lipman
Hoani Macdonald
Ben Matwijow*
Lachlan Michell
Stirling Mortlock
Cadeyrn Neville*
Hugh Pyle
Ged Robinson
Jarrod Saffy
Greg Sommerville
Heath Tessmann
Cooper Vuna
Laurie Weeks
Liam Windon*

*indicates non contracted Rebels player


The Rebels will play 3 games against Bath (Friday, August 12), Worcester Warriors (Monday, August 15) and Leinster (Friday, August 19) throughout the 2 week tour.

The club has named the strongest possible squad with various players unavailable due to injury and World Cup commitments (Byrnes-Russia,
Delve-Wales, Gerrard-Australia and Phipps-Australia).

RaboDirect Rebels Head Coach Damien Hill said that the
upcoming tour would be a fantastic opportunity to develop the side ahead of the
2012 Super Rugby season.

"This tour is all about development, our players will
be able to test themselves against some of Europe’s top sides and we believe
that this experience will be invaluable. Also, we are taking 9 new faces
with us, with all of these players except for Mitch Inman, competing for their
chance to play Super Rugby with the Rebels next year.

“We are also pleased to see that 2 Victorian players have
made the squad in David Hardisty and Lloyd Johansson. Both of these
players have been very impressive in training and I am confident that they will
make the most of this opportunity. Their development, alongside the other
new faces, bodes well for the future of the RaboDirect Rebels.

“It will also give us a final opportunity to farewell
retiring Rebels Greg Somerville and Sam Cordingley. Both these players
have been invaluable to the club on the field and have been fantastic in
guiding our young players. Their contributions to this club are highly
valued and along with Kevin O’Neill, their expertise will be missed next year,”
Hill said.

RaboDirect Rebels Chief Operating Officer Steve Boland said that
the club was also excited about opportunities off the field.

“We are very excited to take the RaboDirect Rebels brand to
the UK and Ireland. Our players will gain valuable experience competing
in this environment and we believe it will be terrific for the squads
development. We also see this as an opportunity to promote our club and
hopefully convince some rugby fans in the UK and Ireland to make the Rebels
their second team,” Boland said.
 

Sir Arthur Higgins

Alan Cameron (40)
interesting omission of Afusipa?
any word on his status with the rebels?
I'd assume Chamberlain is gone?
I'm assuming Huxley is also gone. Interesting to see Hilgendorf still there. given they have Danny, James, Kurtley and Kingi who can cover 10. or is this them showing him off to UK clubs for a potential contract.
Those boys will be crushing a lot of cans over there that is one thing that is certain.
 

Ash

Michael Lynagh (62)
Jeez, Lloyd Johansson. He had potential, but not nearly as much talented as he was beat up to have. Could have been a capable Super player in the Nathan Grey mould at best, I would think. He went to Italy though, didn't he?
 
B

Braveheart.

Guest
Straight from Wikipedia:
Lloyd had a challenging Super Rugby season in 2007, appearing to lose form and confidence after a two match ban early in the season. Johansson did not see any Super 14 action during the 2008 season and he was not offered a contract with the Queensland Reds for 2009. He joined Italian club MPS Viadana in an effort to reignite his career.
 
B

Braveheart.

Guest
[video=youtube;1zSop6FWsEE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zSop6FWsEE[/video]

Interesting to see them play on the same team....

Johansson almost ripped off Mortlock's head!
 
R

rugby_man

Guest
Good move for the Rebels to get Johansson back from Italy. He originally from Melbourne and he certainly has potential. If I recall correctly, he scored a try on debut for the Wallabies and was pretty decent at Test level. Can play 10, 12 and has a very big foot. Hopefully he fulfils his potential at the Rebels.
 

tigerland12

John Thornett (49)
Johannson was always on the brink of becoming a realy good player. I do remember his test debut (as rugby_man said), but after that he faded off the scene, not helped by the Reds struggles over those seasons.

I'm happy to see him back.
 
T

tranquility

Guest
Lloyd was one of the best schoolboy players in recent memory. However as he was so big, he took shortcuts in his preparation that did not hold him back at that level - even dominating against the Kiwis schools team. However he failed to do the work off the pitch to make it at super level, and his game got found out badly. However if he can apply himself, he still has plenty of ability to become more than a handy super player and certainly a better option that some used this year by the rebels. One disadvantage is that he can only play 12, even though when he scored that try for the wallabies he was on the wing?? ha ha
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
Good post trank. He can play 10 at the club level so he might be handy if there are a couple of injuries in a game but he probably wouldn't start in a match there.

When I saw him for Oz Schools in 2003, I think, I thought that he had a big future though he looked like a league player playing the wrong code. Like some others like Josh Holmes, he was a schoolboy star that never really made it. Maybe that cruel reality of what might have been will bring him back on track belatedly.

There was another player in that 2003 team that also bullied opponents - a 6 or 8, but who looked a bit short for lineout work when he became a senior. He turned out OK though - TPN. Digby was also in the team and though I saw him play I can't remember how he performed, but he's done rather well too, hasn't he?
.
 

Larno

Ward Prentice (10)
I'll be at the Leinster friendly on the 19th. I'll try and gather a few thoughts after the game and put them up on here when I get the chance. Please note that I will be turning out in support of the Rebels rather than D4's own Mexicans.
 
T

tranquility

Guest
There was another player in that 2003 team that also bullied opponents - a 6 or 8, but who looked a bit short for lineout work when he became a senior. He turned out OK though - TPN.
.

Was that Tatafu!!

I went out and watched the Test at Balleymore, and the 6 was incredible in the match and I always thought that it was Oli Avei from TSS, who went on to do not much. Leon Bott was also on the other wing, and a bloke by the name of Anton La Vin played a fearless match and has good judges rating him very highly. Shame. Dom Fuller and Matt Brandon were the halves in that side, but for some reason never got picked up by anyone. They have been dominating premier rugby in Brisbane since.
 

tigerland12

John Thornett (49)
Dom Fuller and Matt Brandon were the halves in that side, but for some reason never got picked up by anyone. They have been dominating premier rugby in Brisbane since.

DO NOT GET ME STARTED! How those two haven't been picked up I'll never know.
 

Lee Grant

John Eales (66)
tranquility

Yeah - that was TPN alright. Oli was a year or two before that. TPN used to swap with Salvi at 6 and 8 in 2003 and they were also co-captains.

Since then Anton La Vin has been a very good club player in Sydney but never kicked on for a Super spot.

Larno

No - I didn't expect that you Ulster guys would ever cheer for the Blue Filth. Please post the teams if you get to know them beforehand. I dare say that Leinster will play their dirt-trackers and academy guys.

PS - is Pienaar back with you guys after the RWC, assuming he gets on the plane to NZ?
 
B

Burke's Boot

Guest
Johansson is a turnstile. Anyone know if this will be on Crap Sports?
 
A

Army_Gav

Guest
Social media only, follow us @Rebel_Army will let you know what's happening.
 
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