Bowside
Peter Johnson (47)
Aidan injured? Jeeeeeeeez, where to from here?
Its not so bad with hynes, harris and davies all due back. If fit all 3 will probably be in the 22.
Aidan injured? Jeeeeeeeez, where to from here?
As I just sent a tweet to Link, whats the odds of getting a G Smith to fill in for a few cameo performances?
It'd allow Gill and Quirk to partake in the Under 20's and for Georgie to have some fun in Aus again?
Its not so bad with hynes, harris and davies all due back. If fit all 3 will probably be in the 22.
Sorry I meant with his career, that is his third knee recon I believe.
I must say that Ben Lucas does a great job for the Reds. He tackles his heart out and comes into the line as second ball player really well. He has no fear and is happy to take on guys who are close to twice his size. I couldn't leave him out of the starting 15 the way he is playing.
Laim Gill is heading home. Leaves Milan tonight.
Flanker Liam Gill has been released from the Australian Under 20s squad to boost the Queensland Reds run into the Super Rugby finals.
Gill, who left with David Nucifora’s 26-man Junior World Championships squad on Sunday, arrived in Milan yesterday and will board another plane home tonight following an injury to Reds teammate and incumbent No.7 Beau Robinson.
Robinson suffered a dislocated elbow in the Reds 17-16 victory over the Crusaders on Sunday at a sold-out Suncorp Stadium, which is expected to keep him sidelined for four to six weeks.
West Australian backrower Ted Postal will replace Gill in the Australian Under 20s squad, while Nucifora is still spoiled for choice with skipper Colby Fainga'a, Brumbies flanker Michael Hooper and Reds backrower Eddie Quirk all boasting Super Rugby experience at No.7.
Gill is the second Reds player released from Under 20s duty, following Dominic Shipperley’s withdrawal, also as cover for Queensland’s growing injury toll.
“We said when the squad was first selected that if injuries occurred at the Super Rugby level we would look at assisting the provinces by releasing players back to them from the Under 20s squad,” said ARU Managing Director and CEO John O’Neill.
“Clearly the Reds were in that situation following the unfortunate injury to Beau Robinson and we moved quickly to ensure that Liam Gill would return from Europe immediately.”
The Under 20s have set up camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Varese, Italy and will base themselves in Padova from 6 June ahead of the June 10-26 tournament.
The U20s squad features eight players who will return for a second tilt at the JWC title, keen to reverse the disappointment of finishing runners-up to three-time champions New Zealand 62-17 in Argentina last year.
Prop Paul Alo-Emile, hooker Siliva Siliva, second rows Greg Peterson and Luke Jones, flankers Colby Fainga'a and Ed Quirk, centre Kimami Sitauti all played in the final defeat, while Scott Sio is another from the 2010 squad who returns for a second shot at the title.
Australia has been drawn alongside Fiji, France and Tonga in Pool B.
In the last three years, 26 Australian U20 representatives have gone on to earn Super Rugby contracts, and from that group, 13 have gone on to represent the Qantas Wallabies.
New Zealand has won all three titles and not dropped a match since the JWC replaced the IRB's former age-grade tournaments, the Under 19 and Under 21 Championships in 2008.
Fox Sports will telecast Australia’s third pool match against France LIVE on Fox Sports 1 at 4am AEST and the semi-finals (Fox Sports 2 from 2am AEST) and finals LIVE on Fox Sports 3 from 1am AEST.
Laim Gill is heading home. Leaves Milan tonight.
Tough on him. It took them 30 hours just get there.