REBELS boss Steve Boland has categorically ruled out any prospect of Reds Test centre Ben Tapuai joining the Melbourne franchise next season.
There had been speculation the Reds midfielder was in the Rebels' sights and Boland confirmed that, as a matter of course, the club regularly contacted Super Rugby players who have an affiliation with Victoria. But he said the conversation with Melbourne-raised Tapuai did not progress beyond first base.
"I asked Ben if he was interested in coming back to Melbourne and he replied 'Not really' and that was basically that," Boland said. "He will not be joining the Rebels."
Reds coach Ewen McKenzie told The Australian yesterday he had made an offer to Tapuai in January but that the 22-year-old was not prepared at that point to make a commitment.
Tapuai, who made his Test debut against Wales in Cardiff on the Wallabies' end-of-year tour last December, is hardly on his own in baulking at making a commitment. There is no clarity in the ARU's contracting system, with no one knowing at what level the salary cap will be set and until the chaos is resolved, players and franchises are reluctant to lock in arrangements that could come to be seen as wildly inappropriate.
That said, the franchises cannot afford not to push ahead with their recruitment and retention programs and the Reds are fast approaching the point where they need an answer from Tapuai, who is still recovering from a broken collarbone. McKenzie said he had "not too many" spots left on the 2013 roster.
Meanwhile, McKenzie is likely to name 23 players today for Saturday's vital Australian conference showdown against the Brumbies in Canberra, with openside flanker Beau Robinson joining an otherwise unchanged 22 from last weekend's Lions match.
It isn't surprising the Reds, who have been nursing Robinson through an ankle problem preferring to play him at 100 per cent every second or so week, should bring him back for this clash.
He and fellow ball pilferer Liam Gill started together for the first time this season against the Brumbies on April 6 at Suncorp Stadium and utterly dominated the breakdown, claiming 14 turnovers. Significantly, that was the last match for which Brumbies dynamic opensider Michael Hooper was named on the bench.
Such has been the standard of Hooper's play ever since that it would not surprise if the Reds double-teamed him on Saturday night, although McKenzie would be loath to omit blindside flanker Jake Schatz whose exceptional workrate around the ground makes it possible for Gill and number eight Scott Higginbotham to shine.
Fullback Ben Lucas is likely to be named in the side, even though he didn't run at training on Tuesday because of a groin problem. His presence will mean the Reds will not have to make any special arrangements for Quade Cooper in defence, although McKenzie insisted that was never a problem.
"We've defended for all but 40 minutes of this season without Quade so we've pretty much worked things out."
