Friday’s rugby news has the John Eales medal awarded, Cheika pulling up training, a number 8 battle and Burgess selected.
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Folau awarded top honours
Israel Folau has become the first player to win consecutive John Eales medals, earning the Wallabies top honour for the 2015 season. Folau picked up 138 votes in total to edge out resurgent flanker David Pocock (113), Wallabies Vice-Captains Michael Hooper (108), Adam Ashley-Cooper (98), and Ben McCalman (95).
The three-code star has played in every Wallabies Test since making his debut in 2013, scoring 18 tries in 33 Tests for the Wallabies. Meanwhile, David Pocock was named Super Rugby player of the year, while Hooper was polled highest in the fan vote and Sean McMahon was named Wallabies Rookie of the Year.
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Cheika cancels training
As the Wallabies squad prepare for their World Cup departure, Test coach Michael Cheika has revealed that he has cut sessions short when his players are performing below-par. “It’s maybe something we would have accepted in the last stage of training, but now it’s getting to the point where everything has to be excellent, all the decisions have to be right,” he said.
Cheika emphasised the sense of belief permeating the squad which would see the Wallabies come out victorious in England. Cheika also confirmed that prop Scott Sio would be the team’s third-choice hooker after naming just two specialists.
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Palu under pressure
Wycliff Palu has emphasised that he welcomes the growing list of challengers for his number 8 jersey ahead of the Rugby World Cup. While Ben McCalman and Sean McMahaon are the established competition, there is growing pressure at the position from David Pocock, who starred for the Wallabies at No. 8 against the All Blacks.
Pocock created havoc at the breakdown in tandem with Michael Hooper playing at openside flanker. While Palu has asserted that he feels refreshed after recovering from injury during the Rugby Championship, he only has 40 minutes of club rugby and half a Test match under his belt, playing in the team’s dismal loss against the All Blacks at Eden Park two weeks ago.
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Burgess included for RWC
Centres Sam Burgess and Henry Slade, who have each played only one international, were named in England’s Rugby World Cup squad as coach Stuart Lancaster culled Six Nations regular Luther Burrell from his final 31-man group on Thursday.
First-five Danny Cipriani, lock Dave Attwood, number eight Nick Easter, flanker Calum Clark, prop Alex Corbisiero and hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie also missed out. England face Ireland in their final warm-up game on September 5, before hosting Fiji at Twickenham in the opening game of the World Cup on September 18.
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