Friday’s Rugby News sees goss on the John Eales Medal and the Wallabies squad for Bledisloe III, NRC Corner, the final round of Uni Sevens and the Waratahs moving games out west.
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Stacking Up The Gold
The last twenty-four hours have been was a busy time for all things Wallabies related, and the first big news was the squad announcement as to who will be going to Japan for the dead rubber clash with the All Blacks.
There have been five changes to the squad, with Tatafu Polota-Nau, Caleb Timu and Matt Toomua all heading back to Leicester and Tom Robertson out with a knee injury.
In their places shall be a Jermaine Ainsley, Jack Dempsey, Jed Holloway, Tolu Latu and Samu Kerevi.
Holloway becomes the third uncapped player in the squad, with Angus Cottrell and Jake Gordon also included to be on the plane to Japan.
One notable omission is Pete Samu as he bounces back from injury, however with the big lad named in the Vikings lineup to take on the Drua this weekend in Fiji, he still will be looking to make a good impression before the November Internationals squad is locked in.
Wallabies Squad: Forwards: Jermaine Ainsley (1 Test), Allan Alaalatoa (29), Rory Arnold (18), Adam Coleman (28), Angus Cottrell* (uncapped), Jack Dempsey (6), Folau Fainga’a (5), Ned Hanigan (17), Jed Holloway* (uncapped), Michael Hooper (c) (87), Sekope Kepu (99), Tolu Latu (9), Brandon Paenga-Amosa (4), David Pocock (74), Izack Rodda (13), Rob Simmons (90), Scott Sio (51), Taniela Tupou (8). Backs: Tom Banks (2), Kurtley Beale (80), Israel Folau (69), Bernard Foley (64), Will Genia (96), Jake Gordon* (uncapped), Dane Haylett-Petty (27), Reece Hodge (33), Samu Kerevi (21), Marika Koroibete (17), Jack Maddocks (5), Sefa Naivalu (7), Nick Phipps (69).
During the announcement of the squad yesterday though, Michael Cheika actually said something that nearly every rugby fan in Australia agrees on: that Australia desperately needs increased alignment between the Test team and Super Rugby. This was a goal that he emphasised to his bosses at Rugby Australia.
“We probably need to keep driving alignment more, all the time,” Cheika said to Fox Sports.
“It’s not a habit I think has been in Rugby Australia and along with the chairman (Cameron Clyne) and the CEO (Raelene Castle), that’s something that we’re trying to drive.
“Without that type of alignment, we can’t have consistent success.”
This was a point echoed by Kurtley Beale.
“I believe we are a very, very strong rugby nation, capable of doing some special things in rugby games,” Beale said to Fox.
“I think the challenge for us is that we have to start believing that.
“We have to start believing now. If not now, then never.”
The other big news is that rugby’s night of nights, the Rugby Australia Awards, is on tonight, celebrating the best talent in the Wallabies, Wallaroos, Sevens, Super Rugby, Super W, NRC, Junior Wallabies and more.
The biggest award of this is the John Eales Medal, the one that Israel Folau keeps winning. However, with Folau missing a lot of the November tests last year, and the likes of David Pocock and Michael Hooper missing Tests due to injury, it has potentially thrown open the door for a young up-and-comer to take the gong. Either that, or Will Genia and Kurtley Beale will take it.
My two cents worth? Dayne Haylett-Petty. The bloke has played well all season, so much so he has pushed Folau to the wing.
The other big ones to watch is the Womens XV Player of the Year and the Super W Player of the Year. With the Womens game making leaps and bounds this year, it’ll be interesting to see who grabs the wins there.
For the former, I’m backing Emily Chancellor. And the latter, I really hope the WA young gun Courtney Hodder walks away with it, although if it went to Alysia Fakaosilea I’d be happy too. I still haven’t recovered from her bone-crunching hit at the Brisbane Tens.
The Shawn McKay’s Womens and Mens Sevens Player of the Year, Junior Wallabies Player of the Year, Super Rugby Player of the Year and the Rookie of the Year will also be up for grabs. I can see one of Womens players walking away with Rookie of the Year too, but Taneila Tupou does also look like a strong contender.
You’ll be able to watch the event on rugby.com.au from 6:30pm today.
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NRC Corner
And then there were four.
I’m going to be honest, I’ve absolutely loved this years addition of the NRC. The coverage has been better, the quality of rugby has been top-notch, and best of all, for the first time properly (except in New South Wales, goddamn it), the tournament has started to really draw some great crowds.
The fact that Easts Rugby Club in Brisbane was at capacity with 2,500 folks in the pouring rain last week for the game between Brisbane City and the Canberra Vikings just proves to me that people are finally seeing how bloody entertaining this competition is.
Alas, it only goes for nine weeks, and alas, we are in finals time. Add to that, there can only be one winner.
This weekend, two amazing semi-finals await us, and we start in beautiful Churchill Park in Lautoka, Fiji where the Fijian Drua host the Canberra Vikings for the second time in the last three weeks.
In that first clash, the away side proved to be an incredibly difficult hurdle to overcome, shutting down the Drua in the scrum and forcing mistakes. However, the Fijians triumphed in the end 40-35, spurred on by the 5,000 fans who turned out.
Folks in Fiji will want to get along to this one, as Vikings are looking even more dangerous now following an gutsy win over Brisbane City to win their top four placing last weekend. Considering they came close to beating Fiji in Fiji, I reckon the Vikings will lift for this one. Twice they have made the semi finals, and twice they have gone through to the big dance.
However, as much potential as the Vikings have, I’m still backing the Drua. They’ve already collected the Horan-Little Shield for their troubles after a great regular season. At home they’ve been simply unstoppable. If you beat the Force in WA, you’ve got a good side.
Drua by 5.
And secondly, our other semi final sees us head to Bond University on the Gold Coast for the clash between second and third, when Queensland Country host the Western Force.
Around 2,000 folks turned out to watch a try-fest the last time these two sides clashed in round four, and the Western Force were the winners there, 40-42. While the Force did go down to the Drua in Perth, they have consistently looked like a threatening side all season, and the fact the held the Horan-Little Shield for nearly the whole regular season is an indication of how strong they are. They are legitimate Toast Rack contenders, will be a real challenge for the defending champions.
It’s been a topsy turvy season for QLD Country. Following a great start to the season, they had a two match slump (losing to the Force and surrendering the Andy Purcell Cup to Brisbane City). However, they finished the regular season in spectacular fashion, grabbing two bonus point wins over the NSW teams (sigh), and are coming into the finals with confidence and consistency.
I have no idea who’s going to win this. The Force will be pumped following last weeks loss. Add to that, the bitter result last year when they lost this same fixture in Canberra still sits clearly in the back of the mind of many a rugby supporter in the west.
Country meanwhile, have shown inconsistency. But it really shows the talent in your squad when you can turn around multiple losses in a seven-round season to still finish in second place. I reckon they’ll be motivated too.
Honestly have no idea how this will go, so I’m going to take home ground advantage. QLD Country by 2.
Get out and watch your NRC this weekend, before you know it, it’ll be gone.
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Winner Takes All
It’s the final round of the Aon Uni Sevens this weekend, and for the first time ever the tournament arrives in Adelaide.
Rugby fans in the Festival State will want to get along to this one, as the quality of the rugby has been absolutely outstanding. And, with it being the last event in the Womens calender until the Super W next year and the last professional rugby event in South Australia for the year, you’ll want to get along to watch this.
Currently, the ladder is a three-way race, with Griffith Uni, Macquarie Uni and the University of Queensland all capable of winning the competition.
The Aon Uni Sevens Ladder:
1. Griffith Uni – 74
2. Macquarie Uni – 70
3. Uni of Queensland – 68
4. Uni of Sydney – 50
5. Uni of Canberra – 40
6. Uni of New England – 36
7. Uni of Tasmania – 32
8. Uni of Adelaide – 32
9. Bond Uni – 30
10. Uni of Melbourne – 8
Griffith Uni have currently been the underdogs of the tournament, however at UQ and Bond Uni they won both events, and will be looking to bring their form into this final round. With just the one change to their squad, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The Mac Uni Rays, unlike their male counterparts in the NRC, have been absolutely unbelievable, winning in Canberra, coming second in Tassie, and picking up bronze in the two events in Queensland. However, with Katie Harrison, Renae Jolly and Brydie Parker coming into the side, that’ll add some much needed dynamics to their outfit. If they pull off the win, it’ll be the first time the Rays (as an organisation) have won any competition since the Central Coast Rays won the ARC in 2007.
And finally, the defending champions UQ will be making two changes to their side, with Lori Cramer and Terri-Anne Egan coming into the lineup. There’s no buts about it, they have to win this event to win this competition. It’s now or never for the defending champions.
Check out the squads for this weekend here.
The first match will kick off at 10:30am AEDT, (10am local) this Saturday at the University of Adelaide, and you can stream it on rugby.com.au. Get along and enjoy two awesome days of quality sevens rugby!
POOL A
Griffith University
University of Canberra
Bond Uni
UQ
UNE
POOL B
University of Tasmania
University of Adelaide
Macquarie University
University of Sydney
University of Melbourne
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Go West, young Waratah!
We finish this week’s news in rainy Sydney, where some interesting news has emerged as to where the Waratahs will be playing next year.
With Allianz Stadium being rebuilt for the next few years, the Tahs will have to find some other lodgings, and have officially announced that they will play three home games at the new Western Sydney Stadium in Parramatta in 2019.
The stadium is in line to be completed in the new year, and alongside the Waratahs, the Western Sydney Wanderers, Wests Tigers and Parramatta Eels are scheduled to play games there.
However, the venue has already come under fire even before the gates have opened, with the Eels CEO Bernie Gurr recently labelling the proposed deal the Stadium offered to align with the Eels “unfair.”
So, naturally, the Waratahs will absolutely say yes to it.
“Western Sydney is one of the fastest growing regions in NSW with a diverse population that has a strong passion for rugby,” Waratahs boss Andrew Hore said to Fox Sports in regards to the announcement.
“We want to capitalise on this and by taking the NSW Waratahs to that region it will hopefully further encourage more youngsters to take up the sport.
“This also aligns with our broader Western Sydney strategy that has looked specifically at the needs of the area to grow the game and encourage participation and fan engagement.
“The fact that we will be one of the first sports to play at the newly developed, state of the art Western Sydney Stadium is a real opportunity for our fans and rugby participants in Western Sydney.
“We want to continue to grow and develop the sport in that area and the fact that the NSW Waratahs will play three matches there next year will certainly help us towards that goal.”
Sydney Rays and Waratah prop Shambeckler Vui, (who was born in Bankstown) was also on hand to give the new stadium move the tick of approval.
“The Western Sydney area is special to me and to have the opportunity to play at a brand new stadium not far from where I was born is awesome,” Vui said.
“If our presence here can help more kids see what a great game rugby is and the chances you get through the sport, then I’ll be a happy man.”
The Tahs will be playing the Sharks (April 27), Jaguares (May 25) and Brumbies (June 8) at the venue. Outside of that though, they are still to reveal where else they will be playing next year.
What do we think GAGRs? Where should the Tahs also play? Liechhardt Oval? Brookvale Oval?
At least at Brookie they’ll be guaranteed a crowd, unlike the Sea Eagles earlier this year.
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