Friday’s Rugby News looks at a Reds appointment, The Wallabies and Wallaroos, and changes for Wales.
[one_half last=”no”]
Rod Seib appointed St.George Queensland Reds Academy head coach
Queensland Country and Brothers Premier grade coach has joined the Reds academy as head coach. He joins Imho one of the legends of Queensland rugby, Paul Carrozza who will continue in his role in talent identification and management.
This from the QRU’s media release
Seib, who has nine years of Queensland Premier Rugby coaching experience, is currently preparing Brothers for Sunday’s Hospital Challenge Cup grand final against University of Queensland at Ballymore.
QRU CEO David Hanham said: “Rod’s appointment further strengthens the QRU’s strategy to ensure we have the expertise to identify and develop emerging talent through Queensland’s pathway programs.
“With close to a decade of elite coaching experience within Queensland Premier Rugby, the NRC, plus Queensland Schoolboys, Rod has an in-depth knowledge of our pathway programs, which is backed by the proven success he’s had at various levels of the game.
“The combination of Rod and Paul in our Academy will ensure the future of Queensland Rugby’s elite talent is in good hands,” said Hanham.
Reds Academy head coach Rod Seib said: “It’s a privilege and honour to be handed this opportunity. I’m looking forward to offering my experience and knowledge of something I’m really passionate about.
“The prospect of working closely with Paul (Carozza) to help develop the future of Queensland Rugby, plus also the Reds coaching staff also excites me.
“Having coached both Brisbane City and Queensland Country, Queensland Schoolboys, plus being around Club Rugby as both a player and a coach, I know Queensland is a breeding ground for talent.
“The Reds Academy is a key part of the Queensland pathway in identifying and developing emerging Rugby talent here in this great state,” said Seib.
Seib played 118 games for Sunnybank between 1995-2001 and has three caps for the Queensland Reds. He also represented Queensland at U19 and U21 level, plus the Australian Sevens Rugby team in four IRB tournaments and was vice captain for the Australian Barbarians against Queensland Country in 2001. Seib also played Rugby internationally in Scotland’s Premier Division 1 where he was awarded the competition’s Player of the Year in 2004.
For a second consecutive year, Seib will coach Queensland Country in the upcoming National Rugby Championship (NRC) after he guided Country to their second-straight NRC grand final last year.
He was also the assistant coach of Brisbane City in 2014 and 2015 when they won back-to-back NRC titles, before taking on the head coaching role at City the following year.
[/one_half][one_half last=”yes”]
Wallabies Named For Bledisloe Decider.
Every ex Australian tight forwards worst nightmare has happened. One of the giraffes, in his best form, before the most important game of the year… No, the decade has succumbed to injury.
Look I don’t know how bad Rory Arnold’s arm injury is but I do know Australia is a weaker side without him, and that is absolutely not disrespecting Adam Coleman in any way. Arnold has tapped into a deep vein of form that only comes along once if you’re lucky and as good as Coleman is he’s not in the same place right now.
The man lots of Wallaby fans love to bag, Rob Simmons joins the bench as cover.
The good news is besides that one forced injury the side is the same as the one who trotted out and racked up more points against the All Blacks than anyone EVA.
They’ve managed to throw a few surprises on the bench though. Reds openside flanker, Liam Wright gets the Backrowers reserve spot ahead of Luke Jones. I’m a big fan of Wrights but I’m not sure this is the right move. Liam is a big seven and plays more of a hybrid six/seven game but to throw the young guy into the rear end of a Bledisloe decider is a gutsy move from the selectors.
The other bench change sees AAC take the outside back spot. An old head might be what the selectors are looking for and Ashley-Cooper certainly brings that!
All in all, I’m one fan pretty happy with what they came up with.
1. Allan Alaalatoa
2. Tolu Latu
3. Scott Sio
4. Izack Rodda
5. Adam Coleman
6. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto
7. Michael Hooper (c)
8. Isi Naisarani
9. Nic White
10. Christian Lealiifano
11. Marika Koroibete
12. Samu Kerevi
13. James O’Connor
14. Luke Hodge
15. Kurtley Beale
Bench
16. Folau Fainga’a
17. James Slipper
18. Taniela Tupou
19. Rob Simmons
20. Liam Wright
21. Will Genia
22. Matt To’omua
23. Adam Ashley-Cooper
[/one_half][one_half last=”no”]
Black Ferns v Wallaroos.
The Wallaroos crashed back to earth last weekend going down 47-10 to the Black Ferns in Perth. The team are hoping fullback Mhicca Carter and flanker Shannon Mato for the Eden Park return match will add some much-needed spark to the mix.
Australia has no chance of winning the Laurie O’Reilly Memorial Trophy but Nestor wants more fight, believing his side were “bullied” by the world champions.
“We were disappointed with the performance we put out last week as we know that wasn’t our best rugby,” Nestor said.
New Zealand coach Glenn Moore has made no starting changes and his team expect to face a sterner challenge from the Australians when they bid to extend their perfect trans-Tasman record to 19 wins.
“We’re expecting Australia to bring more physicality to the game and to be more clinical,” he said.
Like last week, the match will be played before the men’s Bledisloe Cup Test.
BLACK FERNS: Selica Winiata, Renee Wickliffe, Carla Hohepa, Chelsea Alley, Ayesha Leti-l’iga, Ruahei Demant, Kendra Cocksedge, Charmaine McMenamin, Les Elder (capt), Pia Tapsell, Charmaine Smith, Eloise Blackwell, Aleisha-Pearl Nelson, Te Kura Ngata-Aerengamate, Toka Natua. Res: Luka Connor, Leilani Perese, Olivia Ward-Duin, Jackie Patea-Fereti, Kennedy Simon/ Joanah Ngan-Woo, Arihiana Marina-Tauhinu, Krysten Cottrell, Grace Brooker.
WALLAROOS: Mhicca Carter, Mahalia Murphy, Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilia, Lori Cramer, Trilleen Pomara, Georgia Cormick, Grace Hamilton (capt), Shannon Mato, Millie Boyle, Alisha Hewett, Michaela Leonard, Evelyn Horomia, Averyl Mitchell, Liz Patu. Res: Ash Marsters, Emily Robinson, Christina Sekona, Michelle Milward, Emily Chancellor, Iliseva Batibasaga, Arabella McKenzie, Samantha Treherne.
[/one_half][one_half last=”yes”]
Wales Change Three
Wales blew their chance to be world No1 after the Wallabies opened the door for them in Perth last Saturday by losing to England hours later. To add insult to injury they lost their number one flyhalf for the foreseeable future.
They go up against the Orcs again this weekend at Millenium Stadium in Cardiff and they’ve made three changes to fix things up.
Jake Ball comes into the second-row alongside captain Alun Wyn Jones with James Davies coming into the back-row alongside Aaron Wainwright and Ross Moriarty.
James will also line-up alongside elder brother Jonathan Davies for the first time in a Wales jersey. (The last pair of brothers to play alongside each other for Wales was Jamie and Nicky Robinson in 2006).
Dan Biggar comes into the starting line-up at fly-half and will partner Gareth Davies at half-back. The rest of the backline remains unchanged with Hadleigh Parkes partnering Jonathan Davies in midfield and Josh Adams, George North and Liam Williams comprising the back three.
“This weekend is another opportunity for us to take the field, test ourselves and continue our preparation for Japan,” said Gatland.
“It is a little over five weeks until we kick-off our campaign in Toyota against Georgia and it is important we are fully prepared and rugby-ready by then.
“We were disappointed to get the loss last weekend so it is important we step it up on Saturday and put in a big display in front of a packed Principality Stadium.
“The squad are looking forward to getting back out there, taking another step towards the RWC and putting in a big performance.”
Wales: 15 Liam Williams, 14 George North, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Hadleigh Parkes, 11 Josh Adams, 10 Dan Biggar, 9 Gareth Davies, 8 Ross Moriarty, 7 James Davies, 6 Aaron Wainwright, 5 Alun Wyn Jones (c), 4 Jake Ball, 3 Tomas Francis, 2 Ken Owens, 1 Nicky Smith
Replacements: 16 Elliot Dee, 17 Wyn Jones, 18 Dillon Lewis, 19 Aaron Shingler, 20 Josh Navidi, 21 Aled Davies, 22 Jarrod Evans, 23 Owen Watkin
[/one_half]
