Friday’s rugby news has the Reds told to consider Karmichael Hunt, the Waratahs beefing up for the Lions, some Aussie conference injury updates and controversy over England Test scheduling.
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Hunt an option for Reds
Israel Folau has urged the Reds to consider signing Karmichael Hunt for next season, emphasising that the the two-code player would be “a great buy”. The former Brisbane Broncos fullback has some valuable experience in Union, playing 15 games with Biarritz in 2009-10, including the Heineken Cup final when he scored a try as an outside centre.
A bigger issue than any experience concerns will be Hunt’s pricetag, with hefty competition to come from league clubs, while any Gold Coast Suns re-signing deal likely to be beefed up by AFL’s head office. [/one_half]
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Tahs add some extra weight
The Waratahs have added some serious size to their starting line-up to face the Lions on Sunday. 135-kg lock Will Skelton has been picked ahead of Jacques Potgieter, with coach Michael Cheika prioritising the need to counter the powerful Lions scrum. The Tahs’ own scrum ranks 14th of 15 teams, with Cheika asserting, “Will has certainly got good power on the right hand side of the scrum.”
New Fijian recruit and winger, 120kg Taqele Naiyaravoro, has also been picked for the bench after his first game back in rugby for Parramatta against Eastwood last Saturday. [/one_half]
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Godwin out, Speight returns
Force star centre Kyle Godwin has been ruled out of this week’s match against the Stormers with a knee injury. The Force will have to attempt their franchise record eighth win of the season without Godwin, thrusting 20-year-old debutant Luke Burton into a starting role at inside centre.
Meanwhile, Brumbies winger Henry Speight will return to the team’s starting line-up after a two month lay-off recovering from a broken jaw. The return of Speight comes at a fortunate time for the Brumbies, with the Fijian winger replacing the injured Joe Tomane, out for up to two months with a fractured eye socket.[/one_half]
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English Test schedule criticised
Northampton and England flanker Tom Wood has called the Test tour to New Zealand “ridiculous”, with players appearing in the Premiership final flying out just six days after the rest of the squad. Those playing in the final will almost certainly be out of contention for the first Test a week later and Wood questioned the conflict that the heavy schedule creates between club and national loyalties.
“The reality is that playing in a Premiership final could do you out of an England cap,” he said. “For some people that could be their first cap or the difference between getting in the side and cementing your place or not. [/one_half]
