Friday’s rugby news has the Springbok scrum determined, a Brumbies hooker set for a shock call-up, the Australian Sevens program recruiting and a Samoan Super Rugby bid.
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SA scrum targets Wallabies
After being dominated by the Argentinean pack, the Wallabies’ front-row is expecting the South African scrum to be hellbent on regaining their place as an imposing set-piece force. The Springbok scrum lost four of their six scrum feeds against the Pumas in their narrow win in Salta.
“Clearly they’ll take that personally,” reserve prop Pek Cowan said. “They’ll definitely be coming here to hurt us in that area.” It also appears that Heyneke Meyer will recall Waratahs lock Jacques Potgieter, currently playing in Japan, back into the South African squad for home games against Australia and New Zealand. [/one_half]
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Josh Mann-Rea on the verge
ACT Brumbies third-string hooker Josh Mann-Rea could be provided with an unbelievable Wallabies call-up as Ewen McKenzie contends with an unprecedented injury crisis which sees skipper Stephen Moore, Tatafu Polota-Nau and Nathan Charlesat sidelined. Mann-Rea is on standby for a bench spot for the Test against South Africa, while back-up hooker Saia Fainga’a waits to see whether he will need to fly home for the birth of his child.
But Moore has confidence in the journeyman Brumbies hooker, saying, “If he gets a chance he certainly won’t let anyone down…His form for the Brumbies [at the end of the year] was a really good indicator of his capability.” [/one_half]
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Coleman joins Sevens squad
Brumbies winger Robbie Coleman has made the temporary switch to Sevens Rugby in pursuit of Olympic Gold. Coleman could be the first Super Rugby player to take advantage of the ARU’s new contract protocols, which stipulate that players who commit to a year in the sevens program can supplement their earnings with a stint in Japan after the Rio Olympics in 2016.
The ARU will be reaching out to many more potential Sevens stars in the lead up to the Olympics. Give us your ideal Super Rugby pick-ups for Rio in the comments below.
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Samoa vying for Super Rugby spots
Waikato Chiefs shareholder Eric Series is attempting to push more Samoan players onto the Super Rugby stage, hoping that the financing of the Asia Pacific Dragons largely made up of Pacific Islanders will develop the game there. “You can’t miss the love, the rugby and you can’t miss the fact there is something about Samoa and rugby it’s in the DNA of the (Samoan) people,” Series said.
New Zealand, Australian and South African rugby bosses are in Sydney discussing the Japanese and Singapore bids.
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