Monday’s Rugby News has Alan Jones nattering on, Beale keen on that indigenous jersey feel, an Aussie wonderkid off to NZ, and Wallabies news.
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Alan Jones’ Barbarians™
The squad for Alan Jones’ Barbarians, the greatest rugby side in the world, was announced on Friday, and boy is it a great team, led by their even greater coach.
The squad first and foremost contains a lot of Western Force players. Matt Hodgson, Chance Peni, Kane Koteka, Matt Philip, Michael Ruru, Pek Arnold, Rory Richie Arnold, and Anaru Rangi will all be wearing the Baabaa hoops. Speaking of uniforms, instead of doing the usual club sock thing, Alan Jones’ Barbarians™ will be wearing the blue socks of the Force.
Other big names in the Baabaas squad include the Tongan Thor, Taqele Naiyarararavoro, Tom Banks, Tim Nanai-Williams, Augustine Pulu, George Moala, Sam Carter and Andrew Ready. Even bigger names are captain Quade Cooper, as well as forgotten favourite Jacques Potgieter and forgotten son Luke Jones. (The biggest name of course is Alan Jones).
“I will tell you one thing, I want Matt Hodgson playing and he will play,” his highness Jones told ESPN. “And I’d like to think that young players like Billy Meakes, and those sorts of players, will get a Guernsey…but whether Michael [Cheika] now is going to say ‘well, now I might pull him back’. So this has been a very difficult process I can assure you.
“Now I know there was a lot of publicity last week about Quade and Quade mightn’t be released and so on; now I would never choose a Wallaby without discussing it first with the Wallaby coach.” Jones told ESPN, sounding a bit like Slavoj Zizek.
“I discussed this with Michael on the eve of that last Bledisloe Cup Test…and he indicated to me that Quade would be free and therefore I rang Quade and so on. So I don’t know what all that hoopla was about. But there are other people in the [Wallabies] squad that could play [for Alan Jones’ Barbarians™]
“Now it may well be that with his big match against the All Blacks on the Saturday previous and another match [Japan in Tokyo] which I sure think he could do without, after he plays us, that he [Cheika] may sort of rearrange things there and therefore there will be some players that we won’t have. But I’m hopeful of giving young players a real chance.”
There you have it. Here’s the squad:
Barbarians squad: Anaru Rangi, Andrew Ready, Augustine Pulu, Chance Peni, Eto Nabuli, George Moala, Isi Naisarani, Jacques Potgieter, Kane Koteka, Luke Jones, Matt Hodgson, Matt Phillip, Michael Ruru, Pek Cowan, Quade Cooper, Richard Arnold, Sam Carter, Sam Greene, Sam Ward, Taniela Tupou, Taqele Naiyaravaro, Theo Strang, Tim Nanai-Williams, Tom Banks.
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Beale Keen On Jersey
The Wallabies will wear the indigenous jersey against the All Blacks on 21 October in Brisvegas, and Kurtley Beale is a keen as a bean on the whole idea. He reckons it will finally give him and the indigenous community the recognition that Beale feels the first nations of New Zealand and South Africa get with regards to those nations’ respective anthems containing verses in native languages.
“For myself, being a proud indigenous man and a person who loves rugby union, I couldn’t be more happy,” Beale told the Daily Telegraph.
“I am stoked we are able to marry the two together.
“I am so honoured to be able to get something like this done, for myself and for all the indigenous people out there.
“Probably more for the past indigenous players who have played the game and had a huge part in Australian rugby, and laid the path for indigenous kids like me to come through and aspire to. I looked up to Andrew Walker, Wendell Sailor, the Ellas.
“That’s hopefully the impact this occasion can have on the next generation.”
Naw ain’t that sweet. While at the moment this jersey will be a one-off, Beale helps it will become a regular thing.
“Players recognising our first peoples, it could give them a bit of extra pride and respect in their jersey,” Beale said.
“And that goes a long way when you’re out on the field and playing alongside each other. No doubt that’s what the All Blacks would feel, and no doubt that’s what the Springboks would feel. They’re small steps, but we are moving now and we are slowly getting there.
“It’s great as an indigenous man to see our culture being recognised in the game and by the game. It is a beautiful thing.”
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Hamburgers
An up-and-coming NSW schoolboy has spurned the opportunity to be part of a team that contrives to lose to the Jaguares and the Kings, instead stupidly deciding to join the current Super champions.
In other words, lock Nick Frost is going to join the Crusaders rather than the Waratahs. Shock, horror. Actually the ironing is delicious – Frost is the son of the former retention manager at the ARU.
“He’s finished schoolboy rugby, so he’s now serving an apprenticeship in senior rugby,” Nick’s father Steve Frost told Fox Sports.
“He just wants to be the best he can be and that experience over there is the best opportunity to develop on and off the field, to be the best he can be over the next two to three years. Where he goes after two to three years, who knows.
“He’s going to probably the No 1 rugby franchise, plus club, in the world with a proven track record of developing players to reach the highest potential.”
The 205cm (almost 7 ft) 18 year old is, naturally, being chased by the AFL. So at least moving to NZ is better than that. At the Crusaders, he will get the chance to learn from Scott Barrett, Luke Romano and Sam Whitelock.
“I don’t think we would have got the same opportunity to develop at this point in time in Australia,” his dad continued. “I’m not saying that won’t be there in the future.
“We met with the Waratahs and they were great and we had a chat with (head coach) Daryl (Gibson) and (general manager) Tim Rapp and they were great and outlined a plan, and I think they’re definitely on the right lines to have that in place, but I don’t think they’re there at the moment.
“And I think they would openly admit that they’re not where they want to be at present. But the Crusaders have that established model in place, so it’s a massive opportunity for him.”
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Wallabies News
Michael Cheika may have his heir to Bernard Foley, in the shape of Reds junior Duncan Paia’aua.
Paia’aua has been called up to Wallabies squad, along with Karmichael Hunt and prop Jermaine Ainsley (Force) and hooker Folau Faingaa (Brumbies).
Apparently, Hunt will play in the Bledisloe, whereas the other 3 will rock up to the Barbarians game.
“We will see how he [Paia’aua] goes at training, and we will see how he plays this weekend in the NRC,” Cheika told Fox Sports.
“In the last camp in June he pretty much forced his way into the team in the first week of training. I wouldn’t have had him pencilled in. He probably has a bit more competition now as we have built the squad over the Rugby Championship.”
Also the latest hottest news about the Wallabies is the departure of Mario Ledesma after the Barbarians game. Cheika has a bit of news concerning who he’s been looking at as a temporary scrum coach for the November internationals:
“I have spoken to Nick. We have had communication. And I have spoken to Dan Palmer as well. Dan has state commitments too,” Cheika said, also to Fox Sports.
“All the forwards coaches from the state teams I have spoken to, Joe Barakat as well. I would be naive if I didn’t look straight to the next level at guys who are doing forwards coaching there.
“I have been meeting with a couple of guys over the last few days. We will be looking to just appoint someone to come on the tour with us at this stage and that will give us a bit more breathing space to make the exact appointment we want.”
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