Monday’s rugby news has the Brumbies with new-found depth, the Tahs reminded of a weakness, Beale considering league and Warburton stranded by the chaos of Welsh rugby.
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Larkham lauds team’s depth
Coach Stephen Larkham has found the silver lining in ACT’s heavy injury toll, emphasising the new found depth and confidence that the Brumbies will bring into this weekend’s match against the Chiefs. 36 players have been used by the Brumbies so far this season, and Larkham believes that this experience will prevent a repeat of last year’s final, where the Chiefs were able to use their superior bench to defeat a tiring ACT lineup.
“The opportunities those guys have got certainly allows us to have confidence when they come off the bench,” the Brumbies coach said. While the Australian side did beat the Chiefs 41-23 earlier in the year, All Blacks 10 Aaron Cruden was not playing in that match. [/one_half]
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Tahs call for set-piece improvement
Despite closing out their minor premiership winning season with a dominating win, the Waratahs’ hit-out against the Reds displayed a possible weakness in their inability to secure their own lineouts. The Waratahs gave away five of their own lineouts throughout the first half, with coach Michael Cheika saying, “It was pretty terrible but we haven’t had a day like that for a while and it was a good reminder.”
Cheika also said he was confident the team’s lineout generals, Stephen Hoiles, Dave Dennis and Mitchell Chapman could make the necessary adjustments in time for their home semi-final, with the turnovers mainly attributed to calling confusion and experimentation. [/one_half]
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NRL clubs target Beale
Bulldogs coach Des Hasler has held talks with Kurtley Beale, hoping to convince the Waratahs inside centre to switch codes. Worringly, Beale has previously expressed a strong interest in playing league, saying, “It’s always lingering in the back of my mind,” adding, “Hopefully later on, in the years to come, I will be able to put my hand up and have a crack at it.”
Beale’s departure would represent another unfortunate blow to the Wallabies’ World Cup squad. Waratahs coach Michael Cheika said it was “obvious” that the ARU must keep hold of Beale after he shred apart the Reds’ defence on Saturday night. [/one_half]
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Welsh rugby still in doubt
The future of Welsh rugby has been thrown into crisis after the four regions announced that the participation agreement proposed by the Welsh Rugby Union was “completely unacceptable” after “indescribably tortuous” negotiations. In response the WRU said it was “saddened and surprised” by the regions.
Welsh captain Sam Warburton is currently the WRU’s only centrally-contracted player, which means that he will not be able to play his regional rugby for Cardiff Blues unless a new deal can be reached. The Aviva Premiership’s rule against any of its clubs fielding a player contracted to a national union also prevents Warburton from seeking refuge in England
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