Monday’s rugby news has Link playing down the win, Genia returning to the squad, Speight still injured and an Argentinean suspension.
[one_half last=”no”]
Link realistic after win
Despite notching their first win of the Rugby Championships, Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has remained process-oriented, saying that his side made the victory hard on themselves with a number of errors and missed chances.
McKenzie was also dissapointed in his tam’s inability to build defensive pressure, emphasising, “There were a couple of soft moments where we piggy-backed them out of their territory – we had them down there pinned and let them off the hook.” The Wallabies face Argentina on the Gold Coast next weekend.
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]
Genia back in Test squad
Former Test halfback Will Genia will head up a number of new arrivals to the Wallabies squad as the team get ready to play Argentina. While Genia is understood to be some way off a Test return, his successful stint in the NRC on Saturday has shown enough to prompt his inclusion into the training squad.
Benn Robinson, Tom English and Joe Tomane will also return from NRC duties, while Tatafu Polota-Nau looks close to making his return from a medial ligament injury in his knee after making it through a contact session on Saturday morning.
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”no”]
Speight debut delayed again
A notable absence from the new Wallabies is Brumbies winger Henry Speight, whose long-awaited induction into the Test team will be prolonged by a strained hamstring. The Fijian-born winger becomes eligible for Wallabies selection on September 11 but the injury will keep him from the Argentina match.
“The scans say it’s certainly not dramatic but the fact it says it’s a strain and that he’s woken up sore, I am going to be conservative on that,” McKenzie said, adding, “I am not interested in creating some sort of chronic issue.”
[/one_half]
[one_half last=”yes”]
Lavanini out for Australia match
Argentinean lock Tomas Lavanini has received a one-week ban for his failure to use his arms when he cleaned out Richie McCaw in the 51st minute of the Pumas 28-9 loss to New Zealand on Saturday. Lavanini was cited with “dangerous charging” and suspended from all forms of the game for one week up to and including 13 September 2014.
Match referee Pascal Gauzere awarded a penalty for the incident, but the citing commissioner deemed the incident met the red card threshold for foul play.
[/one_half]
