Thursday’s Rugby News has a “tactical” squad from the Brumbies, updates on Adam Coleman and Jed Holloway, and an exciting prospect out west.
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Fardy Dropped
Scott Fardy has been dropped from the Brumbies squad for Friday night’s game against the Force, the first time the flanker hasn’t been part of the Brumbies squad since 2013.
Coincidentally or not, this so-called “tactical” decision has come only a few days after Fardy announced he was doing one to Leinster at the end of the year.
“That’s a tactical decision, there’s no injury there with Fards,” Stephen Larkham lied to rugby.com.au.
“It’s just making sure we maintain the motivation in the group and keep the energy out there on the field.”
Fardy did suffer from an elbow hyperextension in the Sharks game last weekend, but Larkham did say he’d recovered. The 32-year-old Wallabies flanker will be replaced in the starting XV by rookie Ben Hyne.
“Fards has had two tremendous games but Ben Hyne has also had some really good performances in both the preseason trials and the Runners games and he’s been performing exceptionally at training as well,” Larkham continued. “We’re looking at the whole season as well as giving guys opportunities when they deserve it.”
Meanwhile, Ben Alexander (loosehead) and Blake Enever (lock) also come into the side, courtesy of Nic Mayhew and Isaac Thompson, respectively.
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Coleman Injured
Adam Coleman, you might remember, suffered a bit of a knock in the Force – Reds game. Now it’s been revealed that the lock will miss the next five weeks.
Coleman, who is imaginatively called “Ads” at the Force – what is this country coming to?? – has suffered a slight calf strain.
“We got out of jail with big ‘Ads’,” Force coach Dave Wessels said.
“He’s got a niggle with his calf but it looks like a five-week injury and given the bye, we feel like we got away with one there.”
Luckily for the Force, they have two (2) byes in the next five (5) weeks, which means (for the mathematically-challenged) they’ll have to make do for only 3 games (vs Brumbies, Crusaders and Blues). Even if Coleman takes longer than that to recover, the Force’s following game is home against the Kings. So take as long as you want!
With Coleman out, the Force will now seek to pair Ross Haylett-Petty with rookie Matt Philip in the 4s and 5s. That’ll mean a pretty inexperienced second and back row for the Force, who will also be missing Matt “Concrete” Hodgson (hamstring) and Ben McCalman (dislocated thumb).
On the other hand, Jono Lance is back in the picture after injuring himself in the Reds game.
Robbie Coleman and McDonald’s answer to One Direction, Onehunga Havili, come into the Force squad (with Alex Newsome joining A. Coleman on the way out), with Havili in line for his debut.
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Holloway or the Highway
Ian Kenny lookalike Jed Holloway is raring to get back into it, telling Rugby News, “I just can’t wait to put on a jersey and start hitting people again, it’s been a very long summer.” (Summer truly is the worst season)
Since impressing pretty much everyone but Michael Cheika last year, Holloway has been hit with multiple injuries.
First, it was a shoulder injury halfway through last year. After surgery and four months of rehab, the ball carrying superstar knacked himself again in pre-season.
“It’s just a low-grade hamstring strain, which has been hugely frustrating because it’s been lingering for a while now. I was scheduled to return for round two but I had another scan to check on it and it showed that it was only about 85% healed, so on the back of what happened to Brad Wilkin, with his ACL, they decided not to rush me back.
“The shoulder is fine, it’s feeling really good. It felt great hitting people again in training and I was really enjoying getting back into it. That’s why this latest injury is so frustrating.
“I’ve done everything I can to get back on the field and hopefully I can prove myself this year and potentially get selected down the track.”
Holloway, who you might remember GAGR baggsed last year, also revealed his thoughts on one of the latest podcast’s five burning questions:
“I honestly believe we’ve got a squad good enough to beat the New Zealand teams and win the competition. We’ve got a great coaching staff and an exciting squad so I’ve got a huge amount of belief in our ability.”
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Father-Son Prospect
Bloody hell, it’s a Force fan’s day-in today in the news.
Jermaine Ainsley, son of All Black Joe McDonnell (capped 8 times), is exciting rotund men and women around the country with his fine prop abilities.
The 21-year-old has so far impressed this season, starting against the Waratahs and the Reds.
“I was scrummaging before I could walk. The old man would drum it into me,” Ainsley said, according to The West Australian.
“I grew up watching some of the best front rows and now I have the chance to go up against the best. It’s pretty awesome.
“Those first two games were a bit of a test but it was pretty cool to scrum against them. Now it’s about keeping that starting spot.”
And what’s more, Force forwards coach Joe Barakat wants the ARU to sign the youngster up.
“He’s pretty impressive. He’s a pretty special character,” Barakat said.
“He’s a kid and he’s not supposed to develop and mature as a tighthead prop until he is about 26-years-old. He’s a fantastic prospect. It’s not just his scrummaging, it’s his ball carrying, what he does at the breakdown and the line-out.
“He is a real prospect and I hope people above recognise it. We need to got hold of him. People will be knocking down his door.”
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