Thursdays Rugby News sees the All Blacks squad named, Hunt’s road of redemption, Injury woes for the Women’s and Folau staying at full back.
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ALL BLACKS SQUAD NAMED
Steve Hansen has named his match day 23 for the opening Bledisloe cup on Saturday night with no real surprises but some big names return to the national squad.
Brodie Retallick and Kieran Read both return from long injury runs that saw them miss the June series.
Sam Whitelock is set to reach the 100 test milestone. Speaking on Whitelock, Hansen said “On behalf of the team, we want to congratulate Sammy on what will be a very special night for him and his family. We’re all very proud of him. He’s been an outstanding contributor to this team for a long time, both on and off the field. To play one Test for the All Blacks is an achievement in itself but to be good enough to be selected and play 100 Tests is a remarkable feat. In doing so, he will join what is a small group of very special All Blacks.”
In no real shock to anyone other than Crusaders fans, World Rugby Player of the Year Beauden Barrett has been selected to start as fly half. Side note; how good would it be if Australia had this selection headache for the No. 10 jersey.
Perhaps one of the bigger surprises was Hansen opting for the young Crusader Jack Goodhuein the centres, ahead of the more experienced Anton Lienert-Brown. Goodhue debuted for New Zealand in the third test against France, with the 23 year olds career taking off in the past 12 months.
15: Ben Smith14: Waisake Naholo 13: Jack Goodhue12: Ryan Crotty11: Rieko Ioane10: Beauden Barrett9: Aaron Smith8: Kieran Read (c)7: Sam Cane6: Liam Squire5: Sam Whitelock4: Brodie Retallick3: Owen Franks2: Codie Taylor 1: Joe Moody
16. Nathan Harris 17. Karl Tu’inukuafe 18. Ofa Tuungafasi 19. Scott Barrett 20. Ardie Savea21. TJ Perenara 22. Damian McKenzie 23. Anton Lienert-Brown
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HUNT’S ROAD TO SUPER RETURN
Banished Red Karmichael Hunt is looking for anyway to get back into the Super fold, with the 31 year old clearly focused on using the NRC to do it.
Hunt is showing positive signs, having been part of the last four games of the regular season for South’s but he has a long way to go if he wants back in to a Super Rugby team.
Rugby.com.au are claiming that the Melbourne Rebels and Waratahs have both passed on Hunt, and Brad Thorns uncompromising belief regarding drugs still strong; it would leave the Brumbies as a possible home.
Hunt is adamant that his home is in Red.
“There have been conversations and those are panning out with my manager,” Hunt said.
“But for me this is home and I probably sound like a broken record but I’m just focusing on playing footy and what’s in front of me and that’s the NRC.”
Hunt has been named as part of the Brisbane City squad, but initially coach Mick Heenan doubted whether he would pick Hunt or fellow exile Quade Cooper. After a few conversations between players and coach, Hunt is eager to see City improve from their sixth place finish.
“I played for him (Heenan) last year and really enjoyed it and he expressed the same sentiment once he got the okay from the QRU and the Reds to pick myself and obviously Quade as well.
“We’re all very excited and we’re looking forward to going one better than what we did last year.
“This year we can hopefully make a good run of it and get back to winning like we did in the first couple of years.”
Despite being 31, Hunt still holds hope that he can get back into the Wallabies fold. When asked if he has made any contact with Michael Cheika regarding his return, Hunt said this:
“He knows I’m here and he knows what my intent is and that’s to get back and play top flight footy.”
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FULLBACK FOLAU
Israel Folau has all but confirmed he will play fullback for the Wallabies in the first Bledisloe match, with the 29 year old Waratah explaining that 15 is where he has been training.
“I’ve been training at fullback, I haven’t been training anywhere else,” he said.
“Obviously whatever decisions Cheik makes in the team, it’s what’s best for the team but I probably don’t see myself playing any other position other than 15.”
Folau has only played fullback for the Wallabies since Michael Cheika took over as head coach in 2014, and it appears that nothing will change.
This paves the way for Rebels utility back aka Mr Fixit Reece Hodge to finally take the 13 jersey, since Curtis Rona was dropped from the training squad. Hodge’s coach Dave Wessels believes that Hodge is a ‘natural centre’.
If Cheika did decide to do a 180 though, it would open doors for young outside backs, Jack Maddocks and Tom Banks to potentially break into the Wallabies squad.
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WOMENS INJURY WOES
A freak accident at training resulting in an ankle injury has put Wallaroo’s vice-captain Sarah Riordan in doubt to play in the opener to Bledisloe 1 this weekend.
The centre was attempting a cross-bar kicking challenge with a group of players after training, when her team mate Georgia Cormick successfully hit the cross-bar and the group rushed her.
In the celebration, the team began jumping around Cormick, in which Riordan in her jubilant effort has landed awkwardly on her ankle.
Rugby photographer Stuart Walmsley was at the training session and captured the incident on camera, from the women jumping, to Riordan on the ground with medical staff around her.
It was too early to tell the extent of the injury, with coaches and performance staff giving Riordan every chance to recover, but will have to pass an assessment on Friday to be named in the squad.
The 26 year old truck driver for the Defence Force debuted against the Black Ferns in 2016 when the Wallaroos lost 67-3.
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