Thursdays Rugby News sees Rebels and Brumbies squads are in, All Black captain retires, and Karmichael Hunt ready for the Reds
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PLENTY OF CHANGES FOR REBELS
Rebels coach Dave Wessels has made a handful of changes to his squad that beat the Highlanders last week ahead of the teams second clash of the season with the Brumbies, third in six weeks, and it is only round 4.
Wessels has brought in an almost new front row, with Matt Gibbon, a player who started the season without a contract and former Brumbies hooker Robbie Abel getting their first starts in the navy blue, and Sam Talakai retaining his starting spot from last week.
“Matt Gibbon is a great story, because he came over in the preseason with no contract and fought his way through in preseason and did a number of things which impressed me,” Wessels said.
“There was a moment which impressed me where he was a loosehead and we needed a tighthead in a drill pre-Christmas.
“We asked him if he could do it and most people would flinch at that, but Matt didn’t bat an eyelid and that was an indication for me that he was prepared to do whatever the team needed of him.
Adam Coleman comes into the second row relegating Luke Jones to the bench. Rob Leota comes of the bench for Angus Cottrell who has been left out of the 23 all together as Dave Wessels looks to manage his players a head of 2 straight months of matches.
“In order to win Super Rugby, you need a good squad and there’s been guys who have trained and competed in the last couple of weeks who deserve a go,” Wessels said.
“Anybody who’s not at full capacity, we shouldn’t be putting in there just based on reputation.
“We need to be smart, we’ve got a run of eight games continuously, so we need to have the fresher players available all the time.”
Billy Meakes and Tom English will continue their strong pairing in the centres in an unchanged backline that beat the Highlanders. Wallaby Reece Hodge will come off the bench.
Wessels has been impressed with the work rate and effort of Meakes and English who continue to fight to hold that starting spot.
“It’s probably just a reflection of Tom English and Billy Meakes doing a good job for us in the midfield,” Wessels said.
“Reece is the ultimate professional and we do everything we ask of him, but we want payers to feel that they have to warrant their performances at all time, so Hodgey is doing everything in his power but the other guys are working hard to keep their spots too.”
1 Matt Gibbon 2 Robbie Abel 3 Sam Talakai 4 Matt Philip 5 Adam Coleman 6 Rob Leota 7 Brad Wilkin 8 Isi Naisarani 9 Will Genia 10 Quade Cooper 11 Marika Koroibete 12 Billy Meakes 13 Tom English 14 Jack Maddocks 15 Dane Haylett-Petty
Reserves
16 Anaru Rangi 17 Tetera Faulkner 18 Jermaine Ainsley 19 Luke Jones 20 Ross Haylett-Petty 21 Richard Hardwick 22 Michael Ruru 23 Reece Hodge
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KEIRAN READ CALL TIME ON NZ CAREER
All Blacks captain Kieran Read announced on Wednesday his retirement from international rugby after the World Cup later this year.
Read will stay in Japan and join Toyota Verblitz.
The two time World Cup winning no.8 will look to win his third World Cup, first as captain, believes now is the right time.
“My family and I are looking forward to an overseas experience and Japan presents an awesome opportunity to immerse ourselves in Japanese culture as part of the Toyota club,” Read said in a statement.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen praised the “outstanding” career achievements of Read, believing he will be remembered as a great of the game.
“He’s developed into a fantastic leader who has the utmost respect of all his peers,” Hansen said.
“What he has achieved has been remarkable, and it’s fair to say that he is one of the greats of our game.”
Read debuted for the All Blacks in 2008, and in 2013 was named World Rugby Player of the Year. At 33 years old, he has played 118 caps for the All Blacks and 133 for the Crusaders.
Read took over the captaincy of the All Blacks from Ritchie McCaw post the 2015 World Cup that saw an exodus of leadership players from New Zealand with McCaw, Dan Carter, Conrad Smith and Ma’a Nonu stepping away from New Zealand Rugby.
During his time as captain, Read has managed an 85% victory rate.
The All Blacks are keeping Read on ice a head of the World Cup, with the Crusader expected to miss the first six rounds of Super Rugby as the Kiwi’s look to reduce the risk of injury.
Read sat out most of 2018 with a wrist injury and a bulging spinal disc. During that time Sam Whitelock took the role of captain, but it is unsure if he would be a long term option to replace Read.
Whitelock is rumoured to also be looking for a move to Japan post the RWC, along with Brodie Retallick and Beauden Barrett.
Ben Smith, Liam Squire and Nehe Milner-Skudder have announced their retirements from international Rugby, and Coach Steve Hansen will also step down post the World Cup.
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TOM WRIGHT TO START FOR BRUMBIES
Coach Dan McKellar has made only three changes to the starting line up and two on the bench after his team went down to the Hurricanes last Friday.
Canberra favourite Henry Speight returns from a hip injury that puts him back on the wing, pushing Chance Peni to the bench.
Code hopper Tom Wright gets his first start in his professional Rugby Union career in the no.12 jersey as Irae Simone was left out completely.
Rob Valentini comes in at blind side flanker, pushing Pete Samu to the bench, with Tom Cusack starting at no.8 for the injured Locky McCaffery.
Matt Lucas has been left off the bench, replaced by Ryan Lonergan.
There was four changes to the starting line up last week, but Dan McKellar doesn’t believe that the weekly changes will upset chemistry or the ability to play their best rugby.
“I don’t think we’re chopping and changing in critical positions,” he said.
“I think as long as you’re not making mass changes around your playmakers, that’s a bit of disruption, but we’ll back whoever we put in the team.
“We don’t make changes that we don’t trust or believe in and that was the case last week and it will be the case this week.”
McKellar needs his team to bounce back after their seven-point loss to the Rebels in round 1, saying his team has taken a lot away from that loss at home.
“We certainly learned a couple of things out of round one, but it’s going to be another tough clash down there,” McKellar said.
“It’s an eight-point game, really.”
1 Scott SIO 2 Folau FAINGA’A 3 Allan ALAALATOA 4 Rory ARNOLD 5 Sam CARTER 6 Rob VALETINI 7 David POCOCK 8 Tom CUSACK 9 Joe POWELL 10 Christian LEALIIFANO 11 Andy MUIRHEAD 12 Tom WRIGHT 13 Tevita KURIDRANI 14 Henry SPEIGHT 15 Tom BANKS
REPLACEMENTS
16Josh MANN-REA 17James SLIPPER 18 Leslie LEULUAIALII-MAKIN 19 Murray DOUGLAS 20 Pete SAMU 21 Ryan LONERGAN 22 Wharenui HAWERA 23 Chance PENI
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HUNT BLEEDS BLUE NOW
Karmichael Hunt has promised NSW fans that he will pour every ounce of his Queensland blood into the Waratahs jersey on Saturday night when he faces Queensland for the first time in his career.
“There’s a tremendous amount of history in there and I’m proud to be wearing the jersey but this weekend’s game is against the old foe, who I played all my school footy in the colours – obviously Origin and whatnot,” Hunt said.
Hunt didn’t just play for Queensland in Rugby Union, he played AFL for the Gold Coast Suns, the Broncos in the NRL and represented Queensland in the State of Origin
“So the way I look at it is I’m going to take all that passion and pride and whatnot that I used as a schoolboy in Queensland as a Bronco, an AFL player, an Origin player and just pour it into the NSW jersey this weekend.
“I’m still really good friends with the guys I’m playing against, so that’s going to be an experience in itself but, as always, once the whistle goes, there’s no friends other than the guys that you’re wearing the same colours with and I look forward to going to battle with them.”
Hunt was exiled from the Reds by Brad Thorn last year for his off field indiscretions before being offered a lifeline by the Waratahs, and opportunity the utility back has grabbed with both hands and put his best foot forward.
Having played in both centre positions for NSW and full back for the Reds, Hunt isn’t phased with where Daryl Gibson decides to play him.
“Chopping and changing, obviously you have to get used to a different role and there’s a bit of knowledge to get down pat before kick-off comes but, other than that, it’s just once the whistle goes, you go out there and do your best,” he said.
“You do your role, you compete and you try and do everything possible to get a win for your team.
“That doesn’t change if you’re in 13,12, on the bench or number 15.”
Hunt spent his first few weeks in Sydney living in the Waratah coaches garage, making friends with Gibsons triplet sons before being reunited with his own family after they moved down for Queensland.
“Daryl’s doing a great job,” Hunt said.
“The coaching staff are doing a great job with using my ability and my talents. I’m just happy to go out there and put my best foot forward obviously with the transition so far and just look forward to keep improving and obviously keep adding to what we’re trying to do as a team here.”
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