Thursday’s Rugby news see international rugby make a return with the 2020 Bledisloe Cup, as the Wallabies steel themselves for battle against the All Blacks, while its being reported that Brad Thorn will re-sign with the Queensland Reds, and the Shute Shield plays out their final round.
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Bledisloe time
Its Bledisloe Week, and the Wallabies are preparing for their clash against the All Blacks in Christchurch. New Wallabies coach Dave Rennie will select in his maiden Wallabies side on Friday, the make-up of the starting side remains as much a mystery as what to expect on the playing feild.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster admitted that selections will not be a forgone conclusion now that Rennie is in the driving seat.
“We’ve just got to second guess,” Foster said. “If you try and get too smart in that space, then we’re going to worry about things we can’t control. Do we have an idea? We can second guess.
“They’ve got a new coaching group. [There is] a bit of English background, a bit of Scottish background and a bit of Kiwi background. It’s an unusual mix for an Australian team, so we’ve just got to try and figure that out,” Foster said.
“We’ve got an idea where we think they’ll progress their game and we’ll find out the same time as you.”
With a number of rookies in the squad, and some intruiging head-to-head selection battles, it will be interesting to see what side Rennie puts on the park. The choices Rennie makes in key positions will give fans a first indication of how he wants the team to play, and there is no tougher test than a Bledisloe against the All Blacks.
Rennie has a completely new coaching team with Scott Wisemantel, Matt Taylor and Geoff Parling, which would suggest that any incumbents will not necessarily getting a starting spot.
“We’re going to pick on merit,” Rennie told foxsports.com.au. “We’ve talked all the time about earning the right to play and we’ve got some young men who have played very well in Super Rugby and deserve that opportunity.
“Always there’s unlucky people, there’s been some really tight decisions, but we’re pretty happy with the squad that we’re going to put on the park.
“We’re pretty clear (on the final team), barring a couple of niggles. But we’ve got 40-odd guys here that are going to help us prepare well so that we’re ready to go.
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Crucial showdown
Meanwhile there is penty of positive talk out of the Wallabies camp, with reports suggesting Rennie has been able to build up the culture within the squad in jut a few short weeks.
With an injection of new blood into the team, the players are brimming with re-newed confidence. Few are giving the Wallabies a chance to knock off the All Blacks in Wellington in the first of four clashes, but it seems there is genuine belief among the team that they can end the 18-year drought.
The Wallabies need to win both Bledisloe matches on Kiwi soil to have a chance of wrestling back the trophy. They have not held it since 2002.
“There’s always a belief within this team,” Lukhan Salakaia-Loto said. “Obviously a new coach, new coaching staff and a lot of fresh faces, so there’s a lot of energy and excitement around this group. Being in lockdown, we’ve been able to get to know one another a bit more and been forced to be with each other 24-7. It’s only going to be benefit this group.
“Off the field is such an important part in results and gelling. At the end of the day, we’ve still got to go out there and perform, but it’s also good to be so close. It’s good for signs for us.”
Of course, the Wallabies are under no illusions about the the task ahead them, as this will be the first time going up against the All Blacks since August last year.
“We’ve prepared for a strong All Blacks outfit and that doesn’t change whether it’s guys playing for the first time or guys who have played a couple of World Cups,” said Salakaia-Loto.
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Back in the hot seat
After guiding Queensland to a Super Rugby AU final, Brad Thorn is set to re-sign as head coach of the Reds.
Thorn has rebuilt the Reds over the last couple of years, striiping the culture right back and backing a squad a young and upcoming players.
Reports indicate that an announcement is expected this month, and it appears that Thorn is already working on Queensland’s 2021 campaign.
Thorn has expressed his desire to stay on the top role, after putting in the hard yards since taking on the job in 2018. He has made some tough calls in his tenure, choosing the clear out players such as Quade Cooper, Karnichael Hunt and James Slipper.
“It would be nice. I just feel like we’ve done the hard yards and we’ve paid the dues. We persevered, we’ve hung in and in the early days, we had a lot people telling us what we need to do,” Thorn said last month as the Reds were approaching the finals.
“You need to do this, you need to do that. It’s pretty humbling. It’s very humbling. And it’s massive growth for anyone as a person when you get humbled.
Thorn wants to reap the rewards for the seeds he has planted.
“It was just about whether it would come in time,” he said.
“Because the reality is in coaching, you can end up being the farmer that plants all the good stuff in the field but someone else comes along and harvests it.”
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Finals push
It is the final round of the regular season in this year’s Shute Shield competition. Going into round 13, Gordon leads the ladder with 10 wins and just one loss, and have all but wrapped the Minor Premiership after a big win over Penrith.
This season has seen the club make a remarkable turn-around in fortunes. Last year saw them finish 7th overall in coach Darren Coleman’s first in charge, and are looking to push for further honours in 2020 after making the finals for the first time in 12 years.
“For a team that team finished dead last two years to now be minor premiers is a great reward,” said Coleman, after the 94-0 thumping of Penrith last weekend.
The club is also leading the Club Championship, and will have plenty to play for on Saturday.
“We have hit the lead in the club champs and a good day will win us that. Sydney Uni have won that for 16 years,” Coleman said.
“We are ahead of Randwick, Easts and Uni and any four of us can win.
“And this weekend we are also playing for the Sir Roden Cutler Shield. Eastwood took it off Randwick and now we can take it off them. We love a challenge.’’
While the six teams to fight it out in the finals have already been determined, but there is still plenty of pride on the line for the teams as positions on the ladder will prove important .
Norths sit in second, while Eastwood are currently in third place and share the same 8-3 win/loss record with Eastern Suburbs and Randwick.
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