Tuesday’s Rugby News has news about the Spring Tour squad, Mumm’s been suspended, a glut of Euro News, and Foley reckons the Grand Slam is on.
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Tour Squad
The Daily Telegraph reports that Marika Koroibete, as has been long rumoured, is set to be named in the Wallabies squad for the upcoming spring tour.
Michael Cheika will name an extended 36-man squad for the tour, which will intriguingly also have 3 ‘development’ players named as part of the list. This are thought to be Taniela Tupou, the “Tongan Thor”, Izaia Perese (both Queensland Country/Reds) and Jack Dempsey (Sydney Rays/Waratahs).
These 3 players, it is said, will not be considered for squad selection but will brought along for the experience and to acclimatise themselves to the Wallaby ways. Tongan Thor isn’t even able to play for the Wallabies if he was picked anyway, as World Rugby have ruled he’s only eligible on residency grounds from November 2017 onwards.
The article also reports that there were plans in the works to play more mid-week games, specifically with English club sides, but these plans all fell through except for the French Barbarians test, to be played after the France game (21 November).
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Mumm’s Been Done
Dean Mumm has been suspended for one week by World Rugby, after being cited for striking. Footage appeared to show Mumm elbowing Brodie Retallick, and the incident was missed by Nigel Owens.
This means that Mumm will miss the match against Wales in Cardiff in two weeks’ time. Naughty Step Commisioner Robert Stelzner had this to say: “Having conducted a detailed review of all the available evidence including submissions from his legal representative, I accepted the player’s admission that he had committed an act of foul play contrary to law 10.4(a),” he said.
“Part of the reasoning was that the player acted instinctively in retaliation to his being illegally held back by his opponent upon trying to rejoin play. His opponent was behind him when he tried to extricate himself from his opponent’s grip and in that process struck his opponent in the face with his elbow.”
Stelzner also noted that Retallick was able to play on after get struck by Mumm, which also was factored in to the adjudication.
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Euro News
Samu Kerevi looks set to miss out on all or most of the spring tour, after he self-reported going in for surgery yesterday. Kerevi injured his ankle playing against the All Blacks.
Tatafu Polota-Nau is also set to stay home, with the elbow he injured playing for the Wallabies still giving him problems. TPN is looking like he’s set to leave the Waratahs for overseas next year, but he has the caps in case Cheika still wants to pick him.
Matt Toomua has done his knee in, reports Fox Sports. Medical reports on the knee injury aren’t firm just yet, but it is understood that he’s looking at sitting a big part of Leicester Tigers’ campaign. This injury follows a concussion and a few others suffered by Toomua this year alone.
As reported yesterday, English lock Maro Itoje injured his hand playing for club side Saracens on the weekend. That potential injury has turned into six weeks, says Planet Rugby, which rules him out of playing against the Wallabies. Itoje is set to have surgery on his fractured hand.
And the Guardian reports that Welsh players who play for English club sides will be allowed to play in the Wallabies game. That game, on 5 November, is technically outside the international window, and as such, any club or provincial side are required to release players called up to international duty.
However, the Aviva Premiership have decided to voluntarily release Welsh players as a self-described “gesture of flexibility”. This means that players like George North, Jamie Roberts, Ross Moriarty, Tomas Francis, Luke Charteris and Toby Faletau can play in the game (if fit).
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We Can Do It
Bernard Foley reckons the Wallabies can do the Grand Slam for the first time since 1984. The Grand Slam involves beating the 3 British teams and Ireland all in one year.
While 1984 was a long time ago, the Wallabies have only attempted the Grand Slam twice since then. There was a 20-all draw against Ireland in 2009, and a 20-13 loss against England three years ago.
“Yeah I think it’s definitely possible,” Foley told the SMH. “I think for us this year has been challenging, we can’t sugar-coat it or anything else. It’s been a real challenge. The tour is something that’s going to be really exciting, a lot of guys doing their first spring tour.
“The fact that it’s a grand slam is massive. [There will be] no easy Test matches but I think the best thing is the resilience of this squad. We’ve worked our way through a lot this year.”
Foley also says he liked playing at 12. “I enjoyed playing No.12, it was a good challenge [but] I probably do feel more comfortable at 10,” he said. “We went in there with a pretty distinct plan. We just lacked that execution at that end of the field. We were unable to just get that last pass to stick or score that try.”
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