Tuesday’s Rugby News has James Stannard happy to be alive, Michael Cheika chatting about players, two big starts returning for the Reds, and selection woes for the Wallabies ahead.
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Lucky Chucky
James Stannard managed to front the media yesterday, after spending most of the weekend in hospital after some bloke punched in the back of the head of Thursday night.
Stannard’s skull was fractured after the attack, and he will take six weeks to recover. He has been discharged from hospital, and has a little difficulty walking, but is mostly just happy he can make a full recovery.
“I’ve got a fractured skull with a little bit of bleeding, they said, and I don’t really know the full extent of it to be honest, I’m not a doctor (but) that just sounds bad for me,” Stannard said, via rugby.com.au.
“I’m very lucky to be here.”
Stannard was in a kebab shop in Bondi with the team, after holding a farewell for outgoing coach Andy Friend. Stannard was apparently talking to his attacker, before the 22 year old British national took a swing at him. The attacker then tried to do a runner, but was apprehended by teammates Lewis Holland and Ben O’Donnell.
“My bond’s amazing with those blokes, I don’t know if I’d be here without those blokes,” Stannard said.
“I’ve messaged them personally and words can’t describe how much I appreciate them being there…I spoke to them last night and we discussed I’ll try to do everything I can to get right for a World Cup and have one last dance with those blokes.”
Stannard might not even be well enough to watch his teammates in the upcoming Commonwealth Games, but he’s quite sure that that’s ok.
“Football’s just a small part of your life. I’ve got a family and something to go to after football, that’s more important than footy.
“I’m just glad I’m here to enjoy those moments with them.
“The Comm Games is very small thing. Maybe now (I’ll be disappointed to miss it) but further down the track it doesn’t mean as much.”
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Cheika Chat
Fresh from a referee’s meeting in Europe, Michael Cheika had a bit of a yarn with the Daily Telegraph.
Cheika, or any Wallabies coach, would be happy with the fact that the Australian teams have been less shit than they were last season. For instance, the Rebels only lost 50-19 against the Hurricanes this year. Last year they lost 71-6.
“I’m pretty happy. I think they’ve all been showing different qualities of their own and a fair bit of resilience in some of their battles,” Cheika said.
“Teams have already shown comebacks from difficult situations or overcoming some logistical battle, like we’ve seen the Reds do over this last little bit.
“We’re getting some wins on the board and I think some of the players are standing up and putting their name up there.
“From a selection point of view, (they) are probably not the traditional ones we’ve seen before.”
There are a few players catching Cheika’s eye and, when asked, he suggested Caleb Timu, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Liam Wright, Taniela Tupou, Jack Maddocks and Joe Powell.
“I’m keeping a list turning around, of what we see as maybe that top 45 and there’s a few players started to move in there that have not been in our reckoning before,” Cheika said.
Meanwhile, in news that’s really gonna get the comments section going, Cheika thinks there’s a way back for Karmicheal Hunt.
“If he (Hunt) gets that opportunity to play, he’ll have to strike form pretty quickly, because there’s a fair few guys playing in the No 12 or in the fullback jersey who are going pretty well at the moment,” Cheika said.
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Red Return
The Reds are about to welcome back Izaia Perese and George Smith this week, but with a catch – they training but they no playing against the Brumbies. So says the Daily Telegraph.
Perese has been out with knee ligament damage, while Smith hasn’t been doing contact training since doing his back in in Japan late last year. Oh, and there was also that whole Japan taxi jail thing too.
No Smith means there’s no chance for fans to see a Smith v Pocock arse-up, hands-down battle o’ the pilfer.
However, both Smith and Perese will return for the next block of Reds games – away to the Brumbies, away to the Waratahs (will this the closest derby in years?), and then home to the Chefs and the Lions.
With the Rebels being more donkey and less pancakes, these two dynamos could maybe help the Reds regain the rightful place as the 2nd-best Australian team. Behind the Tahs.
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Selection’s Crazy
Wayne Smith of the Australian reckons that selection will be Michael Cheika’s biggest issue in this coming Ireland series. Smith says there are “serious problems”.
“Some parts of the Australian side have improved dramatically — the front row, for instance — but in others, there is a need to mix and match players to cover deficiencies,” Smith writes, as always, in the Australian. “In the halves, it continues to be a case of [Cheika] dropping to his knees every night before bed and praying that nothing happens to Will Genia and Bernard Foley.
Smith thinks that Israel Folau’s move to the wing “solves a whole lot of problems and finally allows Australia to use his aerial skills in an offensive capacity”, but opens up a hole in fullblack to play there?
Smith’s thoughts; DHP – concussed, out of form; Hegarty – solid but not spectacular; Toua – playing a lot better than he ever has; Muirhead, Banks – haven’t done much so far; Perese – injured, but possibly could play there.
And that’s not all. Kurtley Beale is a shoe-in for 12, but that leaves out Samu Kerevi; and Ben Lam’s performance against Marika Koroibete (who Smith says has the other Wallabies wing position sorted) means that playing anyone, like Reece Hodge, who isn’t a winger, a real worry. (Smith also points out that in the Scotland test, Beale played at fullback, Kerevi at 12, and Hodge on the wing – and we lost that game).
And on and on Smith goes. Halves are a worry. Back row is a worry (where does Pocock fit?).
The only worry that’s sorted, really, is the front row. There’s the “established test front-row” of Sio, TPN and Kepu, and the Reds front-row of Slipper, Paenga-Amosa and the Tongan Thor. What does that mean? Cheika will probably pick Tom Robertson.
“There is, unquestionably, a Wallabies side buried in among all of these names that is capable of beating Ireland in June but certainly there is not much room for error in selection. And even if Cheika gets the selection of the side right, his work is only just beginning,” Smith says to finish his article.
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