Tuesday’s Rugby News covers Hooper in, Thomson out, Thomson in, the newly named rugby “luenaigoune” and the emerging state champs finish up.
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Hooper Back in the Game
There’s a song by a band called Airbourne called “Back in the Game”, it’s the sort of neck-acne rock that you’d expect American soldiers to listen to before they bring freedom and democracy to whomever they deem in need of it.
It’s bold, aggressive, unrelenting and raw, everything the Wallaby backrow wasn’t last time out against Argentina. As best as David Pocock tried to inspire the piggies they just weren’t the same pack of hyenas, pilfering balls and disrupting breakdowns across the park, that Wallaby rugby has prided itself on since days of yore.
But in better news for the men in gold, signs are looking good for a return of their skipper Michael Hooper for Sunday morning’s (AEST) clash with the Bokke in Port Elizabeth.
Sidelined by a hamstring injury, Hooper’s been back at in training and according to coach Cheika, it looks like he’s going okay, “Hooper’s run full speed this week, he should have a full week of training under his belt”.
The return of Hooper solves one backrow problem, the Wallabies are still to figure out who replaces the injured Pete Samu (knee) and the absent Lukhan Tui (bereavement) and there’s also the age-old Wallaby dilemma of who to play out of position?
Angus Cottrell was drafted into the squad two days ago as cover for, there’s also the option of bringing Caleb Timu back in to plug some gaps but the money is on Hannigan getting the nod.
Cheika wasn’t giving away too much though, saying, “We’ve got Ned who had a good run there last year and starting to get back to a bit of fitness.
“And Cottrell’s here – he’s not coming for fun and I imagine he’ll put his hand up at training.
“We’ve got Caleb as well who played in the Irish series.”
Whatever transpires, the backrow will be looking to follow the directions of Joel O’Keefe,
“Go another round in another town, I strike and then I’m gone”
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The League of Union
(Or something like that)
Despite the ongoing confusion in some circles about what’s rugby and what’s rugby league it’s been mooted that World Rugby might be further adding to the confusion with a new “League of Nations” tournament to replace the traditional November tours.
With the history of southern hemisphere teams heading north to take on the home nations traces back over 100 years. The Kiwis and South Africans sent their first teams to the Isles in 1905 and Australia weren’t far behind, a touring squad headed over in 1908 for a total of 39 matches including the thumping of Cornwall 32-3 to win the Olympic Gold medal.
The idea behind the push is to add ‘value’ to the test matches contested. Brett Gosper, (WR CEO) described the issue world rugby are looking to counter in saying, “At the moment 56 per cent of the games in international rugby in the world are friendlies and that’s what we’re looking at and maybe swinging it back towards more meaningful, competitive games and that may be even with interaction between north and south”.
Details on the proposed north/south match ups weren’t forthcoming beyond the tournament’s rough outline. It’s set to be contested between the top 12 teams in the world so there’d naturally be some north vs south that would come about.
Gosper went on to add, “We’re looking at how can we give more meaning to international rugby to ensure that the values are high” although maybe’s it’s the cynic in me suggesting that international rugby holds a little more “value” these days given the Olympic Gold medallist isn’t decided by a boat race at the clubhouse after a foggy, Monday arvo tour match….
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Leadership Spill
Knock-knock
Who’s there?
Peter
Peter who?
Scott Morrison
This time it’s not the political parties ditching yet another leader, instead, the Brumbies are getting in on the act.
Brumbies Chief Executive Michael Thomson, who has held the position for two years is stepping away from the role as he looks to spend more time with his young family.
Speaking on Monday he described his timing for all involved, “This felt like the best time for me and the organisation,” Thomson said.
“The other part is with a soon-to-be 11-year-old and soon-to-be 14-year-old, this is a great chance to spend a bit of time with them”.
Michael Thomson will be replaced by Brumbies Chairman Phil Thomson, a move that surely both provide some continuity AND save on stationery.
The savings on not reprinting business cards might just keep the in the black, although profitable for the last two years, they’ve only made just shy of $67,000 and it was the first time in 10 years they’ve managed consecutive years without heading for the dole queue.
Just missing the finals after a mid-season resurgence, things were looking up on the field for the club in Canberra and Thomson sees more good things from the team named after the song, “We’ve got an exciting squad and coaching team locked in, and there’s been growth in rugby in our region, plus turning a profit. The launch of Super W and our reconciliation action plan … those things are really pleasing”.
For the sake of the game in Australia, let’s hope things continue on the up.
If we’re going to be “stronger as four” we need everyone to pull their weight.
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Emerging State Championships
South Australia have built on the back of their success in the SANFL to win the emerging state championships that they were hosting.
Successfully fielding the maximum 15 players at a time, rather than the state’s preferred 18 (or 19 in the case of the Roosters) the Black Falcons took on the Mosquitoes in the final match to determine once and for all, well, once and for this year, who the greatest non-traditional* rugby state/territory is.
*excluding WA and parts of Victoria
Both teams went in to the final having crushed the competition in their lead up matches. Neither team had conceded double figures in any match so far and they did their best to keep the scoreboard attendants busy as they ran in huge scores.
The Territorians got on the scoreboard after only 45 seconds thanks to a sniping intercept by Mozzie fly-half Robbie Butcher who ran 22 metres to score untouched.
Within minutes the Mozzies were over the line again, but the ball was spilled before it was grounded and the push and shove started from both sides as the unlucky ball carrier (Sulata? Sitala? Couldn’t quite catch his name) was a former Falcon who now plies his trade up north.
SA finally got on the board in the 17th minute through a try to Marshall after several phases hammering away in the 22.
NT quickly hit back with the winger Watson, “the Rockstar” getting in for his second try making the score 17-7 after 26 minutes and leaving the Falcons with barely enough time to scratch their heads before Butcher completed his brace in the 33 minute and all of a sudden it was 24-7. However, it was SA finishing the half with the ascendency grabbing a late try to go into the sheds down 24-12.
Ten minutes into the second half the BFs were on the scoreboard again and the deficit was down to seven with half an hour to play and after another try with 20 to go it was 24-all and anyone’s game.
Streaking away with 2 tries and a penalty in the last 12 minutes the South Australians won the match and with it, the tournament.
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