Wednesday’s Rugby News see’s Coleman taking the captaincy, Thorn knuckling down, the Brumbies bringing back the glory days, and more selections for the Brisbane Tens.
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Captain Coleman
The Melbourne Rebels have officially announced their captain for the 2018 season, with Wallaby and former Western Force lock Adam Coleman taking up the mantle for the franchise’s eighth season.
Coleman is one of a dozen Force players who made the journey over to Melbourne to join their coach Dave Wessels. The recent history between the two clubs has been a complicated one, with both being on the chopping block as the franchise to cut from Super Rugby. This was shown in the last confrontation between the two sides last year, which the Force won 31-22.
That match however also was signified by the events afterwards, when players from both clubs came together.
To Coleman, the events of 2017 could turn what many might see as a weakness at the club into a real strength.
“I think a strength of ours is how close we are as a team at the moment,” Coleman said to the Sydney Morning Herald.
“We’ve all gone through some sacrifices, especially last year, and it’s really brought us together.”
“With the Rebels and the Force, with the whole saga that went on, definitely there’s some extra motivation to perform,” he said.
For Dave Wessels, Coleman was an ideal choice as captain, even more so in a squad full of multiple leaders from the two teams.
“He’s a very driven guy and a tough competitor but most of all he wants to win and is prepared to work hard for it,” he said of Coleman.
“He should be very proud of the leader he’s become.”
The Rebels will open their campaign against the Queensland Reds on February 23 at home.
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Actions speak louder than words
Brad Thorn has had a lot of eyes on him ever since his appointment to the head role as the Queensland Reds coach. His no nonsense approach however has seen rumblings of change around the rugby culture Ballymore, and it has only gotten louder ever since he took Queensland Country from cellar dwellers to NRC champions.
“I feel like in today’s society, people love to talk, they love to yap,” Thorn told RUGBY.com.au.
“We have a lot of social media and these sort of things – that’s all very ‘look at me’.
“I prefer actions and then your words are respected, your words have meaning.
“I drive that with the guys – don’t tell me about it, show it.
“Don’t tell people, show it – through your actions.
“I think that has suited a lot of the guys – good old fashioned hard work, smarts and spending time together.”
It is this principle that Thorn admitted was important to him, even in his younger days playing junior level rugby.
“What I loved about the game as a 6-year-old right through to my teens – especially in my teens – I was a big goofy looking kid with acne, battling away.
“But on the footy field – it was where I could express myself through my actions.
“It was good for mateship – I knew I wasn’t the coolest dude but they knew I cared about them.”
It was this attitude that Thorn wants to bring to Ballymore, as it was not just the performances on the field that had gone backwards, but the culture off it. The need to cultural change culminated with one of his most controversial decisions: the removal of Quade Cooper and Nick Frisby from the squad.
Thorn however makes no apologies for that decision, and will live and die by the sword.
“Something needed to change at this club and I don’t have a coaching career to protect or worry about stats,” he said.
“I’m just here to serve the club as best I can.
“The last four years have been pretty bleak – 62 games, we have won 16 – something has got to change and it’s not going to be all rosy.
“I could have just kept on cruising along with everyone happy but there needed to be change – just like their did with the NRC side.
“Let’s rock on and see where it takes us.”
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A Walker down memory lane
Matt Giteau and Stephen Larkham are back in Canberra at the moment, which spurred initial reports in the Canberra Times that Giteau could be making an appearance for the Brums and take on close mate and NSW wildcard Drew Mitchell at the Brisbane Tens.
Giteau has been helping Japanese club Suntory over the last season, guiding them to the Japanese Top League championship. Suntory have reportedly close ties with the Brumbies, and have allowed Gits to train back in Canberra during the Japanese off season, before returning to Japan in a few months.
So instead of Gits, the Brumbies have lured Andrew Walker out of retirement (again) to feature as their wildcard pick. Walker played 47 games for the Brumbies, winning a Super Rugby title in the process. He also went on to play rugby league for St. George, Manly and the Roosters.
Walker proved to make a big impact for the Brumbies side at the inaugural event last year, and forwards coach Laurie Fisher is hopeful his impact can be just as strong this season.
“They tell me that Walks was our best player last year, so I don’t think it was a difficult decision to invite him back,” Fisher said to the Canberra Times.
“He’s still playing a bit of rugby league and touch football … To have a guy who has done a lot in the game is a great example, the guys really enjoyed playing with him last year and it will be no different this year.”
The Brumbies will be sending a young squad to the Tens, with Christian Lealiifano, Scott Sio and Tevita Kuridrani all not making an appearance. However, the squad includes the likes of Chance Peni, as well as Rob Valentini, one of the most exciting prospects to come out of the NRC last year.
“It’s an opportunity for guys to get minutes under their belt,” said Fisher.
“It will test our scramble defence, we’ll see what our fitness levels are like and test our catch-pass skills and competitive instinct.
“Our volume and intensity has been very high. Sometimes you’ve got to try to keep a lid on it, the ante has definitely been lifted in the last 7-10 days.”
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More Tens Squads…
Many of the other Australian teams are also resorting to youth with the Brisbane Tens, giving the chance for young upcoming players to make their mark.
Brad Thorn has gone with over 11 uncapped players in his squad, providing a real baptism-by-fire approach to the pre-season. There is the addition of James Slipper, Samu Kerevi and Kane Douglas to the squad, with Kerevi taking the captaincy duties.
“We’ve got three pre-season fixtures this year, we felt it was important to give everyone an opportunity to showcase their skills. It’s a good reward for their hard work,” said Thorn to rugby.com.au.
“Last year’s tournament was fast and physical and provided a good challenge a couple of weeks out from the season. No doubt the guys are looking forward to getting out there in front of our home fans.”
Check out the Reds squad here.
Meanwhile, down in Sydney, Daryl Gibson has added a bit more experience to his side, with Damien Fitzpatrick given a chance to captain the squad, along with Wallabies Kurtley Beale and Curtis Rona. Drew Mitchell was also bring plenty of experience to the backline, while Cam Clark, Mack Mason and Irae Simone will all be looking to nail down a place in the starting squad.
The Tahs do have plenty of youth though to back it up, with multiple members of the Australian U20s side also looking set to be part of the squad makeup.
“The squad for Brisbane is another opportunity for us to introduce the younger players to the fast-paced and high intensity rugby at an international level,” Gibson said to rugby.com.au.
“While the type of game will be slightly different for these players, the fundamentals will still be the same.”
Check out the Tahs squad here.
Finally, Melbourne have laid down a challenge for their youth to make an impact, with Will Genia the only prominent name in an otherwise relatively unknown squad. Genia’s involvement is a still a maybe at the moment, as he has been reportedly not been able to train well for the last few days.
“The Brisbane Global Rugby Tens is an important part of our preparations ahead of the 2018 Super Rugby season as the tournament will give us the chance to continue our preparations on and off the field,” Dave Wessels said.
“We’ve blended experience and youth in a squad that’s been selected specifically for Tens rugby so the tournament will be a valuable opportunity to continue to build on our combinations and test ourselves in a competitive environment.”
Check out the Rebels squad here.
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