The week’s rugby news has the Brumbies playing it cool, Berrick appealing for Test inclusion, Beale praising his NSW coach and the women’s sevens victorious in Rio.
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Brumbies not panicking
After suffering an upset home loss to Queensland in Saturday’s Super Rugby season opener, Brumbies director of rugby Laurie Fisher has decided to emphasize the positives to come out of the match. ‘It’s not as if you’ve got to reinvent the wheel next week. We had a lot of the game, we just couldn’t close things out,’ Fisher said after the 27-17 defeat. The Brumbies failed to capitalize on their 70% of attacking field position in the second half, with coach Stephen Larkham lamenting the side’s 18 handling errors.
Larkham has said that he will stick with an unchanged starting line-up this week against the Western Force. Outside centre Andrew Smith is doubtful, however, after receiving a head knock in the second half. [/one_half]
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Berrick calls for overseas eligibility
Former Wallabies back Berrick Barnes has called for a rethink of the ARU’s rigid stance on the Test exlusion of overseas players. Having joined Japanese Top League side Panasonic Wild Knights last year, Barnes has self-admittedly struggled with a sense of culture-shock, subsequently rejecting the idea that relaxing eligibility rules would lead to a mass exodus of talent from Super Rugby.
Barnes’ comments come as potential 2015 World Cup factors Digby Ioane and Peter Kimlin are both considering cutting their overseas ventures to one year. South Africa’s loose policy has allowed foreign-based players such as Jaque Fourie and Fourie du Preez to represent the national side last year, with Barnes saying, ‘they’re not losing anything and [the players] aren’t letting them down when they go back and play.’ [/one_half]
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Beale thankful for Cheika’s trust
Kurtley Beale has revealed that he was extremely close to signing for a Sydney NRL team before NSW coach Michael Cheika helped the former Rebel rediscover his passion for rugby. After undergoing rehabilitation for alcohol abuse after an off-field incident at Melbourne last year, Beale said that he lost interest in pursuing rugby, with most Super Rugby teams not wanting to take on the risk of signing him.
But a meeting between Michael Cheika and Beale, organised by Beale’s manager, changed the perspective of the former Wallaby playmaker. ‘At that time I didn’t feel wanted, and that is why I’ve got a lot of respect for Cheik,’ Beale said. [/one_half]
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Women 7s regain top spot
With just two years until the Rio Olympics, Australia has moved to the top of the Women’s World Sevens Series standings with a dramatic victory over New Zealand in this weekend’s tournament in Brazil. Charlotte Caslick was monumental in the side’s 24-12 victory, scoring two tries including the all-important match-sealing effort just before full-time.
Emilee Cherry was named MVP of the 12-team tournament where Australia progressed unbeaten, including a 27-0 defeat of Japan in the quarter-finals and a 31-0 hammering of England in the semis. The next event of the five-round World Series will be staged in the Chinese city of Guangzhou in April. [/one_half]
