Wallabies name extended Bledisloe squad

Updated October 13, 2012 10:39:47

The Wallabies have included injured trio Wycliff Palu, Sekope Kepu and Drew Mitchell in their extended 30-man squad for next Saturday's Bledisloe Cup Test in Brisbane.

Palu missed the Rugby Championship because of a shoulder complaint, while Kepu (knee) and Mitchell (ankle) have been sidelined since August with respective injuries.

Utility back Adam Ashley-Cooper has also been named, despite missing last weekend's 25-19 win over Argentina in Rosario because of concussion.

Wallabies squad:

Mike Harris, Nick Cummins, Drew Mitchell, Dominic Shipperley, Digby Ioane, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Ben Tapuai, Anthony Faingaa, Pat McCabe, Kurtley Beale, Nick Phipps, Brett Sheehan, Wycliff Palu, Radike Samo, Scott Higginbotham, Michael Hooper, Liam Gill, Dave Dennis, Rob Simmons, Sitaleki Timani, Nathan Sharpe (captain), Kane Douglas, Sekope Kepu, Paddy Ryan, Ben Alexander, James Slipper, Benn Robinson, James Hanson, Saia Faingaa, Tatafu Polota Nau

Tags: rugby-union, sport, australia

First posted October 13, 2012 10:39:47

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Four changes to Springboks squad

Updated September 23, 2012 08:18:33

South Africa coach Heyneke Meyer added three rising stars and a veteran to his Rugby Championship squad for home matches against Australia and New Zealand.

Golden Lions full-back / centre Jaco Taute gets a first call-up after missing most of the Super Rugby season through injury and team-mate and fly-half Elton Jantjies is recalled.

Prop Coenie Oosthuizen, who can play loosehead or tighthead, is another player returning to the Springbok squad after injury and 2007 Rugby World Cup winner CJ van der Linde also gets the nod.

South Africa, who beat and drew with southern hemisphere championship new boys Argentina before losing in Australia and New Zealand, host the Wallabies on September 29 in Pretoria and the All Blacks on October 6 in Soweto.

World champions New Zealand have won four matches on the trot and can clinch the title with a victory in Argentina next weekend, leaving South Africa and Australia to scrap for second place.

"I wanted to include Jaco in the squad earlier, but an untimely injury meant we could not select him. Jaco is big, strong, fast and versatile and it will be good to get him involved," said Meyer.

"Elton was part of the squad this season against England in June and in the first part of the Rugby Championship. He only missed out when we had to cut the numbers of the squad and it is good to have him back.

"It is great to have Coenie back with us after he picked up an injury on debut in the first Test against England in June. He is a world-class prop and losing him was a big setback."

The inclusion of injury-prone Golden Lion Van der Linde was a surprise with Meyer justifying the choice on the grounds of experience and ability to scrum either side of the hooker.

South Africa squad:

Backs: Jean de Villiers (capt), Johan Goosen, Bryan Habana, Francois Hougaard, Elton Jantjies, Juan de Jongh, Zane Kirchner, Patrick Lambie, Lwazi Mvovo, Ruan Pienaar, Francois Steyn, Morne Steyn, Jaco Taute.

Forwards: Willem Alberts, Andries Bekker, Craig Burden, Pat Cilliers, Marcell Coetzee, Jannie du Plessis, Eben Etzebeth, Juandre Kruger, Tiaan Liebenberg, CJ van der Linde, Francois Louw, Tendai Mtawarira, Coenie Oosthuizen, Jacques Potgieter, Adriaan Strauss, Flip van der Merwe, Duane Vermeulen.

AFP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, south-africa, australia, new-zealand

First posted September 23, 2012 08:18:33

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Wallabies name tour squad

Updated September 19, 2012 14:29:00

Injured trio Stephen Moore, Sitaleki Timani and Dominic Shipperley have been passed fit to travel with the Wallabies tour squad for South Africa and Argentina.

Coach Robbie Deans named a 28-man squad for the Rugby Championship away leg on Wednesday with the team to depart for Pretoria on Thursday morning.

Five-eighth Quade Cooper was ruled out of the final two matches with a knee problem on Tuesday that requires an operation, but Moore and Timani (hamstring) and Shipperley (dislocated finger) will make the trip.

All three players are expected to be available for selection for Australia's first match on the tour, which comes against South Africa at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday September 29.

Deans opted against adding five-eighth cover for the loss of Cooper and instead will rely on Berrick Barnes with support from Kurtley Beale and Mike Harris.

Waratahs prop Paddy Ryan and Western Force winger Nick Cummins are the only uncapped players named in the squad.

Ryan and Cummins, who both featured in last weekend's Shute Shield final in New South Wales club rugby, have trained with the national squad throughout the Rugby Championship without being required to don a jersey on match night.

Three squad players, centre Ben Tapuai, inside centre Mike Harris and second rower Rob Simmons will not travel with the team on Thursday, after being released to participate in Sunday's Brisbane club final between University and Sunnybank.

Once through that match, the trio will join the squad in Johannesburg next Tuesday.

Wallabies squad: Adam Ashley-Cooper (Waratahs), Kurtley Beale (Melbourne Rebels), Digby Ioane (Queensland Reds), Dominic Shipperley (Queensland Reds), Nick Cummins (Western Force), Ben Tapuai (Queensland Reds), Anthony Faingaa (Queensland Reds), Pat McCabe (Brumbies), Berrick Barnes (Waratahs), Mike Harris (Queensland Reds), Nick Phipps (Melbourne Rebels), Brett Sheehan (Western Force), Scott Higginbotham (Queensland Reds), Radike Samo (Queensland Reds), Michael Hooper (Brumbies), Liam Gill (Queensland Reds), Dave Dennis (Waratahs), Rob Simmons (Queensland Reds), Nathan Sharpe (Western Force), Kane Douglas (Waratahs), Sitaleki Timani (Waratahs), Ben Alexander (Brumbies), Paddy Ryan (Waratahs), James Slipper (Queensland Reds), Benn Robinson (Waratahs), Saia Faingaa (Queensland Reds), Stephen Moore (Brumbies), Tatafu Polota Nau (Waratahs).

Tags: sport, rugby-union, australia

First posted September 19, 2012 12:20:33

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Mowen called up to Wallabies squad

Updated June 02, 2012 17:37:47

Brumbies captain Ben Mowen has been called into the Wallabies' extended squad as cover for injured number eight Ben McCalman.

McCalman has been troubled by an ongoing shoulder injury ahead of Tuesday night's season-opening Test against Scotland in Newcastle.

The uncapped Mowen was a surprising omission when the Wallabies' squad was initially announced, although whether he is contention to be a member of the matchday 22 to meet Scotland remains uncertain.

The Wallabies; Test squad will be announced on Sunday.

Tags: rugby-union, sport, australia

First posted June 02, 2012 17:37:47

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Injured Beale out of Wallabies squad

Updated May 28, 2012 15:58:48

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has confirmed five-eighth Kurtley Beale has been ruled out of Australia's June Tests against Scotland and Wales with a shoulder injury.

Beale underwent surgery on Monday for the injury he sustained in the Rebels' 66-24 trouncing at the hands of the Hurricanes on Saturday.

The Super Rugby club said in a statement that the operation cleaned floating cartilage from Beale's left shoulder joint.

The Rebels expect him to be unavailable for at least the next three to four weeks.

"The fact that he needs an operation is indicative that it is serious and it will rule him out of the June (Test) window," Deans said earlier on Monday.

Beale joins Melbourne team-mate James O'Connor and Brumbies fly half Christian Lealiifano on the sidelines for the Test against Scotland on June 5 and the three-match series against Wales starting on June 9.

Quade Cooper, who has played just two Super Rugby games this season after returning from serious knee surgery, or Waratah's playmaker Berrick Barnes are likely to be picked in the number 10 jersey.

Captain James Horwill has also been ruled out after scans revealed a hamstring tear damaged during the Reds' 13-12 win over the Brumbies on Saturday.

Deans said the injury was not as serious as he first feared.

"James, we are presuming, is out for the whole of June, but it is not as bad as it first looked. It looked pretty sinister at the time," Deans said.

Deans said he was not ready yet to announce his replacement captain, but flanker David Pocock and scrum-half Will Genia are considered front-runners to take the role against Scotland.

ABC/AAP

Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, australia

First posted May 28, 2012 11:54:32

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Cooper named in Wallabies squad

Updated May 27, 2012 18:20:10

Australia coach Robbie Deans has shown faith in Quade Cooper, naming the star Queensland fly half in the Wallabies' train-on squad for three June Tests, just two weeks after his return from knee surgery.

But former skipper Rocky Elsom was a notable absence from the 39-man squad announced on Sunday.

Australian skipper James Horwill was also left out of the squad after suffering a hamstring complaint on Saturday night. It is likely he will play no part in the three Tests against Scotland and Wales.

Reds scrum half Will Genia and Force openside flanker David Pocock are likely frontrunners to take the captaincy against Scotland in Newcastle on June 5, Wales in Brisbane on June 9 and June 16 in Melbourne.

Cooper made an impressive 40-minute return in his first Super Rugby game of the season last weekend in the Reds' win over the Lions at Lang Park before backing up against the Brumbies on Saturday night.

The incumbent Wallabies five-eighth was selected partly due to a dearth of playmakers, with in-form Melbourne utility Kurtley Beale in doubt after injuring his shoulder in the Rebels' crushing 66-24 loss to the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday evening.

Beale underwent scans on Sunday but the timeframe for his return is as-yet unknown.

Fellow Rebel James O'Connor is also injured, having suffered a lacerated liver against the Waratahs earlier this season and needing more time to recover before resuming full contact training.

Fifteen players in the 39-man train-on squad have yet to represent Australia, including Reds inside centre Mike Harris, full-back Luke Morahan and winger Dom Shipperley.

Rebels winger Cooper Vuna and locks Hugh Pyle and Cadeyrn Neviulle were also named in their first Wallabies squad.

Queensland Reds and Western Force members of the squad have assembled in Sydney and will be joined during the week by players from the other franchises.

They will spend Wednesday in Wallabies camp before returning to their respective franchises to prepare for the upcoming Super Rugby round.

Deans said he will assemble the whole squad and announce his side for June 5's opening Test at Newcastle two days before the fixture, once all of his players' Super Rugby commitments were completed.

"We can't finalise a side for that match until all of the games are played, and we are in a position to assess all of the players," he said in a statement.

"Obviously we have preliminary ideas but the selection template is a living document. It can, and probably will change, as a result of events through the final round of Super Rugby before the international break."

He said he was appreciative of the help the Super Rugby franchises gave him in releasing the players.

"The cooperation of the franchises has been considerable and we appreciate that," he said.

"We've obviously sought to have as little disruption to their campaigns as is possible, but the solution provided by utilising the training day off does at least allow us to get the players started - both with organisational logistics and training background - as we will have to hit the ground running once the final group gathers."

Wallabies squad: Ben Alexander, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, Kurtley Beale, Quade Coper, Dave Dennis, Kane Douglas, Anthony Faingaa, Saia Faingaa, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, Mike Harris, Scott Higginbotham, Michael Hooper, Rob Horne, Digby Ioane, Sekope Kepu, Salesi Ma'afu, Pat McCabe, Ben McCalman, Jesse Mogg, Stephen Moore, Luke Morahan, Caderyn Neville, Dan Palmer, Wycliff Palu, Nick Phipps, David Pocock, Tatafu Polota Nau, Hugh Pyle, Benn Robinson, Nathan Sharpe, Dom Shipperley, Rob Simmons, James Slipper, Sitaleki Timani, Joseph Tomane, Cooper Vuna, Nic White.

Tags: rugby-union, sport, australia

First posted May 27, 2012 17:29:18

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Horwill out of Wallabies squad

Updated May 27, 2012 20:28:37

Captain James Horwill has been left out of Australia's 39-man train-on squad for the June Tests against Scotland and Wales because of a hamstring injury.

The towering lock sustained the injury early in the second half of the Queensland Reds' 13-12 win over the Brumbies in a Super Rugby match in Canberra on Saturday.

Despite the injury, the skipper joined up with the Australia squad and coaching staff in Sydney on Sunday and will undergo a scan on Monday but is expected to miss out on the Tests.

Horwill's absence will force the Wallabies to name a new captain when they face Scotland on June 5 in Newcastle before the first of three Tests against Six Nations champion Wales on successive weekends from June 9.

Scrum half Will Genia and openside flanker David Pocock are the likely candidates to lead the Tri Nations champions in the absence of Horwill.

Fly half Quade Cooper was included in the 39 despite playing only 120 minutes of rugby since a serious knee injury sustained at last year's World Cup.

If there is any silver lining, it is that while Horwill is firmly in doubt for the Wallabies' first Test against Scotland in Newcastle on June 5, he could potentially be back in time to help the Reds continue their strong run home after the three-week international break.

Queensland has won three straight matches, with the victory over the Brumbies a rousing war-cry against those who doubted the defending champions during their early-season woes.

The victory gives them the Rod Macqueen Cup for the first time since it was schemed up in 2005 for beating the Brumbies twice this season. In round seven, they outplayed the ACT franchise for a solid 20-13 victory at Lang Park.

The win has also the added bonus of heaping pressure on Jake White's men, who still lead the Australian conference, but must win on Friday against the Melbourne Rebels or have their buffer cut to just a single point.

They are on 45 points, five ahead of the Reds, who will enjoy another four points for their bye next round.

Queensland's late-season surge has hotted up the race for Australian leader honours but, as an added benefit, could result in two Australian teams making the play-offs - an unlikely concept just a few weeks ago.

"We know we haven't played our best footy in the first part of the comp or the middle of the comp, but we're on the way back," McKenzie said.

"Where we finish, who knows? But we're nipping away."

White was buoyant after the match, which came within a whisker of being a home win for the Brumbies, had it not been for Zack Holmes narrowly missing a 38m penalty kick in the dying seconds.

The Brumbies remain on the road on the other side of the international break, with games scheduled against the Western Force in Perth and NSW Waratahs in Sydney before a final game against the Blues in Canberra.

White was confident about the run home.

"It's not all doom and gloom. We've still got our own destiny in our own hands," he said.

"To hold these guys to within a kick is a massive achievement.

"We've got a belief that we can win this competition, and I think after tonight the belief's even bigger."

Reuters/AAP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, qld, australia

First posted May 27, 2012 12:15:54

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Cooper can play way into Wallabies squad

Updated May 25, 2012 19:38:26

Quade Cooper can play his way into the first Wallabies squad of 2012 by standing tall in the Test-like intensity of Saturday night's Super Rugby showdown at Canberra Stadium.

Cooper produced an impressive 40-minute return from his knee reconstruction in Queensland's 34-20 win over the Lions but will face a far sterner test in what is a virtual play-off battle against the Brumbies.

National coach Robbie Deans is due to name his extended squad for next month's Tests against Scotland and Wales on Sunday night and will take particular interest in the mercurial five-eighth's efforts in Canberra.

All three Wallabies selectors - Deans, Tony McGahan and Andrew Blades - plus assistant coach Nick Scrivener will attend Saturday night's clash.

While former Test skipper Rocky Elsom will reportedly be a high-profile omission, officials are adamant the training squad of about 40 has yet to be finalised.

Deans has indicated Kurtley Beale is set to wear the number 10 jersey for the back-to-back Tests on June 5 (Scotland) and June 9 (Wales) following his eye-catching form for the Melbourne Rebels in the past month.

Despite being sidelined for seven months Cooper can grab a place in the squad, and possibly add to his 35 caps in the three-Test series against Wales, by showing he is up to the task in the high-stakes clash against the Brumbies.

A home win will see the Brumbies jump 12 points clear on the Australian conference with four rounds left while the Reds can cut the gap to four, with a four-point bye to follow before the June Test window.

"The more rugby he plays the better," Deans said of Cooper.

"Every fixture between now and when we settle on the Scotland combination (Sunday week) has meaning.

"This fixture this week is fantastic.

"I just hope they don't obliterate each other because there's a very big incentive.

"There's a big incentive within the tournament itself and a big incentive to press for Test selection."

A host of uncapped Reds and Brumbies players can also push themselves further towards Test contention at Canberra Stadium.

Brumbies forwards Dan Palmer, Scott Fardy, Michael Hooper and Ben Mowen are all in the frame for Wallabies debuts while backs Nic White, Joe Tomane and Jesse Mogg have also produced eye-catching Super Rugby form.

Reds backs Mike Harris, Luke Morahan and Dom Shipperley can join team-mates Will Genia and Digby Ioane in the squad with strong displays.

AAP

Tags: super-rugby, rugby-union, sport, canberra-2600, brisbane-4000, act, qld, australia

First posted May 25, 2012 17:05:04

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Kirchner replaces Steyn in Boks squad

Updated October 02, 2011 12:14:42

Full-back Zane Kirchner has been called into the Springbok Rugby World Cup squad as a replacement for injured Frans Steyn, team officials said on Sunday.

Kirchner, 27, will join the squad in Wellington on Tuesday in preparation for Sunday's quarter-final against likely opponent Australia.

Steyn injured his left shoulder in the final few minutes of the Springboks' 13-5 victory over Samoa at North Harbour on Friday and will return home for surgery.

"I am bitterly disappointed," Steyn said.

"I don't know how the injury happened - it was at a ruck when I was cleaning someone out late in the game.

"I was enjoying our campaign and the tournament and to have it ended like this is very disappointing.

"I'd just like to wish the squad all the best for the rest of the tournament."

Steyn, who plays French club rugby with Racing Metro, scored tries in each of the Springboks' first three matches in the tournament as well as adding two long-range penalties for 21 points in his second World Cup tournament.

Four years ago Steyn became the youngest player to win a Rugby World Cup winners' medal as a 20-year-old in South Africa's victory in France.

Blue Bulls' Kirchner has 14 Springboks caps with the last of them coming against England in November.

Kirchner was a member of the Springboks' World Cup preliminary squad but missed out on initial selection for the Tri-Nations tournament because of injury.

AFP

Tags: rugby-union-world-cup, rugby-union, sport, new-zealand, south-africa

First posted October 02, 2011 12:12:54

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Tahs coach wants review of squad cuts

Posted June 23, 2011 07:02:00

New South Wales Waratahs coach Chris Hickey is worried moves to prune back Australian Super Rugby squads to 30 players will leave teams terribly exposed to the brutal nature of the competition.

Hickey has called for a post-season review of the Australian Rugby Union's desire to streamline the playing rosters of the five squads in 2012.

The Waratahs themselves will on Friday night highlight the toll the competition takes on players when they run out against the Blues in Auckland with more than half of their starting XV on the sidelines.

Scrum half Luke Burgess was the latest star to enter the casualty ward this week when he broke his hand at training on Tuesday.

Pending final team selections on Thursday, the Waratahs are set to use their 38th player this season.

The table-topping Queensland Reds have also called upon 37 players in the home-and-away rounds to overcome injuries and freshen up battered troops.

"A squad of 30 just won't cut it," Hickey said in Auckland.

"All unions need to look at squad numbers."

NSW, the Reds, Western Force, Melbourne Rebels and Brumbies have operated with full squads of 32-33 players in 2011 plus academy players.

But the franchises next year are supposed to operate with 30 full-contract players and also have five rookies in their ranks.

With the 2012 season to be played over a longer period, due to a break during the June international window, Hickey said it was "commonsense" to review the proposed changes at the end of the season.

- AAP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, australia, nsw, sydney-2000

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