Showing posts with label starts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label starts. Show all posts

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Graham starts at Reds under McKenzie

Updated September 19, 2012 21:28:59

New Queensland Reds head coach Richard Graham has admitted he's unsure how the club's coaching arrangements will work in 2013.

The former Western Force mentor has officially started in his new role as Reds head coach but he will be second in charge at Ballymore under incumbent Ewen McKenzie.

Under a European-style coaching model McKenzie is director of coaching and in charge of the rugby program.

Graham said they're taking a collaborative approach, but he doesn't know who will be in charge on game day. 

"Those are things that going forward we'll have discussions about but I'd expect that on game day we'd continue with where things finished off at the end of last season,” he said.

“Ewen's the boss of the rugby program but certainly from a football point of view, that's the area I'll be focussing heavily on."  

McKenzie is seen as Wallabies coach Robbie Deans' obvious successor after claiming the 2011 Super Rugby title and the move to appoint Graham has allowed the Reds a less troublesome transition if there is a change at the top.

A full-back and winger for Queensland more than a decade ago, Graham's return to Ballymore comes after 10 years coaching around the world with Bath, Saracens, the Wallabies as skills coach, and the Force.

He announced his move home almost six months ago and was subsequently axed by the Force, who saw the season out with Phil Blake as interim coach before the appointment of Michael Foley for 2013.

Graham says he will adopt the role of defence coach from Scotland-bound Matt Taylor and combine with McKenzie in devising the Reds strategy and selections.

He will take the reins if McKenzie usurps Deans as Wallabies coach in the next year but is already scheduled to be the main man for the 2014 season when McKenzie is slated to become Queensland's director of rugby.

"Queensland are in a fortunate position to transition when they choose to transition," Graham said.

AAP

Tags: rugby-union, sport, brisbane-4000

First posted September 19, 2012 14:56:04


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Thursday, May 19, 2011

Freier starts latest comeback

Posted May 18, 2011 17:13:00

Injured Melbourne hooker Adam Freier has not given up on appearing for the Rebels this Super Rugby season and will begin his latest comeback on Saturday.

The former Wallabies rake will play for Melbourne Unicorns against Footscray, while his team-mates complete their two-match tour of South Africa.

The 31-year-old missed the start of the Rebels inaugural season as he recovered from back surgery and then managed four matches - for the Unicorns and the Rebels' second XV - before badly damaging his hamstring.

"I could have been right to go on tour but thought it would be better to stay at home and play a few club games," he said.

"I'm going to play this weekend and then maybe next Saturday for Randwick, while the Rebels have a bye, and then hopefully play the last three games of the Super season."

The 25-Test veteran says the run of injuries has been a "nightmare" as he looked to add to his tally of 88 Super Rugby appearances, earned with New South Wales and the Brumbies before his move south.

"My back's great, and if I tore my hamstring it would be fine but because I tore my tendon it just takes ages to heal," he said.

The injury is similar to that of Wallabies skipper Rocky Elsom, who is set to play his first Super Rugby match of the season for the Brumbies this weekend.

Freier also fitted in a flying visit to Solomon Islands last weekend with team-mate Sam Cordingley, where they gave the national sevens squad some pointers.

"All my mates were saying, 'What about you holidaying while your team's in South Africa', but I was running the sidelines as a touch judge and it was 40 degrees," he said.

The Rebels suffered a 47-10 mauling at the hands of the Bulls in Pretoria last weekend and next face the Cheetahs at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

- AAP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, melbourne-3000


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