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Brumbies select a new captain while Jamie Roberts earns first Waratahs start
The unbeaten Brumbies have opted to leave a host of key men in Canberra and named Ryan Lonergan as captain for Friday’s Super Rugby Pacific trip to face the Western Force in Perth.
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Five-eighth Noah Lolesio and Wallabies forwards James Slipper and Allan Alaalatoa have been rested after the side’s bruising 16-12 victory over the Queensland Reds, who they’ll play again in Brisbane next week.
That win shot them clear at the top of the ladder as the competition’s only unbeaten team, with ACT product Lonergan now charged with maintaining that record.
He’ll start in the No.9, pushing another Wallaby Nic White to the bench, while Rod Iona will play alongside him in the No.10 and Scott Sio will join loosehead Sefo Kautai up front.
Lolesio finished the game against the Reds on the bench, but the club is confident he’ll be fit to travel north for a spicy rematch next week.
“We’ve had a squad mentality all season and we’re rotating in a few guys this week who have earned an opportunity and getting valuable recovery into a few players, particularly Allan and Slips who have put big shifts in these first five rounds,” coach Dan McKellar said.
“Seeing Ryan Lonergan lead the team out will be a proud day for everyone at the club and in ACT rugby who have watched him come through as a kid but it’s a responsibility he is more than ready for and not much will change for him.”
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Kyle Godwin, Santiago Medrano, Kane Koteka and Toni Pulu will return for the Force, who snuck home against the Fijian Drua last week.
The Waratahs will be steered by fresh-faced pair Jack Grant and Tane Edmed in the No 9 and 10 jerseys respectively, sons of former Balmain NSWRL teammates James Grant and Steve Edmed, against the Reds on Saturday.
Regular five-eighth Ben Donaldson will miss the clash with a calf injury, while Welsh international Jamie Roberts will start at inside centre with Izaia Perese (Covid-19 protocols) unavailable.
The Reds will welcome back captain Tate McDermott from an ankle injury, while Jordan Petaia will again wear the No 15.
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Coach Brad Thorn will wait on the outcome of Wednesday’s judiciary hearing, optimistic he’ll have the services of prop Taniela Tupou.
Meanwhile, hooker Zuriel Togiatama has earned his first start for Fijian Drua against the winless Melbourne Rebels, who will likely debut 19-year-old academy product Daniel Maiava from the bench on Friday.
The Drua beat the Rebels in round three and have followed that up with two tight losses to the Reds and Force.
“We’re getting more belief in what we’re doing and realising that when we play well, we’re in this competition,” Drua coach Mick Byrne said.
“Words like belief are living words – you get it by living it – and our belief is getting stronger every week so we’re delivering better.”
– Murray Wenzel
Comments on RugbyPass
Oh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
1 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
1 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
56 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to comments