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Four Wallabies named in Vikings squad

By Online Editors
Pete Samu

A mixture of Wallabies, seasoned Super Rugby professionals and local club game talent headline the Canberra Vikings team set to undertake the 2019 National Rugby Championship.

Led by Head Coach Nick Scrivener, the Vikings, who reached the semi-final stage last season only to fall to the Fijian Drua in the Pacific Islands, have named a strong-looking group of players that includes full Wallabies internationals Tom Banks, Joe Powell, Pete Samu and Blake Enever.

There’s a real emphasis on youth amongst the group with promising young talent such as Junior Wallabies props Bo Abra and Angus Wagner, hooker Lachlan Lonergan, and backs Noah Lolesio, Bayley Kuenzle and Len Ikitau, set to take the tournament by storm.

“I’m very pleased with the balance of the squad that we have selected and am looking forward to the competition getting underway,” Scrivener said of the Vikings 2019 selection.

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“There’s some very exciting young talent in the group, which should mix well with the players who have had experience of playing in Super Rugby. I’m also extremely exited by the prospect of seeing some of the local club players showing their quality at this level.”

Amongst those who have shone in the ACT club competition, the Griffin Legal John I Dent Cup, is scrumhalf, and Tuggeranong Vikings points-machine, Ryan Lonergan, Owls’ centre Irae Simone and Queanbeyan Whites Junior Wallabies lock Nick Frost.

https://twitter.com/WorldRugby/status/1137377352869191681

Other club talent aiming to shine includes Jake Helgesen of Gungahlin Eagles, a former winner of the MacDougall Medal, Easts speedster George Morseu, Vikings centre Andrew Robinson and Queanbeyan Whites book-end Fred Kaihea.

SQUAD

Backs: Tom Banks, Mack Hansen, Len Ikitau, Bayley Kuenzle, Noah Lolesio, Ryan Lonergan, George Morseu, Andrew Muirhead, Joe Powell, Toni Pulu, Andrew Robinson, Irae Simone, Seamus Smith, Tom Wright

Forwards: Angus Allen, Bowen Abra, Nick Dobson, Blake Enever, Nick Frost, Luke Gersekowski, Jake Helgesen, Fred Kaihea, Lachlan Lonergan, Tp Luteru, Connal Mcinerney, Will Miller, Tom Ross, Pete Samu, Levi Shaw, Jake Simeon, Darcy Swain, Rob Valetini, Angus Wagner

The Canberra Vikings National Rugby Championship challenge for 2019 will begin with a visit to Melbourne to take on the Rising this Saturday 31 August, and will include four home matches, all at Viking Park.

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Bull Shark 45 minutes ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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