Local Junior Wallaby elevated to Rebels starting lineup to face Waratahs
Victorian lock Trevor Hosea has rocketed into the Melbourne Rebels starting XV ahead of their Round 4 match-up against bitter rivals the NSW Waratahs.
The Junior Wallaby prodigy has made the most of his two appearances of the bench this season to warrant selection in a match that could prove critical for the Rebels season.
Speaking to the media this morning, Senior Assistant Coach Kevin Foote said the call-up meant a lot to the 203cm giant.
“I’m very proud of those Victorian boys who’ve come through the system and I’m very excited for Trev.
“I spoke to him in the lift and he had spoken to his parents and he had almost gotten quite tearful, so I think it means a hell of a lot to him and his family back home.”
Cameron Orr also comes into the starting XV at the expense of Matt Gibbon, whilst Reece Hodge is elevated back into the starting XV after being handed the number 13 jersey.
Campbell Magnay will miss the match after taking a knock at training yesterday leaving the Rebels with a 6/2 split bench.
Despite getting the W over the men from Sydney earlier in the year, Foote knows the Waratahs pose a different threat now.
“I think the Waratahs are actually doing really well. I think Rob Penny came out of that isolation and really got his roots in with the team and I think they’re doing well and really getting better and better.
“They’re playing a brave style of rugby and some of these guys making their debuts that are not scared to let the ball go, so I think they’re actually playing a really good style.
“From a defence point of view, we’ve got to understand how they want to play and we’re going to have to shut them down, but it’s always been a tight contest and I’m really looking forward to Friday night.
“I don’t think the opposition really matters to us at this point – we just want to play better as a team, and we know we can beat anyone in this comp when we play well.”
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With the team having relocated camp from Canberra to Terrigal overnight, Foote noted the change of scenery was doing wonders for the team’s mindset.
“The bye came at a good time for us – we really trained well at the backend of last week and then we front-loaded this week before the travel, so it’s going to be a good game Friday night.”
“I think the guys had blocked out Canberra knowing we weren’t going to be there forever, but we were lucky in that bye week being in Sydney, so a lot of the guys got to see their family there and the management really well planned around that.
“So, we spent that time in Sydney and then we came back to Canberra and we knew we were there for the week, so we really ripped into it.
“Canberra is a cold place – even though coming from Melbourne – so I was a pretty nervous, but I actually really loved it – blues skies, the people were so good to us and the facilities were incredible, so we were really lucky.
“But to break it up now and come to a place like Terrigal in the Central Coast, it’s been pretty awesome.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Rest is for namby pamby sissies, I see. True men should overcome their trifling injuries by playing week in, week out. Bidwell’s stance reminds me of a Jon Gadsby character from the 70s, a rugby captain giving an after-match speech: “It was a very physical contest. One of our players caught a boot on the back of his head in a ruck, and he died, actually. But to his credit, he played on.”
1 Go to commentsI still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
1 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
27 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
27 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
27 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
27 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
27 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
22 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
27 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
91 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
27 Go to commentsSay what you will about Andy Goode. But he is right about one thing… I’m not sure what that one thing is exactly… but I’m willing to hear him out.
27 Go to commentsAnother article to bait and trigger Irish fans. This must stop.
27 Go to commentsHi Nick. Thanks for your +++ ongoing analysis. Re Vunivalu, He’s been benched recently and it will be interesting to see what Kiss does with him as we enter the backend of SRP. I’m still not sold.
91 Go to comments