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Perese, Timani and Arnold released from Australia squad

Izaia Perese, Lopeti Timani and Rory Arnold have been released from Australia’s Rugby Championship squad, in order to get some game time ahead of the final Bledisloe Cup match with New Zealand.

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Wallabies coach Michael Cheika had suggested some players would be sent home after Saturday’s Test against South Africa in Bloemfontein, which was drawn.

Perese, Timani and Arnold will now be given the opportunity to feature in the National Rugby Championship (NRC), while Australia prepare for their last Rugby Championship fixture against Argentina.

“They all have NRC next week and NRC the week after, before we come back in for the Bledisloe camp,” explained Cheika.

Perese has impressed in training and Cheika hopes the youngster can follow the example of Reds team-mate Lukhan Tui, who made his debut in Bloemfontein after starring in the NRC.

 

“He’s killing it. That’s why I don’t want him to just stay here and train,” said Cheika of Perese.

“He is coming along very nicely but I want him to play footy as well.

“Lukhan got back in here from playing footy in the NRC and got a look in. If he was just training he wouldn’t have got on the field, so wherever we can, we want them to play footy.”

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Nickers 7 hours ago
All Blacks sabbaticals ‘damage Super Rugby Pacific when it is fighting for survival’

Sabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.

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