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Youthful Brumbies squad named for 2020 Super Rugby season

By Alex McLeod
Solomone Kata in action during training for the Warriors. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

The spectacle of the Rugby World Cup may have only just come to a conclusion, but the focus in the southern hemisphere will now shift to the upcoming Super Rugby campaign.

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With kick-off for the 2020 season just under three months’ away, the off-season for all 15 franchises will soon turn into pre-season, meaning the finalisation of each team’s squad lists is imminent.

The Brumbies became the first side in the competition to do just that leading into the next chapter of Super Rugby, as head coach Dan McKellar named his 37-man squad for next year on Monday.

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McKellar’s side is absent of 14 players who were signed with the Canberra-based club in 2019, with the biggest omissions being the team’s five exiting Wallabies – David Pocock (Panasonic Wild Knights), Christian Lealiifano (NTT Communications Shining Arcs), Rory Arnold (Toulouse), Henry Speight (Reds) and Sam Carter (Ulster).

Taking their places are a host of youngsters, headlined by Queensland schoolboy star Reesjan Pasitoa, who will battle with Bayley Kuenzle and Noah Lolesio for the No. 10 jersey.

Both Kuenzle and Lolesio were members of the Brumbies squad this year, although neither took to the field, while Pasitoa – who was part of the Australian U18 side which defeated New Zealand Schools last month – is one of 10 recruits for the upcoming season.

“I think we’ve lost some experienced players but we’re really comfortable in the boys that we’ve brought in because they’ve been in our program for a couple of years now,” McKellar said upon his squad announcement.

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“Obviously Christian’s the one that most people will talk about, captain and 10, but the options we’ve got there in Kuenzle, Lolesio and Pasitoa, those guys, the first two in particular have been around our program for a number of years.

“They know how we play, they know what’s expected of them and we’ve worked hard with them to make sure that they’re ready to thrive at this level.”

The 43-year-old coach suggested the departures of Lealiifano and fellow Wallabies playmakers Bernard Foley and Quade Cooper to offshore clubs has opened up opportunities for first-fives around Australia to put their hand up and make a name for themselves with vacant spots in the national side on the line.

“There’s enormous opportunity across the board and that position in particular,” he said.

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“That’s the cycle now, isn’t it, after a World Cup? Guys getting towards the back end of their career all look to move on and look for new experiences so it’s that time now where there’s huge opportunity for a number of players within our squad.”

Despite the loss of vast experience within the Brumbies set-up, McKellar was confident of his investment in youth in his much-changed squad, which still features 10 internationally-capped players.

Highly-promising Australia U20 second-rower Nick Frost has returned to his homeland after spending a year-and-a-half with Canterbury and the Crusaders across the Tasman, while loose forward Will Miller has moved south from the Waratahs to replace the ball-fetching Pocock.

Tighthead prop Shambeckler Vui joins Miller in relocating from Sydney to the nation’s capital in search of more game time.

As exclusively reported by RugbyPass earlier this year, ex-NRL star Solomone Kata has made the switch from rugby league to rugby union, being named as one of five outside back in McKellar’s side alongside discarded Wallabies fullback Tom Banks and former Chiefs speedster Toni Pulu.

“It’s not like we’re starting from scratch and have to bring in a different style of play or that sort of thing,” McKellar said of his new team.

“Those boys are really comfortable and we’re comfortable with them and we’re not going to get to round one and everything’s going to click and be the same as it was against the Sharks in the quarter-final or anything like that, but we need to just progress and build throughout the season and start better than we have over the last couple of years.

“We don’t want to get to round six and be 2-4 or anything like that. It’s no good for my blood pressure and certainly not Phil’s [CEO Phil Thompson] so we’ll sort that out.”

The Brumbies will get their season underway against the Reds at GIO Stadium in Canberra on January 31, a fortnight earlier than when they opened their 2019 campaign with a 34-27 defeat at the hands of the Rebels.

An earlier kick-off date means McKellar will have less time to gel his squad together, but with the Wallabies’ ill-fated World Cup campaign coming to an end in October, members of Michael Cheika’s squad will be available to train with their Super Rugby franchises before Christmas.

It’s an added bonus for McKellar, who normally doesn’t get his internationals back until January following the November end-of-year tour of the northern hemisphere.

“We’ll get them back a little earlier this year which is a good thing but obviously it’s an early start as well, time is of the essence,” he said.

The Brumbies have also previously confirmed that Wallabies halfback Nic White will be joining the squad in 2021 once his contract with the Exeter Chiefs finished at the end of the current European club season.

Brumbies 2020 Super Rugby squad

IN: Harry Lloyd (Western Force), Shambeckler Vui (Waratahs), Lachlan Lonergan (Canberra Vikings), Nick Frost (Crusaders Development), Cadeyrn Neville (Toyota Industries Shuttles), Will Miller (Waratahs), Issak Fines (Western Force), Reesjan Pasitoa (Nudgee College), Guy Porter (Sydney University), Solomone Kata (Melbourne Storm)

OUT: Vunipola Fifita (released), Leslie Leulua’iali’i-Makin (Kurita Water Gush), Angus Wagner (Western Force), Josh Mann-Rea (retired), Rory Arnold (Toulouse), Sam Carter (Ulster), Ben Hyne (released), David Pocock (Panasonic Wild Knights), Matt Lucas (Ricoh Black Rams), Christian Lealiifano (NTT Communications Shining Arcs), Wharenui Hawera (Kubota Spears), Jordan Jackson-Hope (Toyota Shuttles Industries), Lausii Taliauli (Southland), Chance Peni (Hino Red Dolphins)

Props: Allan Alaalatoa, Leslie Leuluaialii-Makin, Harry Lloyd, Tom Ross, Scott Sio, James Slipper, Shambeckler Vui

Hookers: Folau Fainga’a, Lachlan Lonergan, Connal McInerney

Lock: Murray Douglas, Blake Enever, Nick Frost, Caderyn Neville, Darcy Swain

Back Row: Jahrome Brown, Tom Cusack, Lachlan McCaffrey, Will Miller, Pete Samu, Rob Valetini

Halfback: Issak Fines, Ryan Lonergan, Joe Powell

First-Five: Bayley Kuenzle, Noah Lolesio, Reesjan Pasitoa

Midfielders: Len Ikitau, Tevita Kuridrani, Guy Porter, Irae Simone, Tom Wright

Outside Backs: Tom Banks, Mack Hansen, Solomone Kata, Andrew Muirhead, Toni Pulu

In other news:

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Trevor 2 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
B
Bull Shark 6 hours 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.

29 Go to comments
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