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Brumbies name Wallaby-heavy forward pack for Melbourne visit
By Ned Lester
The Brumbies begin their 2024 campaign with lofty ambitions after successive semi-final exits against Kiwi opposition.
Round one sees the ACT squad travel to Melbourne to face the Rebels, a side out to prove their place in the competition after entering voluntary administration late last month.
2023 John Eales Medal winner Rob Valetini headlines the team naming, occupying the blindside flanker role while Charlie Cale starts at No. 8. Luke Reimer rounds out the back row.
Ryan Lonergan has been handed the captaincy in the absence of Allan Alaalatoa, starting at halfback following the departure of Nic White and partnering with Noah Lolesio in the halves.
The pair will feed a well-rounded backline that features plenty of pace in Corey Toole on the right wing and Tom Wright at fullback.
Brumbies team to play the Rebels:
- James Slipper
- Lachlan Lonergan
- Rhys Van Nek
- Nick Frost
- Tom Hooper
- Rob Valetini
- Luke Reimer
- Charlie Cale
- Ryan Lonergan (c)
- Noah Lolesio
- Andy Muirhead
- Ollie Sapsford
- Len Ikitau
- Corey Toole
- Tom Wright
Replacements: Billy Pollard, Blake Schoupp, Sefo Kautai, Cadeyrn Neville, Jahrome Brown, Klayton Thorn, Declan Meredith, Tamati Tua
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Latest Comments
was I right to infer that you assumed a 1:1 correspondence between points and places?
If so why were you so evasive about admitting that?
I've typed out a reply regarding the pool format but I won't send it if you don't answer my question.
Go to commentsFoster should never have been appointed, and I never liked him as a coach, but the hysteria over his coaching and Sam Cane as a player was grounded in prejudice rather than fact.
The New Zealand Rugby public were blinded by their dislike of Foster to the point of idiocy.
Anything the All Blacks did that was good was attributed to Ryan and Schmidt and Fozzie had nothing to do with it.
Any losses were solely blamed on Foster and Cane.
Foster did develop new talent and kept all the main trophies except the World Cup.
His successor kept the core of his team as well as picking Cane despite him leaving for overseas because he saw the irreplaceable value in him.
Razor will take the ABs to the next level, I have full confidence in that.
He should have been appointed in 2020.
But he wasn’t. And the guy who was has never been treated fairly.
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