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'Every time I've been a part of a side with him, he adds something so much on and off the field'
By Online Editors
After doing the hard yards in Australia, the Wallabies have headed overseas excited about the rugby carrots dangling before them in a World Cup year.
With the squad's Brumbies contingent joining them after some time off following last weekend's Super Rugby semi-final in Argentina the 34 players flew to South Africa on Sunday.
They start their five-Test build-up to the World Cup in Japan in September with a Rugby Championship opening round fixture in Johannesburg on July 21 Australian time.
The Wallabies play only one rather than the usual two rounds of Championship games and face New Zealand in a second Bledisloe Cup match and a warm-up Test against Samoa before the World Cup.
"Really excited to get away; we've been doing some real hard yards up until this point," Wallabies' captain and flanker Michael Hooper said on Sunday just before departing.
"It's the first time we're really getting the full squad together, the Brumbies coming in today, and getting on the plane together and going to work.
"Everyone is so excited about the job, there’s so many carrots throughout the year to go for and strive for, it’s a great opportunity to be a part of."
Hooper said he was hugely excited by the uncapped trio of backrowers, Isi Naisarani , Liam Wright and Rob Valetini.
The Wallabies leader was also excited by the recall of veteran playmaker Christian Lealiifano, who played his last Test just over three years ago and was sidelined for 12 months after being diagnosed with leukaemia
"Every time I’ve been a part of a side with him, he adds something so much on and off the field," Hooper said of Lealiifano.
"Really excited to see him back in the colours and a great reward for a top season."
The Wallabies will have an unusually long time in South Africa prior to their season-opening Test.
"It's always helpful to get attuned to the climate over there; it's sunny and low on oxygen every day so we get a bit of a taste of that (with almost two weeks) over there," Hooper said.
Among the injured players missing from the squad are veteran forwards David Pocock, Adam Coleman and, Tatafu Polota-Nau.
- AAP
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Im guessing you never lived in NZ under r dern and red commie labour
We were forced and in some cases mandated to take the V - I know of 7 people who D taking it and many with untold injuries - Minimium 12 K D in NZ taking it - it was never safe never effective never worked just Maimed and K'd qe were close to being thrown into quarantine camps C was only a rebranded Flu
Oz Govt MOH have completed their c commission - they admit they never had the proveable data to make justify their statements and decisions & that the public will never accept it ever happening again - they fired rubber B into peaceful protestors Ardern is hated here ( 1 M patriots forced her out ) - bloomfield her side kick 2IC dr D excempted 11k from taking it - we (not u) know who they were the Pol and Public servants who knew they were fatal - A zeneca pulled it off the market due 2 excess D's - Japan banned them - called them stupid poison -
P M Shinzo Abe opposed the v and sent over a million doses back - because of that he was murdered - So were the heads of several African nations who also opposed the fake v they were k'd and their replacements allowed their countries to be swamped with them - C was V wasnt bought in fo C - C was bought in for the V
Im not here to talk politics but if u want to I can all day especially to a RED neck commie like you - whats it going to be Rugby or Politics or mud slinging give me something to think about - surprise me with something meaty - just not word salad
Go to commentsIt doesn’t matter how good your rugby team is, at the highest level you are going to have momentum swings in games.
Wales having a good ten minute period next week- and they will- doesn’t mean the Boks will be playing poorly.
It’s if you can make the most of it when you have the momentum. And the current group of springboks do enough when they create enough, as great teams do.
For comparison, the All Blacks played their best game of the year against France.
Still lost. And it’s only France’s second game so they aren’t firing at 100% yet.
The ABs haven’t got to that ruthless stage that the springboks are at yet.
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