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NAMED: Cheika gives rookie a chance in Wallaby side to face the All Blacks

Wallaby coach Michael Cheika

Michael Cheika has made five changes to his Wallaby side that will make on the All Blacks in Sydney on Saturday night.

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Included in the side is uncapped winger Curtis Rona, who is in for the injured Dane Haylett-Petty.  Henry Speight as also been recalled in place of Seta Naivalu, who has also failed to recover from injury.

Rona’s elevation is tinged with irony, given that the team he impressed so much with this year no longer exits. The Western Force have been axed from Super Rugby, meaning that Rona is officially unaligned to anyone. There had been talk that he may return to the NRL, where he played for the North Queensland Cowboys and Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs. However, this call up will most likely see him stay committed to the 15-man code.

The Wallaby tight five will have a typically tough time against their All Black counterparts, given that Stephen Moore has almost twice as many caps as the rest of them put together.

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Comments on RugbyPass

j
johnz 3 minutes ago
Leicester Fainga'anuku denied All Blacks eligibility for TRC

You risk very much rewarding effort, loyalty, and commitment over talent, performance and potential. That’s fine for a 1980s rugby club, but that’s not how professional sport works. A few points on that:


I didn’t get the impression NZR made a big effort to keep Leicester in the country, despite his undeniable talent, which overseas professional clubs could easily spot.


Yet they certainly threw a good chunk of money at Ioane. Because he’s been loyal. And disappointing. I suspect NZR offered way below Leicester’s market value because he didn’t pass some abstract loyalty or service test.


So he took the option to go where he’s valued at fair market value.


We risk losing a lot of young talent to overseas clubs, because they can see older players get the best contracts based on hierarchy and service.


And these abstract rules don’t exactly encourage these highly valued professionals to return, because they know that when they get back, they are not even eligible for the national team. Because they don’t deserve it, apparently.

40 Go to comments
J
Jfp123 16 minutes ago
Why New Zealand learned more from their July series than France

Some positions have greater need of depth building than others. Imo, 9 has plenty of depth, but not 10. So I wouldn’t worry so much about Le Garrec, who is a fabulous player who would walk into most international teams, but I would be searching for a better back up for Ntamack and Ramos in 10.

Who that would be, I’m not sure. Galthier chose Segonds and Hastoy for the NZ tour, and what restrictions on selection and what larger aims led him to do so, I couldn’t say, of course. Personally, I think it was correct not to take MJ, as I think a new back up 10 needs to be found.

Probably no candidate will have such individual brilliance in attack as MJ, but then French A has plenty of attacking flair anyway. For some of the skills I think are needed in a 10, see the list in my previous comment.

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C
CO 30 minutes ago
New All Blacks locks squeezing captain Barrett out of contention

I think so

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BC 43 minutes ago
What improvements can we expect to see from Wales in Australia Tests?

Bit of a setback for Australia losing to Wales, though having watched the second half Australia dominated but didn’t turn that dominance into points. It was a combination of dogged defence, a spluttering lineout but most importantly an inability to hold on to the ball. Admittedly in that weather it was probably like a piece of soap. They will hope for dry conditions next week. I thought they would win by 20 points this week.

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T
TI 1 hour ago
Leicester Fainga'anuku denied All Blacks eligibility for TRC

Great job NZR. First you drove him away, and now you punish him for returning.

Vengeful little teenage sorority club.

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H
Howbzr76 1 hour ago
Leicester Fainga'anuku denied All Blacks eligibility for TRC

Aah yes he should. He chose the big bux up north, local boys deserve priority imo. Money or prestige 🤔🤔

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J
J Marc 1 hour ago
Competing interests and rotated squads: What the 'player welfare summer' is really telling us

I don't know the numbers you are talking about. The study which I was talking about is coming directly from the insurance numbers, so I think FFR have it. I don't know NZ or British laws very well but I think legal responsability is not exactly the same in France. Individual responsability is not enough admited by the courts in France and I think that is why this subject is ,perhaps, more on the table for FFR and LNR.

For the tackler's concussion, they are include in the numbers but I think they are not separate. Does these laws increase the tacklers concussion ? I don't know. But we saw in the last NZ FR séries that with the current rules there are allready some head on the hip and even a head on Woki's knee…

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H
Howbzr76 1 hour ago
Leicester Fainga'anuku denied All Blacks eligibility for TRC

I agree- he just got back to nz, and he’s eligible straight away??Building solid combinations takes years, if players want to put profit before championships then honestly each to their own- but don't expect to come back home, when others have been doing the hard grind locally, to just walk into any rep team. The jersey HAS to be earnt on merit, not just some decent form in the past. Winning tests is not everything. Our lads who choose to play here, foregoing the money overseas deserve priority. Do the Hard grind, it’s the k1w1 way.

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J
J Marc 1 hour ago
Competing interests and rotated squads: What the 'player welfare summer' is really telling us

In France rugby at school is very rare.

The more often, it's a seven version on a reduce pitch. Sports teachers favorite sport is handball and it's a blessing for it and a problem for the others. So it's hard to compare. I think the NZ school rugby system you describe is close to the french one in lower levels and to what english RFU would have try to copy if the clubs had been OK…

230 Go to comments
S
SadersMan 2 hours ago
Half-back depth is the flaw in 'Razor's' 4-4-4 Rugby World Cup plan

Sounds lame bro.

253 Go to comments
S
SadersMan 2 hours ago
New All Blacks locks squeezing captain Barrett out of contention

Well that’s the counter argument. I disagree. If someone’s available for NPC, they’re eligible.

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H
Hammer Head 2 hours ago
Half-back depth is the flaw in 'Razor's' 4-4-4 Rugby World Cup plan

Wrll I GOOGLED the name ROIGATD as I mis spelt it and surprise surprise!!!!! Up came Cam Roigard, NZ rugby player, as the first option.

Wrll said!

253 Go to comments
H
Hammer Head 2 hours ago
Half-back depth is the flaw in 'Razor's' 4-4-4 Rugby World Cup plan

Like who?

253 Go to comments
H
Hammer Head 2 hours ago
Half-back depth is the flaw in 'Razor's' 4-4-4 Rugby World Cup plan

Yes sure.


Two world cups is far worse.

253 Go to comments
H
Hammer Head 2 hours ago
Half-back depth is the flaw in 'Razor's' 4-4-4 Rugby World Cup plan

Wrll, wrll, wrll.


What do we have here!?

253 Go to comments
H
Hammer Head 2 hours ago
Half-back depth is the flaw in 'Razor's' 4-4-4 Rugby World Cup plan

Just 80% is fine.


England did 89% in 2020

France did 100% in 2022

Ireland did 92% in 2022

South Africa did 85% back to back 2023 and 2024.


So +80% has been done plenty.


Only knew Zeland hasn’t done >80% in the last 6 completed seasons. Average of 68% 2019 - 2024.


This year you’ll do it I reckon.

253 Go to comments
J
JH 2 hours ago
Leicester Fainga'anuku denied All Blacks eligibility for TRC

I’d say his plan is play the next world cup, try and get a winner’s medal, then immediately hop the plane back to France and turn out for Tonga in 3031 while also cashing those club cheques.


I don’t agree with the NZR policy as such, because they may as well get their money’s worth while he’s here, but I can certainly see how they’d be viewing his ‘stay’ as a not particularly loyal one.

40 Go to comments
J
JW 2 hours ago
New All Blacks locks squeezing captain Barrett out of contention

Nar, it doesn’t make snse, as that just tells everyone that’s leaves the jerseys theres when they get back.


Exactly the wrong message loyal players want to hear, and would cause to also leave in future.


True though, he could have played wing, I was only thinking of center.

97 Go to comments
H
Hammer Head 2 hours ago
Half-back depth is the flaw in 'Razor's' 4-4-4 Rugby World Cup plan

In your skull cavity?

253 Go to comments
H
Hammer Head 2 hours ago
Half-back depth is the flaw in 'Razor's' 4-4-4 Rugby World Cup plan

Never tried it. How is it?

253 Go to comments
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