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Wallabies squad reveal beset by injury woes?
By AAP
Matt Toomua admits he's fearing the outcome of scans on a groin injury that could jeopardise the Melbourne Rebels' Test hopes later this year. The No.10 limped off in his side's 25-13 Super Rugby AU qualifying final loss to the Queensland Reds on Saturday night.
Teammates and Wallabies regulars Dane Haylett-Petty (groin) and Jordan Uelese (shoulder) are in the same boat following an injury-riddled contest, providing headaches for new Wallabies coach Dave Rennie who's set to name his first squad on Sunday.
Jordan Petaia (concussion) will need to pass tests this week to feature for the Reds in the decider, with Chris Feauai-Sautia (groin) another in the casualty ward.
The Wallabies will play two Tests in New Zealand next month before hosting the Rugby Championship in November and December.
Select Rebels players will join a training camp featuring NSW Waratahs and Western Force players this week, before squad members from the Reds and fellow grand finalists the Brumbies are added after Saturday's final in Canberra.
A disappointed Toomua tweaked his groin while kicking and said scans might reveal "a bit more (damage) than what I hoped".
Reds coach Brad Thorn expects a host of his men to feature in the 46-man squad for the first time, with Filipo Daugunu's man-of-the-match effort the latest to catch the eye for the improved side.
"It's an exciting place to be in your career, on the brink," he said.
"I know for myself those opportunities are something you dream of as a kid."
Reds prop and established Wallaby Taniela Tupou showed he'd be a handful in a gold jersey later this year, running a brilliant line at pace to set up the final try on Saturday.
Rebels coach Dave Wessels joined the chorus of rivals questioning Tupou's scrum technique this week but admitted post-game he was dealing with a "special player".
He said the emerging Daugunu and incumbent Wallabies winger Marika Koroibete were further examples of the depth of domestic talent.
"If you think about where Australian rugby is at, I actually think this Australian competition is one of the best things to happen in a long time," he said.
"We've unearthed a lot of very good players ... it may not happen straight away, but it's something special for the Wallabies."
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Latest Comments
Generally disagree with what? The possibility that they would get whitewashed, or the idea they shouldn't gain access until they're good enough?
I think the first is a fairly irrelevant view, decide on the second and then worry about the first. Personally I'd have had them in a third lvl comp with all the bottom dwellers of the leagues. I liked the idea of those league clubs resting their best players, and so being able to lift their standards in the league, though, so not against the idea that T2 sides go straight into Challenge Cup, but that will be a higher level with smaller comps and I think a bit too much for them (not having followed any of their games/performances mind you).
fl's idea, if I can speak for him to speed things up, was for it to be semifinalists first, Champions Cup (any that somehow didn't make a league semi), then Challenge's semi finalists (which would most certainly have been outside their league semi's you'd think), then perhaps the quarter finalists of each in the same manner. I don't think he was suggesting whoever next performed best in Europe but didn't make those knockouts (like those round of 16 losers), I doubt that would ever happen.
The problem I mainly saw with his idea (much the same as you see, that league finish is a better indicator) is that you could have one of the best candidates lose in the quarters to the eventual champions, and so miss out for someone who got an easier ride, and also finished lower in the league, perhaps in their own league, and who you beat everytime.
Go to commentsIt was an odd tournament full of sides cobbled together and given strange names..as well as clearly national sides. It was for this reason hard to follow.
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