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'You play well, you put your hand up': Wallabies selectors eye up Western Force stars ahead of Australian Super Rugby competition
By AAP
Western Force players could go from Australian rugby outcasts to Wallabies heroes within a year.
Rugby Australia's director of rugby Scott Johnson is hopeful details of a refined Super Rugby competition featuring the Perth-based franchise - and possibly Japan's Sunwolves - will be finalised "very, very shortly".
And he said Force players would enter calculations once competition resumes and Wallabies spots are back on the line.
"Anyone who fits that criteria and playing well ... they're available for selection," Johnson said.
"You play well, you put your hand up for selection ... it's a clean sheet."
That means the likes of former Super Rugby journeyman Chris Alcock, Andrew Ready and Force captain Ian Prior would all suddenly have the eye of new Wallabies coach Dave Rennie.
It would be a dramatic shift for the Force - booted from Super Rugby in 2017 - given they intended to feature in the Asia-Pacific Global Rapid Rugby this year.
July's Tests against Ireland and Fiji have been shelved but Johnson is optimistically planning for a Bledisloe Cup series later this year.
All four Australian Super Rugby clubs have returned to training, with a domestic league flagged for a July 4 kick-off.
RA is keen to involve both the Force and the Sunwolves, with the Japan-based side due to exit Super Rugby after this season.
"We're getting close, dealing the right way and I'm confident we'll get some resolution in the next week or so, so we can get on with formulating a plan for the competition," Johnson said.
"Hopefully very, very shortly we can announce something."
Rennie, still contracted with Scottish club Glasgow Warriors, is yet to arrive in Australia but has been in regular discussion with his new national coaching panel.
Johnson said he was unfazed by RA's boardroom scuffles and financial plight that contributed to the demise of chief executive Raelene Castle, who was central in luring New Zealander Rennie into the job.
"That's my job, his job is to worry about rugby," Johnson said of the off-field dramas.
"What this time's given us is time for coaches to have conversations about rugby.
"It's given us a good positive runway into getting comfortable with each other and a clear direction."
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Latest Comments
I'm very aware that GB is not UK.
Also that the British Isles are not the same as the British Islands.
I still think your objection to calling this a tour to the UK is stupid and pedantic.
I repeat what I send earlier, the Boks are not playing anywhere except in the UK.
It's legitimate therefore to call this a tour to the UK.
But this is boring now, goodnight, goodbye. And good luck with your crusade (that really doesn't have any bearing on what the article is discussing.)
Go to commentsHappy for Asher Opoku-Fordjour but why oh why is he the only new face, Borthwick didn't have to change 50% of the team but surely another 2 or 3 squad guys could have been given the chance to show what they could do? What can we possibly learn from this game other than we can beat Japan with a strong team.... hold the front page....!!
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