Wallabies look for more Springbok recruits

Wallabies look for more Springbok recruits

September 28, 2007

AUSTRALIA is looking at unearthing more young South Africans like Dan Vickerman and Clyde Rathbone in the build-up to the next Rugby World Cup in 2011.

Newly-appointed Australian Rugby Union high performance manager Pat Howard has arrived at the World Cup in France to examine what countries and what systems are producing the best results.

Australia has had great success poaching young Springboks into its ranks, with lock Vickerman a member of the current national squad and outside back Rathbone forced out of World Cup selection reckoning through injury.

"It's a matter of looking at how we, with our very small player base, stay up there at the top end," Howard said. "If we leave it to luck, you might get the Argentine model occasionally coming through, but it's not a consistent model."

Australian rugby has only four provincial teams from which to choose its national squad. Howard, who coached English Premiership giants Leicester till the end of last season, intends targeting the usual sources of future Wallabies, the schools, clubs and rugby league, but admitted Australia might investigate whether there was a pool of talented young South African players prepared to one day play for the Wallabies.

"South Africa presents itself as an opportunity, or it could," Howard said.
Howard believes what could drive young South Africans to abandon their homeland in pursuit of another is the plan of the South African Government to establish a quota system to ensure a set number of black players are selected for the Springboks.

Any such imports would have to be assisted by the ARU and would have to be regarded as a long-term investment since the players would need to serve a three-year qualifying period before they became eligible to represent Australia in time for the next World Cup in New Zealand.

Agence France-Presse

With the current and future selection policies I think it is inevitable we will be seeing more South African players looking to the West (well, their East, WA I mean!).
I recall when the Force was being selected there being a considerable number of SAs looking to emigrate to WA and play out their qualifying period in Perth.
Seem to recall at that stage the ARU disallowed it, might have to look back and see if I can find the article.

Anyone else think this is a slight on home grown talent? Plenty of good players doing the hard yards in Sydney club rugger Howard. Am sure the same is true of other states as well. This continual view of grabbing players from league or OS is a worrying trend in Australian rugby imho. Anyways off to cheer on the Tongians :)

Yeah i did think that when i first read it...but then i guess its also a challenge for our local boys to step it up.

Also off to watch the Tongians... :D

My thought is to stop looking at wingers and second rowers, we're pretty well supplied ther, let's get a couple of young, massive props over. I'm not suggesting that we just buy a Wallaby front row, but if you inject that sort of influence in at ARC level, the local talent will develop to match it. we need to pick up our scrummaging, and this would be an excellent way to kick start a program.

Yet to meet a prop who would take a move like that lying down. Most would be looking to tear the arms off the upstart and show the ARU what a bunch of limpdicks they were.

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Originally Posted by Jethro

Anyone else think this is a slight on home grown talent?

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Like all the "home grown" players in the All Blacks squad? ;)

There is an article Rugby365 did about foreign born players which was quite interesting, I'd bring it up now but I'm too busy watching the Rams v Spirit game (top stuff on whoever is getting such quick updates).

The basic idea being in terms of this World Cup that Italy is the team with the most foreign born players followed by Scotland I think and then New Zealand. I think Australia has one or two less foreign born players than NZ. It is noted though that the likes of Guy Shepherdson and Stephen Moore are foreign born but from non-rugby nations (Indonesia and Saudi Arabia).

Funnily enough in terms of exported players, New Zealand and then France have the most players from those countries playing overseas. Most of which are in Italy. I agree with GIGS20 though that a prop would be good. We had an Argentinian about 4 years back, I think his name was Noriageu? He served us pretty well.

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Originally Posted by James

We had an Argentinian about 4 years back, I think his name was Noriageu? He served us pretty well.

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Had another one a bit earlier on who was OK too. Il Topo aka Enrique Rodrigues. Part of the best front three I've ever seen, along with Andy McIntyre and Tom Lawton. In fact, and I'm not taking anything from Michael Foley here, I have found it hard to believe that none of these blokes have ever been called upon to help repair the damage done to our scrum during Shut-Up Eddie's watch.

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Originally Posted by Jethro

This continual view of grabbing players from league or OS is a worrying trend in Australian rugby imho.

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I agree Jethro, if we keep this up we'll be.....New Zealand :P

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Originally Posted by shasta

Had another one a bit earlier on who was OK too. Il Topo aka Enrique Rodrigues. Part of the best front three I've ever seen, along with Andy McIntyre and Tom Lawton. In fact, and I'm not taking anything from Michael Foley here, I have found it hard to believe that none of these blokes have ever been called upon to help repair the damage done to our scrum during Shut-Up Eddie's watch.

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I think people were brought in but Eddie didn't listen to what they said and kept them at an arms reach. He got a lot of criticism in the ARU of not being much of a team player with management staff.

Yeah, Topo made a very public offer to take the proposed "Scrum School" but the ARU/Eddie declined.