Brumbies Tour paid by French sports promoters
Chisholm eyeing French tour
John-Paul Moloney, Canberra Times | June 24, 2009
With an ACT Brumbies tour of the rough-and-tumble French rugby provinces now confirmed, it's comforting to Mark Chisholm to know at least he'll have a solid left hook at his disposal.
Chisholm is still recovering from surgery to his right wrist, which means if the reputation of French teams to move from push to shove to punch holds true, he'll be only partly ready.
"My left will be great, my right, not so good," Chisholm joked yesterday.
The Wallabies lock is in a race to prove his fitness for the four-match development tour, which is being entirely funded by a group of French sports promoters.
The ACT will face Top 14 clubs Bourgoin-Jallieu, Bayonne, Perpignan and Toulon within the space of two weeks.
It will be the Brumbies' first visit to Europe and their first overseas development tour since 1998, when they played three matches in Japan.
The club has a strong reputation in Europe and the likely selection of frontline Super 14 players including Chisholm, Stephen Hoiles, Guy Shepherdson, Mitchell Chapman and Tyrone Smith should help ensure healthy gate takings for the promoters.
In exchange for helping draw the crowds the Brumbies get all their expenses paid and "a small fee", according to team manager Rob McQuade.
There will be no shortage of big names in the French sides, with probable inclusions of Sonny Bill Williams, Jonny Wilkinson and Matt Henjak for Toulon and Craig Gower, Rodney Blake and Manny Edmonds for Bayonne. Edmonds is the brother of Brumbies hooker and likely France tourist Huia Edmonds.
For Chisholm, the prospect of getting back on the field in a Brumbies jersey is inspiring his long rehabilitation efforts after he broke his wrist playing the Free State Cheetahs in South Africa.
"I have dark days which [strength and conditioning coach] Rod Lindsell knows about, but it's coming along. I'm meeting with [the] surgeon next week and six or seven weeks from there, who knows?" Chisholm said.
Brumbies coach Andy Friend said the tour dates in late July and early August would suit the Brumbies as the French playing fields would still be firm from the summer.
While the Brumbies have plenty to gain in terms of their set-piece play, given the scrum power typical of French teams, firm, fast fields will give Friend and his coaching staff a good chance to assess backline stocks.
The make-up of the touring squad will be mostly contracted Super 14 players, but the 28-strong squad will also draw from the Brumbies Academy and the Canberra club rugby competition.
"We'll probably give a couple of young fellas an opportunity [in the outside backs] and if someone stands up and shows they can play at that level then it's a fair chance they may well win themselves a contract," Friend said.
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