'Tahs sweating on Palu and Baxter

'Tahs sweating on Palu and Baxter


18th March 2010 08:18

http://images.planetrugby.com/10/01/...ng_2408864.jpg Will he or won't he? Palu



Waratahs coach Chris Hickey is sweating over the fitness of Wycliff Palu and Al Baxter ahead of their trip to face derby rivals Western Force.
The Australian international duo are struggling with respective hamstring and calf injuries that saw them both sit out training on Thursday.
And that has left Hickey with an issue regarding selection as he looks to keep his charges fresh going in the mid-part of the Super 14 season.
"It's a bit of a dilemma, every week you've got an important game to play and a challenge," Hickey said, speaking to AAP.
"You want to have your best team on the field, but you also want those players reasonably fresh and available at the end of the year."
If both Palu and Baxter fail to be passed fit for the game in Perth, Hickey is likely to bring in Ben Mowen on the flank and Sekope Kepu at prop.
"Once you get into this stage of the season you do start to look at possibly rotating," he explained, with his side playing the Blues in Round Seven.
"But you've got to be careful that doesn't jeopardise your chances to win the game you've got to play on the weekend.
"We are probably in a reasonable position to do that (rotate players), given we've got a strong bench and players there who are certainly capable of starting games, so that's something you start to have a look at this stage of the season.
"We don't get our bye until round ten, which is a fair way into the competition, so we may have to try and look at that in the next week or two given that the bye is that late in the season."


http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,2...033667,00.html

They don't need to sweat anymore, they're gone.

Injured Baxter, Palu give fringe forwards chance to shine RUPERT GUINNESS
March 19, 2010

The Waratahs have lost two Wallabies forwards for tomorrow night's game against the Western Force, with prop Al Baxter and No.8 Wycliff Palu ruled out with injury.

Sidelined after medical assessments late yesterday, Waratahs officials are confident, however, both will be available to play the Blues in Sydney next week.

Baxter has a calf strain similar to one he sustained last year and the Tahs want to avoid a repeat of 2009, when he played on with a strain, only for the muscle to tear and force him out for five weeks.

''We felt it would be better to be cautious and not push him,'' coach Chris Hickey said. ''If it was semi-finals we would have played him, but there is still a fair bit of the season for us to play.''

Replacing Baxter at No.3 will be Sekope Kepu, while Dan Palmer will move on to the bench.

Meanwhile, Palu, who strained a hamstring during last week's win against the Lions, will be replaced at No.8 by Ben Mowen. Locky McCaffrey moves to the bench.

''We put Cliffy through a rehabilitation run in the afternoon, but he pulled up a bit sore,'' Hickey said. ''If we pushed him it may have done more harm and kept him out longer.''

Baxter and Palu will be missed, but the players more than capable of filling the void will benefit from the game time.

Meanwhile, McCaffrey and Sydney University prop Paddy Ryan yesterday followed Kane Douglas and Patrick McCutcheon in having their Junior Waratahs contracts upgraded to full professional deals to the end of 2012.






http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-union...0318-qihe.html

weekend off playing golf...

Having Kepu coming on for Baxter doesn't really weaken the Tahs.
Mowen for Palu helps even up the back rows.
Less strength on the Tah's bench.

CARN THE FORCE!

Its Barnes they have to shut down... shut down Barnes and grind out a win boys...

a few BIG hits on the backs will dent their enthusiasm...