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BRETT STUBBS
Mercury
April 22, 2014 12:33PM
A WORLD Cup-winning coach has urged the Wallabies to take a punt on an uncapped Tasmanian to help Australia regain the Webb Ellis Cup comparing him to former rugby great John Eales.
Hobart-born Western Force lock Adam Coleman, a former school captain at New Town High and Tasmanian under-14s, 16s and 18s representative, has caught the eye of 1991 World Cup-winning Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer after just seven Super Rugby matches.
Dwyer famously picked Eales from obscurity and the Queenslander went on to become the Wallabies’ most successful captain and a legend of Australian sport.
“I remember the first time I saw John Eales was in 1990, he was on the bench for Queensland,” Dwyer said. “I’d heard about him and I saw him play for about 25 minutes and I though, ‘this bloke will be a gun’ and immediately I thought he would be in the World Cup team next year.
“I thought the same thing with Adam Coleman — he’s got all the qualities and he’s an eager beaver, he wants to work.”
Dwyer said it was time to move on previous locks such as former Wallaby captain James Horwill, Kane Douglas and Rob Simmons and let the 22-year-old, 122kg, 204cm Tasmanian blossom in the national set up ahead of next year’s World Cup in England and Wales.
“When I saw him (Coleman) I thought he could fit in for sure,” Dwyer said. “We have been picking people who in my opinion cannot be members of a winning World Cup team, they will never get us there.
“I would be extremely surprised if he played a Test match this year, but the quicker we get him in the squad, the quicker we let him know we are interested in him and present him with the environment that he could be a part of, the better.
“If we take him on the end-of-season tour ... and he’ll get more time then and get some games and it will stand us in great stead for next year.”
Coleman may be a Tasmanian product but he comes from a long line of rugby champions. His father (Pau’u Afeaki) and first cousin (Inoke Afeaki) are former Tongan captains, his first cousin is former Wallaby Rodney Blake and yet another cousin, Ben Afeaki, has played for the New Zealand All Blacks.
http://www.themercury.com.au/sport/t...-1226893068821
I like the thought of Colman and Skelton locking for RWC 2015