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Aces v Tornadoes, preview
August 09, 2007 - 8:01am
Story by: Sportal
Venue & time
Gold Coast Stadium, Carrara. Sunday, August 11. 4pm (AEST).
Head to head
Debut
Walking wounded
Wallabies selectors will be casting a keen eye across a number of players in this match. Wallabies fullback Chris Latham continues his remarkable recovery from a knee reconstruction while team-mate Rodney Blake had ankle surgery late in the Super 14 season and endured complications in his recovery that left him short of fitness and out of contention for the World Cup squad. However, injuries can happen at any second so he knows he must stay on track with his recovery to keep any hopes of going to France alive.
Tornadoes prop Greg Holmes is in the Wallabies squad after making a speedy recovery from a shoulder reconstruction and will be looking for another solid match to step-up his match fitness for the World Cup.
Form
Both sides have had limited preparations but the Aces start was stalled until a host of their players in the Gold Coast Breakers and Sunnybank contingent had played off in the Queensland Trinity Premier Rugby Grand Final. Established club and Super 14 combinations will be crucial for getting up to speed in this match.
Who's hot
Blake scored a hat trick of tries in Queensland club rugby a couple of weeks back and will be looking for more this weekend. The good form of flyhalf Ben Lucas has seen him win a starting spot ahead of talented Reds rookie Quade Cooper while No.8 Josh Afu played a starring role in Sunnybank’s 2007 premiership success and will be hoping to continue that form into the Mazda ARC.
The Tornadoes halves combination of Wallabies World Cup squad members Sam Cordingley and Berrick Barnes will be under the microscope so they will be determined to show selectors why they deserve to be going to France. Wallabies reserve hooker Sean Hardman will also be out to impress in a massive front-row battle with himself, Holmes, Shon Siemonek up against Blake, Ole Avei & Tama Tuirirangi.
Teams
MFS East Coast Aces
1. Tama Tuirirangi,
2. Ole Avei,
3. Rodney Blake,
4. Will Munsie,
5. Luke Caughley,
6. Ben Mowen,
7. AJ Gilbert,
8. Josh Afu,
9. Nic Berry,
10. Ben Lucas,
11. Henari Veratau,
12. Lloyd Johansson (capt),
13. Charlie Fetoai,
14. Andrew Walker,
15. Chris Latham.
6. Jade Ingham,
17. Lloyd Campbell-McBride,
18. James Kriukelis,
19. Bo Paraha,
20. Sam Batty,
21. Quade Cooper,
22. Marshall Milroy.
Wilson HTM Ballymore Tornadoes
1. Greg Holmes,
2. Sean Hardman,
3. Shon Siemonek,
4. Ed O’Donoghue,
5. James Horwill,
6. Jared Hanna,
7. Tom McVerry (capt),
8. Scott Higginbotham,
9. Sam Cordingley,
10. Berrick Barnes,
11. Anthony Sauer,
12. Peter Hynes,
13. Blair Connor,
14. Elia Tuqiri,
15. Clinton Schifcofske.
16. Josh Mann-Rea,
17. Ernest Skelton,
18. Daniel Linde,
19. Ray Stowers,
20. Will Genia,
21. David Collis,
22. Tim Sampson.