0
Emirates Western Force loose forward Matt Hodgson will rejoin the Wallabies in Sydney on Tuesday following recovery from a groin strain that kept him out of the South African leg of the Tri-Nations series.
Hodgson returned to Perth a fortnight ago to undertake his rehabilitation and is back to full fitness in time to press his claim for a spot in the squad to tackle the All Blacks in Sydney on Saturday night.
It won’t be easy though finding a spot in a Wallabies side which successfully ended a 47 year hoodoo on the highveld last Saturday with a heart stopping two point win against the Springboks in Bloemfontein.
“I’m just looking forward to getting back on the training track with the guys and if I can get an opportunity to play this weekend then even better,” Hodgson said.
“It was a great result against the Springboks and so good to see the hard work that the team puts in paying off.
“I’m feeling good and I’ll be ready to go if required.”
The quality of loose forwards in the Emirates Western Force ranks can be seen in the competition for places in the Wallabies set-up. Ben McCalman made his run-on test debut in Bloemfontein while David Pocock also started and Richard Brown played off the bench.
Hodgson said it was important for the Force to have depth in all departments and was delighted to see McCalman take his opportunity and play an important role last weekend.
While the Wallabies will have their tails up following the win against the Boks the focus must quickly switch to ending a nine match barren streak against an all conquering New Zealand outfit and finishing the Tri-Nations on a high.
More...