Eight Wallabies on show in Canes trial
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Eight Wallabies on show in Canes trial
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
Brumbies Media Unit
Clyde Rathbone will return to the field for the CA Brumbies this Friday.
The CA Brumbies have included eight Wallabies in their 29-man squad to play the Hurricanes in their opening Investec Super 14 trial match at Canberra Stadium on Friday night.
Prop Ben Alexander, lock Mark Chisholm and lock/back rower Peter Kimlin will make their first appearance since the 2008 Wallaby Spring Tour. They will be joined by fellow Wallabies Mark Gerrard, Nic Henderson, Guy Shepherdson, Clyde Rathbone and incumbent CA Brumbies captain Stephen Hoiles, who will skipper the side for the first time since officially taking over the post two weeks ago.
The match will signal Rathbone’s return to provincial football since injuring his knee against the Lions in Johannesburg in March 2007.
The 27-yeard-old says he’s looking forward to returning to the CA Brumbies’ line-up after a 22-month absence.
“It’s obviously been a while [since I’ve played for the CA Brumbies] but I’ve had half a season of club football under my belt since the injury and it’s responded well through the pre-season,” he said.
“I had a run against the Australian Sevens side in November without any dramas and now I’m just looking forward to getting out there and playing some football.
“We’ve had a great pre-season and Friday’s an opportunity to start forming some combinations and building some momentum leading into the season.”
The match will mark the first appearance for four of the CA Brumbies’ six new recruits in locks Ben Hand, Shawn Mackay and Sitaleki Timani, and scrumhalf James Stannard. Brumbies Academy squad members Nathan Charles, Anthony Hegarty, Talalelei Gray, Henry Vanderglas and Pat McCabe will also be given their first opportunity to impress for the CA Brumbies.
The squad also features Australia A representatives John Ulugia, Salesi Ma’afu, Julian Salvi, Francis Fainifo, Patrick Phibbs, Josh Holmes and 2008 Investec Super 14 Rookie of the Year Tyrone Smith.
CA Brumbies Head Coach Andy Friend says the trial season is important in building momentum in the lead-up to the CA Brumbies’ first Investec Super 14 match against the Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday, 13 February.
“Virtually every position for our Round One match against the Highlanders is up for grabs over the next two weeks [against the Hurricanes and Waratahs],” he said. “We want to see how players are playing under our style of rugby and while we’ve made some excellent progress through the pre-season it counts for nothing unless we can start putting it into practice.
“It’s a really exciting time of year. The staff are excited, the players are itching to get out and play, and we’re looking forward to putting it all together on the paddock on Friday night.”
The CA Brumbies’ Wallaby contingent of Stirling Mortlock, George Smith, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Stephen Moore has been rested for Friday’s trial while Gene Fairbanks, Huia Edmonds, Mitchell Chapman and Alfi Mafi were unavailable for selection due to injury.
The match will kick off at 7.40pm.
CA Brumbies Squadv Hurricanes
Canberra Stadium, Canberra
Friday, 30 January 2009
Kick-off: 7.40pm
1. Nic Henderson
2. John Ulugia
3. Guy Shepherdson
4. Shawn Mackay
5. Mark Chisholm
6. Peter Kimlin
7. Julian Salvi
8. Stephen Hoiles (c)
9. Joshua Holmes
10. Christian Lealiifano
11. Francis Fainifo
12. Tyrone Smith
13. Afusipa Taumoepeau
14. Peter Betham
15. Mark Gerrard
Reserves
16. Nathan Charles
17. Ben Alexander
18. Sitaleki Timani
19. Ben Hand
20. Patrick Phibbs
21. Matt Toomua
22. Pat McCabe
23. James Stannard
24. Clyde Rathbone
25. Henry Vanderglas
26. Salesi Ma’afu
27. Anthony Hegarty
28. Talalelei Gray
29. Sanualio Afeaki
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Originally Posted by Happy
He had a knee injury which then had numerous complications... He played for the Beasts for the second half of the Shute Shield 2008...and unfortunately missed the S14 season...
Supporter" starring the #SeaOfBlue
