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Jimmy Hilgendorf beats him to the start, I think we are going to regret letting Jimmy go
WORLD Cup-winning coach Rod Macqueen unmistakably stamped his mark on the Rebels yesterday and not just by naming glamour England recruit Danny Cipriani on the bench for Melbourne's Super Rugby debut against the Waratahs at AAMI Park tomorrow night.
Barely had that shockwave subsided than Macqueen triggered another by scuttling media speculation the Rebels would offer Queensland and Wallabies winger Digby Ioane big money to return to Melbourne, where his mother lives.
"His manager has approached us but contrary to what has been said in the press, we won't be offering Digby ridiculous amounts of money," Macqueen told The Australian. "I'm disappointed that sometimes people try to manipulate the press to get better cash results.
"If Digby wants to come to the Rebels for the right reasons, and that doesn't mean money, we'll certainly be willing to listen."
It may well be that after Macqueen's blunt ultimatum Ioane's management beats a hasty retreat but if the plan was to play off the Reds against the Rebels, his bargaining position has been largely eroded.
Ironically, the early speculation of Cipriani wanting barrel-loads of money to join initially hardened Macqueen's resolve not to chase the mercurial young England five-eighth. It was only when Cipriani detoured around the middlemen and contacted Macqueen directly to state his reasons for wanting to make a fresh start in Australia did he win over the Rebels coach.
Macqueen was at pains yesterday to hose down talk he had named his celebrity signing on the bench as a disciplinary measure.
"It's definitely not true," he said. "I'm certainly happy with the way he has been going. I've always seen a rugby team as consisting of 22 players not the starting 15 and the fact Danny is on the bench this week certainly doesn't mean that he might not start next week."
It had appeared James Hilgendorf, a rugby journeyman who has come to the Force via Taranaki, the Italian club Viadana, Western Force and Japanese team Kobe Steel, had been signed last year as Cipriani's understudy at five-eighth but so competently has he played in the Rebels' four pre-season trials he has truly earned his start in the 10 jersey.
Still, the expectation always was the Rebels would field all of their stars for their historic debut with the Waratahs, and Cipriani's omission from the run-on XV was hot news yesterday.
"Rebels bench Cipriani for opener" read the main headline on the Planet Rugby website.
Cipriani's other selection avenue, fullback, was blocked as well when former Wallabies custodian Julian Huxley came through a fitness test after being troubled by osteitis pubis.
Seemingly, Macqueen pulled another surprise when he named Sam Cordingley at halfback but as far as the 34-year-old veteran was concerned, the only surprise was when he read this week he had been ruled out because of a hip injury.
The injury was real but not so his omission and is it any wonder the Waratahs are heading south today deeply suspicious of what other tricks Macqueen, one of the game's most innovative of thinkers, might have in store for them.
Otherwise, the Rebels side was as predictable as it could be given Macqueen had only shown his hand in the final trial against the Crusaders. Rugby league converts Luke Rooney and Cooper Vuna have been named respectively at wing and inside centre while a third recruit from the NRL, St George Illawarra premiership winner Jarrod Saffy will start off the bench.
Macqueen was adamant the omission from the 22 of former Australian Test prop Rodney Blake did not signal that his "second-chance" signing had been a mistake. Just the opposite. "While Rodney is not on the bench, he is playing really good rugby," the coach said.
"He has lost a lot of weight and one thing I can guarantee is that all four of our props will start at some stage this season."
Laurie Weeks, the anchor of the Reds scrum last season, also has missed a starting spot, but at least he has been named as reserve prop behind All Black veteran Greg Somerville and former Brumbies frontrower Nic Henderson.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news...-1226007205971
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Originally Posted by The InnFORCEr
