Interesting to see Nathan Charles selected for the Wallabies for this fixture on Wednesday :approve:
Jono also in the squad.
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Interesting to see Nathan Charles selected for the Wallabies for this fixture on Wednesday :approve:
Jono also in the squad.
Mowen surprise inclusion in Wallaby XV squad
Today at 5:00 PM International
by Beth Newman
Former Wallabies captain Ben Mowen is set to make his first appearance in a gold jersey since leaving Australian rugby in 2013, named in the Wallaby XV squad to face the French Barbarians.
Mowen captained the Wallabies in six of his 15 Tests, before making a surprise move to France, signing a contract with Top 14 club Montpellier at the end of the 2013 season.
The back rower has since switched teams, lining up for Pau in the French competition, before receiving the call up for this squad.
Mowen said the chance to pull on an Australian jersey, even if not for a Test cap, was a special one.
"It's really exciting to be involved with an Australian team again and it's an amazing opportunity to reconnect with the Australian rugby culture,” he said.
"I have watched from afar and admired the current depth that been developed in Australian rugby and I'm excited to get to play with that talent."
"We all move on for different reasons but that love of Australian rugby never leaves us and this is one of those special times where for a brief moment we get to put on an Aussie jersey and play with that same spirit again.”
Tom Robertson is a surprise inclusion in the Wallaby XV, one of four full Wallabies squad members in the group, with the move making any involvement in Saturday’s Ireland Test unlikely.
Western Sydney Rams prop David Lolohea has been included in the 19-player list, despite not having a Super Rugby home for next season, while promising Reds prop Sef Fa’agase has also been brought over.
Rebels prop Toby Smith was initially slated to be part of the match but a gruesome clash with teammate Sean McMahon at training ruled him out.
Thursday’s match against the French Barbarians will be the first glimpse of former NRL flyer Marika Koroibete at the 15s level since his switch.
It’s not just overseas-based players that have been brought in for this Wallaby XV - the squad will be coached by former Wallabies skills coach and current Montpellier assistant Scott Wisemantel, with Justin Harrison, Morgan Turinui and Chris Whitaker his assistants.
“It’s a great opportunity for me and I’m excited by the potential of some of these young Australians coming through the ranks,” Wisemantel said.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika said he expected the squad players to treat Thursday’s game as if it were a Test match.
“With the Wallaby XV, we want to create a mix of experienced players as well as our developing players coming through,” Michael Cheika
“A lot of these lads have been with us over the past three weeks on tour and have been preparing for this Wallaby XV game as their Test match, especially against an international line-up that the French Barbarians will have.”
The Wallaby XV clash against the French Barbarians will kickoff at 6.45am AEDT on Friday November 25, with Australian broadcast details to be announced shortly.
Up to five more players will join the squad later in the week as the Wallabies finalise their preparations for the Dublin Test.
Wallaby XV squad
Sam Carter, ACT Brumbies
Nathan Charles, Clermont
Jack Dempsey, NSW Waratahs
Sef Fa’agase, Queensland Reds
Nick Frisby, Queensland Reds
Mark Gerrard, Toyota Industries Shuttles
Andrew Kellaway, NSW Waratahs
Peter Kimlin, Grenoble
Marika Koroibete, Melbourne Rebels
Jono Lance, Western Force
David Lolohea, Western Sydney Rams
Ben Mowen, Pau
Taqele Naiyaravoro, NSW Waratahs
Andrew Ready, Queensland Reds,
Izaia Perese, Queensland Reds
Tom Robertson, NSW Waratahs
Paddy Ryan, NSW Waratahs
Will Skelton, NSW Waratahs
Nic Stirzaker, Melbourne Rebels
Wallaby XV coaching staff
Scott Wisemantle, Montpellier assistant
Morgan Turinui, Melbourne Rebels assistant
Justin Harrison, former Narbonne head coach
Chris Whitaker, Montauban assistant
Remaining games of 2016 Spring Tour (all dates/times AEDT)
French Barbarians vs Wallaby XV at Stade Chaban-Delmas, 25th November, 6.45am AEDT
Ireland vs Qantas Wallabies at Aviva Stadium, 27th November, 4.30am AEDT
England vs Qantas Wallabies at Twickenham, 4th December, 1.30am AEDT
http://www.rugby.com.au/news/2016/11.../46/wallaby-xv
This must be the first time an International touring party has a Barbarians side in its group. What's next, touring with a Golden Oldies team.
Any professional rugby players or ARU staff left in Australia.
I think you will probably find most of those players are already based in and around France and on the Cheika Radar for return home. Those are the players the Super Rugby franchises should trying to attract back home.
Mark Gerrard, its Golden Oldies already
:lolup:
Australian Barbarians vs French Barbarians? Hope the gate money is going to charity, at least.
Hopefully this link will work on the day...
Anyone know if game is shown on tv
Lance's whirlwind Wallaby experience
Joe Barton - AAP on November 24, 2016, 4:13 am
With his head still spinning from a whirlwind journey which nearly led to being etched into the record books as Wallaby No.904, Jono Lance will lead an experimental Australian side desperate to make his first Test cap a reality.
Less than a fortnight ago Lance was slugging it out in the first week of pre-season training with the Western Force, when he received a phone call that would quickly alter his mood.
Could he jump on a plane, fly to Paris to train with the Wallabies and take part in a Wallaby XV clash with the French Barbarians in Bordeaux?
"Obviously I jumped at the chance and flew out the next day," said Lance.
But while the lure of wearing the gold jersey in a non-capped fixture, as he will do as the chief playmaker against the Baa-Baas on Thursday night (Friday morning AEDT), was enough to get him on a plane - Lance's week changed drastically on Tuesday.
Quade Cooper, pencilled in to wear the No.10 jersey in last weekend's Spring Tour Test against France, went down with an ankle injury.
Suddenly the enigmatic star was in doubt, and Lance was thrust into training with the first side - with a bench spot on offer should Cooper fail to recover.
When Cooper failed a game-day fitness test, Lance was named on the bench and a childhood dream beckoned.
"It was definitely a rollercoaster ... but to stand there belting out the anthem next to two of my good mates, a week after finishing my first week of pre-season (was great)," Lance said.
"It was definitely an exciting week."
Lance's career has been typified by untimely injuries and being stuck behind Wallabies stars in the playmaking role at both the Reds and Waratahs during their title-winning seasons.
But when his luck looked like changing, another twist was brewing.
With Australia's win over France not decided before an 83rd-minute field goal sailed left of the posts, coach Michael Cheika never called on the 26-year-old Lance.
"It was definitely a little bittersweet," Lance admits.
"I understand how rugby works and in a close environment like that you probably want the players who have a feel for the game for finish it off.
"I understood that and I'm happy the result went as it did.
"It was probably 20-30 minutes after the game that it dawned on me how close I was and how I'd just missed it.
"But it's made me even more hungry to get back there and earn that cap."
But in the washup of the game Cheika said a Test cap loomed for the likable Lance - and a chance to run the show in Bordeaux will cement that.
Lance views Thursday's clash as an opportunity to force his way into the playmaking discussions alongside the two first-choice five-eighths Bernard Foley and Cooper.
"Constantly (playing well) and putting pressure on them will make the 10 jersey for Australia a lot better," Lance says of his desire to challenge Australia's established stars.
"Hopefully I keep doing that, keep putting my name forward and that time will come."
The match also represents an opportunity for development players - the likes of Andrew Kellaway, Izaia Perese and Jack Dempsey, and NRL convert Marika Koroibete - to impress the Wallabies coaching staff in a competitive environment.
"Andrew Kellaway is a classy player for a young guy," said Lance.
"He's someone with a very big future."
WALLABY XV (15-1):
Luke Morahan, Marika Koroibete, Mark Gerrard, Kyle Godwin, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Jono Lance, Nick Frisby, Ben Mowen, Jack Dempsey, Peter Kimlin, Sam Carter, Will Skelton (capt), Tom Robertson, Nathan Charles, Paddy Ryan. Res: Andrew Ready, Sef Fa'agase, David Lolohea, Scott Fardy, Henry Vanderglas, Nic Stirzaker, Izaia Perese, Andrew Kellaway.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sp...erience/#page1
Will Skelton captain?? What kind of fuckery is that???!!!!!
I thought Skelton was Chiekas love child not his partner!
Skelton as captain is ridiculous! Even if it is to try and help his discipline, his actual play doesn't justify persistence in the wallabies jersey. Surely giving it to Mowen, Fardy or Lance would make far more sense.
Disappointing to see Morahan in the team, since it means he won't be featuring against Ireland. Thought he may have shown enough on tour so far to displace Speight, but I guess Cheika might see him as being a bit too similar to DHP.