Ben starts at the top

Ben starts at the top

By Wayne Smith
November 07, 2008 PROP Ben Alexander looks set to make Australian rugby history when his first run-on start as a professional footballer will be in a Test match.

Alexander, a week shy of his 24th birthday, has never started a professional match in his career, coming off the bench in all of his six Super 14 appearances for the Brumbies and in his only two Tests for Australia earlier this season.

The first time he will line up for the kick-off of a professional fixture will be against Italy at Padova's Stadio Euganeo.

It's a curious, even bizarre, career path - and Alexander will lock horns with the highly regarded Italian scrum without the benefit of a minute of playing time for the past three months.

Aside from a minor ankle problem, he has been injury-free for all that time but has spent his days doing nothing but training.

"You could always see this tour ahead. So I worked hard through the Tri-Nations, and got picked," he said.


http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html

What about Kearnsy, wasn't he also plucked from 2nd grade at Randwick and became a Wallaby, not sure if he was professional or not...

Kearnsey doesn't count, when he debuted Rugby was "Amateur"

OH, the good ol' days...
My mate rang me the other day to tell me he sat nxt to Kearnsey on the plane, not a real big guy but great physique and a nice bloke, he rang me 'cause he is my favourite ex-Wallaby...