Wallabies, Roosters clash in hybrid game
Darren Walton
AAP on August 2, 2016, 4:28 pm
The Wallabies have spent Tuesday afternoon preparing for the All Blacks by apparently bashing the NRL's Sydney Roosters in a hybrid game.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has been at pains to keep preparations for the Rugby Championship low key, with his squad training behind closed doors in Sydney since assembling on Monday in camp.
But a battle of the codes was always going to get out, with footage and banter surfacing on social media of the league and rugby stars going hammer and tong ahead of the Wallabies' Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup opener on August 20 at ANZ Stadium.
Cheika is known to be good mates with Roosters coach Trent Robinson, who also attended the session at Sydney Grammar as Australia's best from two rival codes ripped into each other, from all reports.
The Wallabies' hopefuls attacked the Roosters, defending from 10 metres back, as they do in league, with the rugby aces defending from the play the ball, simulating - of sorts - the ruck area in rugby.
"Training up against the Chookies, it was good fun," said Wallabies halfback Nick Phipps.
"Obviously something different that we haven't done before but it was great training against some of those great players (from) such a prestigious club - a lot of history there.
"Their players are (at) obviously the peak of their game and getting to share a few ideas and going against each other in training against teams that we haven't seen how they play too much is something that's been pretty good."
Fellow halfback Nic Frisby is a self-confessed "massive rugby league fan" and also enjoyed the hit-out.
"I am a Broncos supporter but it was a huge thrill to see some of those guys up close and then to actually train with them and against them was awesome," Frisby said.
https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sp...id-game/#page1
