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Reds well represented in WC squad
27/07/2007 2:47:42 PM
Marc Fox
Sportal
Sam Cordingley has said it's a measure of the talent at the Reds that seven Queenslanders were selected for Australia's World Cup squad despite injury concerns and the club finishing the Super 14 season at the foot of the ladder.
Cordingley was one of the Reds picks who has battled back from injury to book his berth in John Connolly's 30-man travelling party as backup scrum-half to George Gregan and Matt Giteau.
The 31-year-old missed the entire season with a foot problem and despite being fit for the Tri Nations was not selected in the 22 for any of the four matches against South Africa and New Zealand.
Indeed only one Reds player - Stephen Moore - started the Bledisloe Cup clash against the All Blacks over the weekend, with Hugh McMeniman and Chris Latham on the bench, but Cordingley still wasn't surprised by Connolly's Queensland call-ups.
"Not everything's wrong when things are going badly and not everything's right when things are going well," he said. "The Queensland Reds have got a very strong group of players in there."
"We obviously underperformed this season but we're looking forward to making improvements next year."
"When you consider the talent of guys like Stephen Moore and Hugh McMeniman, they're outstanding footballers and it would be a shame for them to miss out."
Moore, Sean Hardman and shock inclusion Berrick Barnes all played the bulk of Queensland's Super 14 matches this season.
But McMeniman featured just five times between ankle injuries, Greg Holmes played only three games before shoulder surgery while Cordingley and Chris Latham were not involved all year.
"I think those guys really deserve their positions," Cordingley argued. "Coming back from an injury, it's not so much the physical as the mental side of things - knowing that you are capable of playing at this level."
"It's a matter of not only getting the match fitness but also knowing you can take the contact."
The Queenslanders, though, might have to prepare for plenty of time on the sidelines at the World Cup with Connolly saying he will start the group openers against Japan and Wales with his strongest line-up.
That, says Cordingley, who spent the majority of the Winter Test schedule on the periphery of the 22, can be frustrating and presents every unused player a dilemma.
"Anytime you're involved with a national side it's a great thing but you obviously want to be playing games," he said. "It does get frustrating. I've been involved the whole Tri Nations series and haven't played a minute of football." (Yes, JP knows that too...)
"But you've got to be supportive, you want the team to be successful and you do as much as you can off the field as far as train as hard as you can and be there in a supporting role to the guys that are playing in the games."
At least Cordingley will find himself in familiar surroundings at the Wallabies' base in Montpellier after living in the South of France for a year during his stint at French club Grenoble.
"I'm looking forward to that aspect," Cordingley admitted. "There's obviously limited time with the World Cup schedule and I know that there will be a lot of things." (You'll have the time on your hands Sam...)
"(But) the opportunity to get back there is going to be great."
"I've got a lot of friends there still so it's going to be a good opportunity to reacquaint some friendships and spend a bit of time away from rugby."
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
What do you expect, connolley is a Qlder after all....
Proudly bought to you by a brewery somewhere....
*spits*
Success is not final, failure is not fatal:
it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
"I've got a lot of friends there still so it's going to be a good opportunity to reacquaint some friendships and spend a bit of time away from rugby."[/QUOTE]
this is the rugby world cup and baldy is treating like a holiday, which begs the question should he be there in the first place? on the strength of his last super 14 season .....NO!!!!![]()
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But who else do we have? I'd say Henjak....maybe...Originally Posted by slomo
Henjak gives a different option to Cordingley who is pretty much a similar style to Gregan.
Hennas is becoming respected for his defence around the scrum base and this was particularly evident when he was absent in NZ this S14.
However, considering that Cordingley has played virtually no Rugby this season in 2007 I would put Henjak, Valentine, Sheehan and maybe even Holmes ahead of him.
May well be a different story if he had played and we'll hopefully find that out in '08.
I hope that he isn't around for the full four year cycle though as I would love to see Will Genia given serious match time from now on as I see him as the best potential of the lot.
Considering he was in a losing team I was impressed with Luke Burgess today, particularly his long passing which was flat and hard, similar to Genia's.
I can understand now why Link has suggested he may well jump ahead of Valentine and Sheehan at the Tahs to start.
With Phibbs, that would make three Gregan/Brumbies understudies starting from four S14 teams...
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
bloody cords should shut it i dont know how that many reds made it! Look where the force finished and how little players they have in a joke! connelly is bias coachs should be picked not from the main coachs of aussie sup 14 teams but outside the fold!!
Brett SheehanOriginally Posted by Jehna
Josh Valentine
Josh Holmes
Patrick Phibbs
In no particular order they are bloody good half backs.
I really can't see this issue with half back depth.
I can see the issue with having 2 half backs over 30 taking us into a short future.
I think Connolly should have took any two of the above with Gregan - both as backs up that get game time.
I would personally have picked Sheehan and Henjak.
Jak getting the lion share, but everyone has their opinion.![]()
Brother Gallagher I hear you
What a heap of Daisy-pooh from the Queenslander......can't see him getting much gain time (unless Gregan picks up an injury) as he wasn't in the 3N squads/teams.
Pathetic!!!
CHEERLEADERS ROCK!!!
Originally Posted by slomo
this is the rugby world cup and baldy is treating like a holiday, which begs the question should he be there in the first place? on the strength of his last super 14 season .....NO!!!!![]()
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[/QUOTE]
Exactly what I thought when I read that....he should be 100% focused on rugby...live, breath and eat it....it is only a couple of Months and the payback, not only financially, is enormous.
Just happy to be here
Maybe he is resigned to the fact that he is a token selection and as the third Scrummie just isn't going to get a jersey in 2007...
The money he is on, talk about a crap investment![]()
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.