Brumbies will wait on Timani's recovery before naming team

[mudskipper]

Brumbies will wait on
Timani's recovery before naming team
BY KYLE MACKEY-LAWS RUGBY UNION 11/03/2009 1:00:00 AM


http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news...px?storypage=0


An injury to ACT Brumbies back-rower Sitaleki Timani has forced coach Andy Friend to postpone the selection of his team to play the NSW Waratahs at Canberra Stadium on Friday night...

Friend was impressed with Timani's performance in a trial match for the Brumby Runners on Sunday and said the 202cm 22-year-old could force his way into the side which he will name today.

But a knee injury during the Runners match has Friend patiently waiting to see if Timani can train at Marist College today.

If he can, Friend will almost certainly name the Tongan in the Brumbies side that will play in the Canberra Stadium blockbuster.

''We just need to clarify [how Timani is] and talk to a few people before we announce that side,'' Friend said.

''We haven't made our mind up, we'll wait and see as to whether he can train [today] he suffered a knee injury Mitch Chapman also did a shoulder, he's definitely been ruled out so we'll just wait and see with Sitaleki.

''What I don't want to do is name a side and then have to retract on that side, we'll just give Sitaleki a chance to get over the injury and then make the call.''

The addition of Timani to the Brumbies forward pack will go a long way toward stopping a strong Waratahs side.

NSW takes pride in its set plays and forward pack, and Friend said Timani would ruffle up some of the larger NSW forwards.

''One of the things with the Waratahs is they are a physical side so they have a big pack, if we can add some grunt it may well assist us.

''We haven't made our mind up [on the rest of the forward pack] I think our lineout has functioned really well so it's not a reason for making a change.

''I've actually been impressed with Julian [Salvi], he has shown he can win lineout ball so [Sitaleki's addition] would purely be to add more weight to the pack.''

With the Waratahs unbeaten after four matches, last weekend's bye for the Brumbies has helped Friend work on his side's structure after the loss to the Western Force on February 27.

He said his side had tried to take the positives out of such an early bye.

''On the positive side it's given us a chance to have a good reflection of where we are at, but the negative is we've had a loss.

''We want to get it out of the system as quick as possible, so hopefully what we see on Friday is a number players who have been waiting for this opportunity for a while to produce something special.''

The Waratahs clash is one of the most anticipated matches on the Brumbies calendar, and the team's hooker, former Red Stephen Moore, said the expectation of the match had rivalled the NSW-Queensland battles.

''I was very aware of the rivalry with NSW both up there and even more so down here, there is very certainly an extra feeling in the air,'' Moore said. ''[The rivalry is] definitely on par.''

FRIDAY

Super 14 Round 5: ACT Brumbies v NSW Waratahs at Canberra Stadium, 7.40pm. TV Time: Live on Fox Sports2.