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Iain Payten
The Daily Telegraph
September 04, 2014 7:00PM
A 33-year-old journeyman who almost quit rugby to work in the coalmines two years ago is just one contraction away from playing for the Wallabies.
In a scenario from the pages of a Hollywood script, Brumbies veteran Josh Mann-Rea has been drafted into Wallaby camp in as the ninth-choice hooker following a crisis of availability of fit no.2s in the country.
Following an ankle injury to eight-choice Force hooker Heath Tessman in the NRC last weekend, Mann-Rea arrived in Perth on Monday night as the back-up to James Hanson and Saia Faingaa.
But in another twist, Mann-Rea could amazingly find himself on the bench for Saturday night’s clash with the Springboks given Faingaa and fiancee Alicia Antico are expecting their first child at any moment.
The due date was Wednesday, and should word come of an impending arrival in Brisbane on Friday or Saturday, Faingaa could be passing on his no.16 jersey to Mann-Rea before jumping in a cab for the airport.
Tatafu Polota-Nau is with the Wallabies squad but officials said Thursday he would not be ready to play this weekend.
“He (Faingaa) is checking his phone quite a bit,” Wallabies prop Pek Cowan said.
“Normally he’s on Twitter and Facebook, but every now and then he’s making sure his partner hasn’t gone into labour yet. He’s on edge.”
A Wallabies debut would cap a remarkable career for Mann-Rea.
The Narromine-born hooker played for Australia under-21s alongside Matt Giteau and Mark Gerrard over a decade ago but admitted to wasting his chances thereafter, and worked in the coalmines near Wollongong before playing in the ARC in 2007 and then several years in Japan.
Injury to NSW hookers in 2012 saw Mann-Rea given a short-term contract and a Super Rugby debut, but after joining the Brumbies on minimum wage in 2013, a pre-season knee injury saw him consider retiring and going back into the mines to provide for his family.
Mann-Rea stuck at it, however, and after playing sparingly in 2013 in Canberra, the man known as “Bongo” played nine games for the Brumbies this season amid a similar hookers crisis.
“Combinations are massive, and when you don’t have the opportunity to scrummage with guys and play with guys, it just comes down to knowing your detail, working hard at training,” Cowan said.
“Josh has come in, and he’s a really good mate of mine. I have known Josh a very long time, since I was 17 or 18 back at NSW academy.
“Hodgo (Matt Hodgson) is really happy he is here because Hodgo is not the oldest anymore.”
Polota-Nau is expected to be back to play Argentina next week on the Gold Coast, but he is currently on a long list of crocked hookers, also featuring: Stephen Moore, Nathan Charles, Tolu Latu, Siliva Siliva and Tessman.
Cowan was once turned into a hooker by Robbie Deans on the 2009 Spring Tour, and started the 2010 season for the Force in the no.2, but he said there was zero chance of getting him to switch again from loose head prop.
“I have experimented with it, and it was horrible. I was a hot air balloon, it was no good,” Cowan said.
Adding an degree or two of steepness for the uphill battle of the Wallabies’ front row is the fact the Springboks are burning following a humbling last start against Argentina, where they were dominated at scrum time.
“They’ve definitely made a statement that they weren’t happy with their scrum, they’ve done scrum camp. We know exactly what’s coming,” Cowan said.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/wa...-1227048070836
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