Jones names squad for Auckland Blues trial match
A very inexperienced squad with 15 of 23 having played 10 matches or less, but full of potential future stars.
Jones names squad for Auckland Blues trial match
Saturday, 13 January 2007
Coach Eddie Jones today announced a 23-man squad to travel to New Zealand tomorrow for the QR Queensland Reds first trial match of the year against the Auckland Blues in Whangarei next Wednesday.
Jones will play all 23 players in the match and said the focus for this match would be the set piece.
“We’ve been working pretty hard on the set piece so the scrum, lineout and first phase attack will be the priorities for this game,” Jones said.
Jones won’t name his starting team until Monday afternoon, and said the decision on who will play fullback would be left until then.
“We’ve still got two options there, in Peter Hynes and Clinton Schifcofske, but we won’t be making a decision until Monday afternoon.”
The match marks flyhalf Berrick Barnes’ come back from a shoulder reconstruction.
The team includes a number of fringe players in the 2007 Investec Super 14, squad as well as Reds Academy players Gaven Warren (prop), Will Genia (halfback) and Brando Va’alu (utility back).
Man mountain Herman Hunt, who played for the Reds in last year’s Australian Provincial Championship, has been drafted into the squad and upgraded to a full Super 14 contract and gets another chance to impress next week.
Players not selected, including Ben Tune, Mitch Chapman and Caleb Brown, will remain behind to continue extra strength and conditioning work ahead of the upcoming Investec Super 14 season
Reds squad to play Auckland Blues
Wednesday 17th Jan, 3pm kick-off (Queensland time)
ITM Stadium, Whangarei
Geoff Abram*
Ole Avei 1
Berrick Barnes 11
Nic Berry 15
Andrew Brown 2
Quade Cooper*
Ben Coutts*
David Croft 69
Charlie Fetoai*
Will Genia*
AJ Gilbert*
Sean Hardman 71
Herman Hunt*
Peter Hynes 31
Lloyd Johansson 14
Tom McVerry 31
Ed O’Donoghue*
John Roe 61
Clinton Schifcofske*
Cameron Treloar 9
Brando Va’alu*
Henari Veratau 6
Gaven Warren*
*Yet to Debut at Super 14
Upcoming Reds trial matches:
Sat 20 Jan – Reds v Manu Samoa, kick-off 7pm, Carrara Stadium, Gold Coast.
Fri 26 Jan – Reds v Highlanders, kick-off 7pm, Carrara Stadium, Gold Coast.
Young Reds overpowered by Blues
Young Reds overpowered by Blues
January 17, 2007
QUEENSLAND coach Eddie Jones was tonight looking on the bright side after the Reds started their 2007 Super 14 campaign with a thumping 38-9 trial loss to the Blues in Whangarei.
The Aucklanders ran away with the opening pre-season encounter in the last 18 minutes by scoring four tries against a young Reds outfit containing a dozen players without Super 14 experience.
League convert Clinton Schifcofske scored six of Queensland's nine points through two first-half penalty goals which had the visitors in the match at 10-6 down at the break.
"The only important score in a trial match is the half-time score," Jones said.
"We're disappointed that the score blew out in the second half but it's not end of the world.
"You don't have to be ready to win a Super 14 now and we're not, but we have to learn from today and there's a good resolve in the team to do that."
Jones gave each of his troops at least 20 minutes on the paddock and was most pleased by the efforts of skipper John Roe, fellow back-rower David Croft and wing Peter Hynes.
Hynes suffered a cut eye early in the game but returned to the field while five-eighth Berrick Barnes, who landed a second-half field goal, was forced off with suspected concussion.
With Australia full back Chris Latham out for the season, Jones indicated Schifcofske had a huge job ahead of him.
"Clinton had a solid game, he still has a bit to learn but he's getting there," Jones said.
"Our defence was very good in first half which is a positive well take out of the game.
"We've just come off a hard training period so we knew always knew we'd tire towards the end."
Flanker Daniel Braid scored two of the Blues' five tries in fine conditions, with the others going to winger Rudi Wulf, flanker Onosa'i Tololima Auva'a and outside back Isaia Toeava, who scored the try of the night after a burst from wing James Somerset.
AAP
