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Elsom to start after appeal victory
From staff reporters
August 28, 2008
ROCKY Elsom is set to start for Australia against South Africa in the Tri-Nations rugby Test in Johannesburg on Saturday night after winning his appeal against the suspension handed to him in the aftermath of last weekend's victory in Durban.
Elsom was suspended for one week by a SANZAR judiciary for tackling South Africa captain Victor Matfield in the air during a lineout at Shark Park, but that decision was overturned in a specially convened telephone conference.
The conference featured a judicial representative from each of the three SANZAR countries, who opted to overturn the original sentence handed down to Elsom by SANZAR judicial officer Nick Davidson, QC, of New Zealand.
Dual international Timana Tahu, meanwhile, will start a rugby Test for the first time after being named at inside centre to replace injured Berrick Barnes.
Tahu's selection represents one of five changes to the starting XV from that which won in Durban to claim Australia’s first win on South African soil in eight years.
Adam Ashley-Cooper replaces Drew Mitchell at full-back after missing the tour opener due to a broken hand, while Hugh McMeniman replaced injured second-row forward Daniel Vickerman, and Phil Waugh and Tatafu Polota-Nau come in respectively for openside flanker George Smith and hooker Stephen Moore.
Mitchell, Smith and Moore have all been included on the bench as the coaching staff look to spread the work load among the players.
Wallabies head coach Robbie Deans denied the changes refelected a lack of respect towards the beaten Springboks.
"If anything, in fact it’s the opposite,” Deans said.
"It’s because of the respect we have for them, and the enormity of the challenge we have in front of us, trying to win back-to-back South African Test matches, and in Johannesburg for the first time in so long, that we feel we need to bring in some fresh legs.
“Last weekend (in Durban) took a lot out of our guys as it did some of theirs. We will need the impetus that the fresh legs we’ve included today will bring."
Australia have won consecutive Tests in Africa only once before - 45 years ago, when the second victory was achieved 11-9 at the ground formerly known as Ellis Park. That success in 1963 remains Australia’s only win from nine attempts in Johannesburg.
Deans acknowledges the Wallabies’ poor history at Ellis Park and the likely South African response having lost three successive Tri-Nations Test.
“(South Africa) have got one more shot at it in this year’s Tri-Nations,” Deans said.
“If they can take it, they can park the rest of the tournament and move forward a lot more positively towards their end-of-season tour preparations. Ask yourself how you’d feel in their position? There’s no doubt they’ll be up for it.”
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html
I have a nervous feeling about the weekends outcome on the back of that team selection
Not one that Brownie would want as his debut I would think![]()
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Well, good news on the appeal!
Success is not final, failure is not fatal:
it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
I'm a little worried about the weekend as well.
Can't see how Smith can be put on the bench after such a good performance last week.
Seems to me like Robbie is not putting his strongest squad out for a run cos it doesn't mean as much as it shld be.
Smith shld be in at 7. Drew shld be starting at 15, with AAC coming in on the bench to look after the injury.
AND TPN does not deserve to start over Moore, i hope his throwing's improved!
nope, im not impressed
moore has been, i think, very consistent this year, smith has been priceless and drew was pretty strong for the one game he played. the only reason i can think is that they are being rested for the big game in brissy...
wish brownie was out there
not excited bout tahu really... more nervous. but if hes gonna choke on debut, id rather he chokes against the bokke than the allblacks.
tpn proved throwing straight can be an issue, hope thats fixed!!
i have never reallly taken to mcmeniman.. maybe he can prove me wrong.
could be in with a chance bokke, this isnt our best team i dont think!
A kick in this game is like a rather nasty alcoholic shooter, only as good as it's chaser...
Courtesy of quality South African commentry
here's the link with robbie's explaination... pfft
rugby.com.au | Timana Tahu to start for the Wallabies in Johannesburg
the official team is:
15. Adam Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies)
14. Peter Hynes (Queensland Reds)
13. Stirling Mortlock (Brumbies) captain
12. Timana Tahu (NSW Waratahs)
11. Lote Tuqiri (NSW Waratahs)
10. Matt Giteau (Western Force)
9. Sam Cordingley (Queensland Reds)
8. Wycliff Palu (NSW Waratahs)
7. Phil Waugh (NSW Waratahs)
6. Rocky Elsom (NSW Waratahs)
5. Hugh McMeniman (Queensland Reds)
4. James Horwill (Queensland Reds)
3. Matt Dunning (NSW Waratahs)
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW Waratahs)
1. Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs)
Run on reserves:
16. Stephen Moore (Queensland Reds)
17. Al Baxter (NSW Waratahs)
18. Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs)
19. George Smith (Brumbies)
20. Brett Sheehan (NSW Waratahs)
21. Ryan Cross (Western Force)
22. Drew Mitchell (Western Force)
A kick in this game is like a rather nasty alcoholic shooter, only as good as it's chaser...
Courtesy of quality South African commentry
His lineout indiscretion may be threatening to given him an unscheduled break this weekend but flanker Rocky Matthew Elsom (yes, his real name is Rocky) has been a colossus in the Wallabies pack in this year’s Bundaberg Rum Rugby series and Tri-Nations. Man of the Match or close to it in all the Tests he’s played he also showed miraculous powers of recovery to return early from a foot ligament injury to play a major role in the Wallabies historic victory over the Springboks in Durban last weekend. Born in Melbourne, Rocky played Australian Under 16s (1999) and Australian Schoolboys (2000) before spending two seasons with Sonny Bill Williams’ old club, the Bulldogs, in league. He then returned to Rugby Union and established himself as a force to be reckoned with the Waratahs, representing Australian Under 21s in 2003 before getting his Wallabies call up in 2005, making his Test debut against Samoa in Sydney. Rocky lets us in on all his secrets in this week’s Twenty Questions, EXCLUSIVE to rugby.com.au, including his favourite movie - and no it’s not ‘Rocky’ ! But it is pretty close.
Nickname
The Rock
Primary Schools/High Schools/Universities attended:
Noosa High.
Nudgee College
First Rugby team I played in
Nudgee College
My all time favourite Classic Wallaby
Tim Horan
My most respected Rugby opponent
Al Baxter
My Favourite non-Rugby sporting star
Tonie Carroll (Brisbane and Queensland league player)
My best Rugby memory
Watching the Rugby World Cup Final 1999
My worse Rugby moment:
Playing in the Rugby World Cup Quarter Final 2007
Speciality I can cook in the kitchen is
Chocolate.
Away from Rugby things I enjoy doing
Swimming – ocean.
The team mate I would least like to room with is
Al Baxter
Why ?
Cos you’re always on edge.
My favourite holiday destination is
Far North Queensland
My favourite book/movie/music:
Rambo 1st Blood Part II
If I wasn’t a Professional Rugby Player I would be:
In the music industry
The special talent most people don’t know I have:
Excellent touch footballer
What being a Wallaby means to me
Responsibility
Best country toured
France
The thing I most can’t do without is
Sleeping
rugby.com.au | Twenty Questions with Qantas Wallabies flanker Rocky Elsom
glad rocky wont miss out
think aac should have probably started off the bench
but only one that really worries me is tpn over smoo and how our lineout will go
Good win but should have never got that far
Bet Sharpie is glad for the frequent flyer points and jet lag...
"Bloody oath we did!"
Nathan Sharpe, Legend.
Can I change my vbets?!
Great news about Elsom but wtf with dropping Moore, Smith & Mitchell to the bench? Doesn't Robbie want to win this match?
Good luck to Tahu on his first run-on match.
CHEERLEADERS ROCK!!!
Deans is trying to keep some players fresh for the RWC Semi Final in Brisbane on september 13. No problem in giving the bench players some more time, gives them a chance to prove themselves to Deans that they deserve a place in the 22 in Brisbane.
its a decent team, the players your worried about are on the bench, the players brought in usually play half an hour of a test anyway.
AAC only lost his place through injury, if he is fit he should be brought back into the starting side, drew is there to cover if he isn't match fit!
Tahu will be fine, Cross & Mortlock are both outside centres, there wasnt much of an option there, Cross beats his players on the outside and mortlock is a crash runner, Tahu steps off both feet and has better ball skills so im sure he will adapt quickly!
TPN deserves a start, his lineout throwing has always been an issue but he is the best around the park hooker in the country and if he throws wel he will have a major impact both at scrum time and int he rucks!
were ust starting witht he team that normally finishes the match, if those players dont step up at least we will have a major comeback on our hands when smith and co come on with twenty to go!
well done rocky!
BOKKE“Let me put it this way, A Springbok team contains Afrikaners, Englishmen, coloureds and blacks. It has parochial foes in Bulls, Sharks, Stormers, Cheetahs and Lions. It is a recipe for war! Yet in all the years of John Smit’s captaincy, there has never been one unhappy customer, not one voice of rebellion against his leadership. He is the glue that holds the Springboks together. The man is a legend!”- Jake White