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July 23, 2007 - 11:03pm
http://aru.rugby.com.au/news/qantas_.../section/21893
Australian Rugby’s showpiece awards night provided the perfect backdrop this evening for the unveiling of the Qantas Wallabies Squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
ARU Managing Director & CEO John O’Neill AO announced the 30-man squad at the annual John Eales Medal Dinner in Brisbane.
Stirling Mortlock celebrated a fine winter Test campaign by being named captain of the team, while Phil Waugh and George Gregan while share the vice-captaincy in France.
Qantas Wallabies Coach John Connolly said Mortlock’s nomination for the Wallabies captaincy at the World Cup was testament to his on-field leadership throughout the 2007 season.
“Stirling embraced the captaincy role during the Tri Nations and really led from the front with his performances on the field,” said Connolly.
“He’s a player that the other players enjoy playing with and his leadership has grown immensely during the season.”
Queensland’s Berrick Barnes and Greg Holmes earned selection despite playing in none of the seven Wallabies Test matches in the 2007 Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series.
At age 21, Barnes is the youngest member of the World Cup squad and is the only uncapped player on the 30-man list, while Holmes is set to return for the Wallabies after recovering from a shoulder reconstruction.
Back rowers David Lyons and Wycliff Palu were both included in the squad, despite both players carrying injuries.
Lyons will visit a haematologist in Sydney tomorrow (Tuesday) to determine his ongoing treatment for Deep Vein Thrombosis, while Palu continues to nurse a shoulder injury.
The squad will complete three training camps in Australia, the first of which will be held in Manly from Tuesday 31 July, prior to their departure for the World Cup on August 23.
The squad will then embark on a week-long pre-tournament camp in Portugal and a promotional visit to Paris before arriving at their World Cup training base in Montpellier on August 31.
The Wallabies have been drawn in Pool B of the tournament and will play their opening pool match against Japan in Lyon on 8 September before matches against Wales (in Cardiff), Fiji (in Montpellier) and Canada (in Bordeaux).
The Wallabies squad includes fourteen players with previous World Cup experience, with Gregan preparing for his fourth and final World Cup before making his retirement from international rugby.
Utility back Scott Staniforth is one of eleven players in the squad making a second World Cup appearance, but his achievement is even more remarkable in that it is eight years since he played in his first World Cup in 1999.
Stephen Larkham and Chris Latham will each play in their third successive World Cup.
The Wallabies will be aiming for a third World Cup title in France having previously won the Webb Ellis Cup in 1991 and 1999.
Connolly said selectors faced some hard decisions in finalising the 30-man squad.
“A number of selections were very tight and you feel for the players that have missed out (on the squad), but we are very comfortable with the squad we have selected and we’re certain they will acquit themselves well in France,” said Connolly.
Qantas Wallabies squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup
(players listed alphabetically)
Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, Alistair Baxter, Mark Chisholm, Sam Cordingley, Matt Dunning, Rocky Elsom, Adam Freier, Mark Gerrard, Matt Giteau, George Gregan (vc), Sean Hardman, Stephen Hoiles, Greg Holmes, Julian Huxley, Stephen Larkham, Chris Latham, David Lyons, Hugh McMeniman, Drew Mitchell, Stephen Moore, Stirling Mortlock (c), Wycliff Palu, Nathan Sharpe, Guy Shepherdson, George Smith, Scott Staniforth, Lote Tuqiri, Dan Vickerman, Phil Waugh (vc).
Hope they give Cords and Barnesy a run out together, I think we know that the Gregs and Bernie combo works!
Brother Gallagher I hear you
What a shite team, not enough Tahs. Typical.
Laura Force Addict v Chook scrabble-off on Facebook: laura & Force Addict 0 | chook 9
Gigsa made me do it
"He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty." – Lao Tzu
Look, they even picked a virgin for the tour!
Barnesy will be in for a rough time in the back of the bus...
I'm more interested to see what they do with Mitchell and Ashley-Cooper. I honestly think Mitchell is one of the most under-rated players in that squad atm. He has played consistently well across all the tests this season yet Connolly has refused to start him (with the exception of the weekend because he had no choice). Instead he puts in Ashley-Cooper, who granted is some good raw talent but who's antic costs us a penalty at a crucial point in the match against the All Blacks. Don't we have enough players with attitude on the wings with Tuquiri?
Drew Mitchell also needs to take the responsibility of losing the game on the weekend. He's far to small for international rugby. He's a mini AB tackle bag.
Laura Force Addict v Chook scrabble-off on Facebook: laura & Force Addict 0 | chook 9
Gigsa made me do it
"He who conquers others is strong; he who conquers himself is mighty." – Lao Tzu
Jehna - welcome - your're making sense - Chook likes to wind us up because our team actually wins games - he's sore cause Mitchell is not a Tah
61 years between Grand SlamsWas the wait worth it - Ya betta baby
I know we've covered Hookers elsewhere.....but why are they taking the bench hooker from Australia's BOTTOM team rather than the starting hooker from Australia's SECOND team (based on 2007 Super 14 performances)?
I'm going to be very interested to see how Cordingley performs given he's hardly played any rugby this year when they neglected to select Henjak.
Don't think the rest of the rugby world is quaking in their boots at some of these selections.
CHEERLEADERS ROCK!!!
Connolly's plot!
The man must surely know what he's doing, so I'll let him get on with it.
Have faith people, and let the glory be ours!
Then again, if the plot falls apart at the seams I'm sure to reassess my position!![]()
Thanks for the welcome...
Ah chooks...there's always one of you out there...I fail to see how you can possibly blame mitchell for the loss on the weekend. Except for one missed tackle which didn't actually amount to anything, he didn't put a foot wrong. Just because he's little doesn't mean his ineffective, and just because he's a force boy, doesn't mean he isn't awesome...though admittedly being a perth girl i could possibly be biased...
As for Hookers, mm well, i'm just hoping that Stephen Moore never gets injured. Given our backups are Freier who needs to learn to throw straight, and a bench hooker i think it reflects the lack of depth we now have...i miss brendan cannon
But what about calling up Berrick as a replacement no 10? I'm glad we're using someone, but he's not even capped! I know Connolly maintains that his first back up is Gits but in all seriousness, unless we're planning on cloning him we can't just keep saying, oh gits can be the back up 9, 10, and goal kicker...oh and did we mention he actually primarily plays is inside centre...clearly we need more people trained but i' m not convinced the world cup is the best time to do this.
As for henjak, he had his opportunity to impress and screwed up...i'm sure he'll get another shot next year after gregan goes and they realise their desperate. Particularly if he captains the perth spirit well next month.
Well, congrats to Mortlock![]()
Success is not final, failure is not fatal:
it is the courage to continue that counts.
- Winston Churchill
I cant believe both Baxter and Dunning are still in the squad!!!
Can someone tell me what Lyons has done the past couple years?
I agree with Baxter haji, but i am a recently converted dunning basher, and therefore will defend the man and say he has improved in leaps and bounds...Baxter (trestle) is still shiiiiiite....I would have gone with Blake before him...
Proudly bought to you by a brewery somewhere....
After watching rodney blake perform for the aces today im even more annoyed he failed to make the squad.
Watching Latham today was a big positive for the wallabies.
hear, hereOriginally Posted by Haji
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