Rocky Elsom steps up

[mudskipper]

Rocky Elsom hopeful of first 2011 game


Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom is set to make his long-awaited 2011 Super Rugby debut for the Brumbies against the Western Force in Perth on Saturday night.

The back-rower's absence has been a factor in the Brumbies' poor showing this season, but Elsom on Tuesday revealed he was ready to play for the first time in more than six months.

A troublesome hamstring injury has kept Elsom on the sidelines since Australia's 59-16 rout of France in Paris last November.

"I've probably had enough time off," he told reporters in Canberra.

"I don't think there are any problems on that front (hamstring).

"It is just a matter of picking the team for the game against the Force and I would like to be in it."

Elsom said he missed the blast from coach Tony Rea following the side's 29-20 loss to the bottom-placed Lions last weekend.

Rea said his side lacked fight and their effort had been a "charade" to mask their lack of ticker this season.

The Brumbies are third-last with two wins and nine losses, a record number of defeats in a season for the two-time Super champions.

"I wasn't there for it," Elsom said. "No-one's happy with the way the game went.

"I can't imagine anyone is going to be feeling good about the weekend."

The 28-year-old said he was yet to re-negotiate a contract for 2012, where his first discussions would be with the national body, the Australian Rugby Union (ARU).

"Going to your province first is not the most efficient way I would say," he said.

"I have to sort the deal out with the ARU and then I will go from there."

Elsom said he was yet to meet incoming coach Jake White, who arrived in Canberra on Monday night.

White, the 2007 Rugby World Cup-winning coach, was appointed in April for four years as Brumbies head coach from next season.

The South African is expected to change several of his assistants to revive the Brumbies' fortunes in 2012.

Joining the departure of incumbent Rea at the end of the season will be forwards coaches Marco Caputo and Justin Harrison.

Former Brumbies coach Laurie Fisher is set to become forwards coach, while Stephen Larkham is likely to remain as attack coach.

Fisher's contract as forwards coach at Irish provincial side Munster finished this European season and he returns to the city where he was head coach of the side between 2005-08.

Former Wallabies conditioning coach Dean Benton is also expected to be appointed.



Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/un...#ixzz1Mes2efr6




http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/un...0517-1er1m.htm








Fisher's contract as forwards coach at Irish provincial side Munster finished this European season and he returns to the city where he was head coach of the side between 2005-08.

Former Wallabies conditioning coach Dean Benton is also expected to be appointed

[palitu]

oh yeah, i forgot about him...

[Burgs]

Rocky who?

[jargan83]

Rocky who?

and Bullwinkle?

[beige]

"Yo Adrian, I did it!"

[mudskipper]

Its just a step to the White...

[YOUTUBE][ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZanHo6Wn1H4"]YouTube - Rocky Horror Picture Show-Time Wrap (original song with lyrics)[/ame][/YOUTUBE]

[shasta]

I think this might be one of the times I'm pleased our IT people have blocked youtube.
Unlike earlier today when I couldn't see the one of Gunny getting RBT'd.

[jono]

Rocky elsom steps up?

You mean he's actually about to go to work for the first time this season?
Posted via Mobile Device

[normie]

I think he'll be working part time.

[jono]

He should be in line at centrelink
Posted via Mobile Device

[GIGS20]

Don't put a negative spin on this, he'll be replacing one of the Brumbies young back rowers....the only people in the team who've been playing decent rugby! I personally hope Colby Faingaa hits the bench, rocky's half the player with three times the ego

[Burgs]

Just hope Robbie see's it the same way Gigs...

[GIGS20]

Won't it be obvious once he's replaced with 20 to go because he's short on fitness.......surely Deans is a better judge of rugby than that!!!!!

[mudskipper]

Won't it be obvious once he's replaced with 20 to go because he's short on fitness.......surely Deans is a better judge of rugby than that!!!!!

Agreed I wonder what he has left to offer at the brumbies... Colby is a good rookie... and should be even better next year, he has the talent of a young George Smith...

[mudskipper]

Elsom in for injured Chapman

The ACT Brumbies' injury crisis continues to cripple the team's Super Rugby campaign with Mitchell Chapman to miss at least the next two weeks.
But while he is struggling with the pain of two separate hand fractures, Chapman is adamant he will play again before the end of the season.

The Brumbies' chief lineout caller will not fly to Perth tonight with his teammates for the clash with the Western Force on Saturday night.

Instead, he will remain in Canberra clinging to hope the pain in his hand will subside enough for him to return for the Brumbies' match against the Queensland Reds on June 4.

It's the second time injury has sidelined Chapman after a broken jaw in March kept him out for six weeks.

''I haven't been able to use it ... and I got another whack on it on the weekend and it's a lot worse than it was,'' Chapman, who will move to Japan at the end of the season, said.

''I'm hopeful that if I can go two weeks without getting it whacked again then it will be well enough to play, I don't think it will keep me out for the rest of the year.

''This year's not how I imagined it would go, personally and for the team. It's close to the toughest year I've ever been through.''

The fractures in Chapman's hand effectively ends any chance he had of making Australia's World Cup squad.

Chapman joins Huia Edmonds, Salesi Ma'afu and Ita Vaea in the casualty ward after last weekend's loss to the Johannesburg Lions.

His absence gives Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom a chance to play his first match of the season.

Elsom will today be named as Chapman's replacement at blindside flanker to face the Force.

Coach Tony Rea is expected to make minimal changes to his side despite his scathing criticism of its performance against the Lions.

Pat McCabe needs to get through training to prove he has overcome a neck injury while the make-up of the front row is still undecided.

It is likely Ben Alexander will move to the opposite side of the scrum and start at tighthead prop with Jono Owen filling the No1 jumper and Jerry Yanuyanutawa on the bench.

Henry Speight is also in line to be recalled after returning from an ankle injury last weekend.

The Force match will also be Bayonne-bound Mark Chisholm's 100th Super Rugby game and he is expected to be put back in the side to partner Ben Hand in the second row.

Rea pushed his team to the limit with a late-night training session at Griffith Oval on Tuesday. The players had to wait until 9pm before they did their work in the cold and the whole squad, coaches included, were only allowed to wear singlets and shorts.

Alexander said they would benefit from being taken out of their comfort zone.

''It was very intense, I think the boys did find an extra gear [on Tuesday night],'' Alexander said.

''Everyone was really ripping in and I know we got a lot out of it. It's something that we take for granted because we're full-time professional players and we get to train in the warmth of the day.

''Club players work all day and go to training at night ... it grounds you and it was that little reminder that we're lucky with what we do so we won't be taking it for granted from now on.''


Probable team: 1. Jono Owen, 2. Stephen Moore, 3. Ben Alexander, 4. Ben Hand, 5. Mark Chisholm, 6. Rocky Elsom, 7. Colby Faingaa, 8. Julian Salvi, 9. Josh Valentine, 10. Matt Giteau, 11. Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12. Christian Lealiifano, 13. Tyrone Smith, 14. Henry Speight, 15. Pat McCabe.
Reserves: 16. Anthony Hegarty, 17. Jerry Yanuyanutawa, 18. Peter Kimlin, 19. Michael Hooper, 20. Patrick Phibbs, 21. Robbie Coleman, 22. Andrew Smith.