NSW & ACT players released for Lions matches

[jargan83]

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans is releasing four national squad members to play for the NSW Waratahs and Brumbies against the British and Irish Lions ahead of Saturday week's first Test.

Waratahs captain Dave Dennis and inside centre Rob Horne will leave the Wallabies camp at Caloundra in Queensland on Thursday night to join up with their state side ahead of Saturday night's clash with the Lions at Allianz Stadium.

And the Brumbies pair of utility forward Peter Kimlin and prop Scott Sio return to Canberra on Friday and will remain there until after the Brumbies' match against the Lions on Tuesday night.

All four players will return to the Wallabies squad after the tour matches as preparations continue in Brisbane for the opening match of the three-Test series at Suncorp Stadium on June 22.

Australian Sevens representatives Bernard Foley and Matt Lucas were on Wednesday released from their duties with that national side so they can also feature in Saturday night's tour match.

The NSW Waratahs team to play the Lions will be announced on Friday.


Read more: http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/ro...#ixzz2W40RpCB6

[The InnFORCEr]

Well if he would have let Benny Mac and The Honeybadger play for us we could have fielded a stronger team.

[PeterM]

Just yet another example of the ARU providing preferential treatment to the blue eyed boys from the eastern sea board

[jargan83]

Well if he would have let Benny Mac and The Honeybadger play for us we could have fielded a stronger team.

Against NSW?

[GAFFA]

think of it this way means they wont be playing in the first test meaning no Denis or Horne.

Now hopfully that means that Lilo will be the 12 not McCabe ANYONE BUT MCCABE!!!!!!

[beige]

The inconsistency of two NSW Waratahs players being released by the Wallabies to play for their state on Saturday night, just a week after six fully fit Reds were barred from any part in their own tour game against the Lions, is supremely frustrating.

Queensland Rugby Union chairman Rod McCall shook his head on Thursday and branded it "a farce".

After the Reds ran the British and Irish Lions so close last weekend, you could easily imagine that prop James Slipper and lock Rob Simmons might have pushed the team even closer to an epic upset with the scrum and lineout stability they would have added.

No one was asking for kingpins Will Genia and James Horwill to play. Actually, the Reds did, and the players desperately wanted to. Genia got so close he could feel the sweat beads hitting him but running the water was all he was allowed to do.

The Australian Rugby Union banged the notion on the head months ago with the edict that there would be no Wallabies for the lead-up tour games when a three-week download of training info with the Wallabies was rated No.1.

McCall gnashed his teeth but reluctantly accepted it because the ruling applied uniformly across all the teams. Until now.

Western Force coach Michael Foley stuffed it up royally in the opening Lions tour game by not fielding his top side and preferring to field a better one in a Super Rugby game a few days later that made the difference between them being 13th and . . . err, 13th.

Read more: http://www.foxsports.com.au/breaking...-1226663617432

[jargan83]

I can understand Qld being a bit upset over the situation but the Force don't really have a leg to stand on given they decided a dead rubber game against the Tahs was more important.

Western Force coach Michael Foley stuffed it up royally in the opening Lions tour game by not fielding his top side and preferring to field a better one in a Super Rugby game a few days later that made the difference between them being 13th and . . . err, 13th.

[The InnFORCEr]

13th placed and the Reds couldn't beat us once, didn't even come close