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Norton-Knight gets the nod
By Jim Morton - FOX Sports
May 13, 2007
WARATAHS utility back Sam Norton-Knight will get first crack at cementing the contentious position of Stephen Larkham's back-up by debuting for the Wallabies at five-eighth.
Norton-Knight, almost dropped by the Waratahs midway through the Super 14 season, is set to debut against Wales this month and also get a run-on start at No.10 after an impressive form-reversal.
Along with Larkham and Berrick Barnes, he was today one of three fly halves named in a 37-man Wallabies squad to enter a three-day training camp in Sydney on Tuesday.
National selectors overlooked exciting teenagers Quade Cooper and Kurtley Beale, preferring to groom them for the future, beyond September's World Cup, through Australia A's Pacific Nations Cup campaign.
Canberra-born, Gold Coast-schooled Norton-Knight also has a spot sealed in Australia's 30-man squad to be announced next weekend ahead of a two-Test series against Wales, starting on May 26 in Sydney.
Coach John Connolly intends starting Norton-Knight against Wales or Fiji (June 9 in Perth) with the dual purpose of developing a reliable back-up to Larkham and easing the load on the irreplaceable 95-Test maestro.
"Managing Stephen Larkham is a major issue for us,'' Connolly said.
"We have seven Tests to the World Cup and everyone in rugby realises how important he is and how we manage him through.
"We have to decide who the back-up to Stephen is. Against Wales or Fiji that player will have to get a chance because we can't afford to get to the quarter-final at the World Cup and then all of a sudden (Larkham) is not playing.''
Barnes was the other main challenger for the role but Norton-Knight's superior head-to-head performance in the Waratahs' round-11 win over the Reds and Queensland's late-season capitulation counted against him.
It won't be the first time Norton-Knight has acted as understudy to Larkham, whom he played behind at the Brumbies in 2004 and 2005.
Norton-Knight's Test elevation comes two months after being in the headlines when star teammate Lote Tuqiri shoved him after a "brain explosion'' tap kick on full-time against Western Force which cost the Waratahs a match-winning penalty attempt.
First-choice Waratahs halfback Josh Valentine is the surprise exclusion from the 37-man squad, with Connolly and fellow selectors Scott Johnson and Mick O'Connor preferring young Waratahs teammate Josh Holmes.
Holmes, who started just one Super 14 match in 2007, was picked alongside George Gregan, the versatile Matt Giteau and returning Red Sam Cordingley who will ramp up his comeback from foot surgery for the A-team.
Brumbies prop Nic Henderson was also a selection table loser, missing out to Waratah Matt Dunning who played his most recent Test in November 2005.
Connolly is mindful of managing the workload of several stars, particularly back rower Rocky Elsom who has played and trained almost non-stop since November, and will mix and match his team against Wales and Fiji before the Tri-Nations.
"Australia in future will have to get used to having a 30-man squad. The whole key to success in future for Australia is competition in positions like (openside flankers) George Smith and Phil Waugh,'' he said.
League convert Ryan Cross will join his first Wallabies camp but indications are he'll miss selection in the 30-man Test squad as the Wallabies look to develop him through the A-team's five-match campaign, kicking off on May 25 against Tonga.
Australia A coach Laurie Fisher will get a squad of 25 players which will be adjusted after the first two Pacific Nations Cup matches.
Like Cordingley, a 60-minute club performer for Brisbane Brothers this weekend, Waratahs lock Dan Vickerman will attend the training camp after playing 20 minutes in his comeback for Sydney University in a 57-15 win over Warringah.
37-man Squad:
Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, Al Baxter, Rodney Blake, Mark Chisholm, Sam Cordingley, Ryan Cross, Matt Dunning, Rocky Elsom, Adam Freier, Mark Gerrard, Matt Giteau, George Gregan, Stephen Hoiles, Josh Holmes, James Horwill, Julian Huxley, Digby Ioane, Stephen Larkham, David Lyons, Hugh McMeniman, Drew Mitchell, Stephen Moore, Stirling Mortlock, Sam Norton-Knight, Wycliff Palu, Benn Robinson, Nathan Sharpe, Cameron Shepherd, Guy Shepherdson, George Smith, Scott Staniforth, Jone Tawake, Lote Tuqiri, Lachlan Turner, Dan Vickerman, Phil Waugh.
Injured players not considered: Greg Holmes, Chris Latham, Clyde Rathbone, Morgan Turinui.
Cut from 59-man Squad: Richard Brown, Gareth Hardy, James Hilgendorf, Junior Pelesasa, David Pocock, Troy Takiari, Rudi Vedelago (FORCE), Mitchell Chapman, Quade Cooper, John Roe (REDS), Alister Campbell, Nic Henderson, Jeremy Paul, Julian Salvi, Adam Wallace-Harrison (BRUMBIES), Kurtley Beale, Will Caldwell, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Brett Sheehan (WARATAHS)
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