Winds of change for Wallabies
22 May 2006
ACT front-rowers Jeremy Paul and Bill Young are back in favour with the Australian selectors.
But the NSW trio of David Lyons, Morgan Turinui and Matt Dunning will struggle for Test spots writes Sydney Morning Herald rugby writer Greg Growden.
More than 40 players, including 15 Waratahs, will assemble in Sydney tomorrow night for a three-day Wallabies preliminary training camp where they will meet with the new Australian management team, headed by coach John Connolly.
The full 33-man Wallabies training squad will be announced on May 29 but it already appears that several well-known Australian players will miss out on the final contingent, which will include five props, three hookers and three halfbacks.
The selectors appear certain to overlook No 8 Lyons, centre Turinui and prop Dunning from the full squad, and they are also not expected to be part of this week’s preliminary training camp.
While Dunning, who has been used off the bench by the Waratahs this season, has had few opportunities to show his wares during the Super 14, Lyons and Turinui have failed to impress the new Australian selection panel of Connolly, Scott Johnson and Michael O’Connor.
Lyons found himself replaced in the NSW back row in the final rounds by Stephen Hoiles, and Wallabies officials believe Turinui has not been as prominent during this year’s Super 14 tournament compared to previous seasons.
The selectors have not given up on either Waratah but it will be difficult for them to be in contention for the early internationals, as Connolly is eager to use George Smith, Rocky Elsom and Daniel Heenan in his back row, with Phil Waugh playing off the bench.
In the centre rankings, Matt Giteau, Stirling Mortlock, Gene Fairbanks, Scott Staniforth, Ben Tune and Sam Norton-Knight are all ahead of Turinui.
10 Comments
22 May 2006, 07:45 am
bill young is a dragon
22 May 2006, 08:07 am
wpforever – that’s the funniest thing I’ve ever read! well done there! How long did it take you to come up with that pearl? Jeez…
22 May 2006, 08:10 am
Yeah good call with Dunning and Lyons. They are past it. I feel sorry for Turinui, he is a solid inside centre, but then he did have back to back bad games againt the Hurricanes,and considering the form of Staniforth and the class of Giteau,i can understand why he is out in the cold.
Good to hear they might be reconsidering Jeremy Paul, quality player.
22 May 2006, 08:16 am
LMAO @ frazer.
22 May 2006, 10:29 am
Turinui’s exclusion is a good call in my opinion, he is in the same boat as Drew Mitchell, both fantastic players, but lack the ability to defend the wide expansive attacking game. Mortlock, Tuqiri, Tune, “Borm Again Staniforth” are good fast and go forward backs. Turinui is as well, but cannot defend on the outside as he was clearly shown up in the 2 games against the Canes. Heenan is a good choice in at 6 or 8, he is the 3rd option in the lineout off the back. Elsom, I have a question mark over his name as a starter as u need guys that show up in big games and this guy I dont think will help Smith and Heenan out as much as Croft or Roe would from the Reds. Dunning is a lost cause and Lyons, if only he could have lost a few more Kg’s and toned up a bit, he could have been awesome, I was thinking they could have used this guy as a melon like player, but then melon had ball skills to match his power.
22 May 2006, 14:14 pm
guys the squad is.
Australia train-on squad:
Chris Latham, Cameron Shepherd, Lote Tuqiri, Mark Gerrard, Clyde Rathbone, Scott Staniforth, Matt Giteau, Stirling Mortlock, Gene Fairbanks, Ben Tune, Stephen Larkham, Mat Rogers, Sam Norton-Knight, Lachlan MacKay, George Gregan, Sam Cordingley, Brett Sheehan, Luke Burgess, Josh Holmes, George Smith, Rocky Elsom, Daniel Heenan, Phil Waugh, Wycliff Palu, Stephen Hoiles, John Roe, Scott Fava, Nathan Sharpe, Dan Vickerman, Mark Chisholm, Al Kanaar, Greg Holmes, Benn Robinson, Nic Henderson, Gareth Hardy, Rodney Blake, Al Baxter, Guy Shepherdson, Adam Freier, Tai McIsaac, Jeremy Paul, Tatafu Polota-Nau.
22 May 2006, 14:22 pm
Brumby – what the story with Hewat ? Why won’t they give him a jersey ?
22 May 2006, 14:37 pm
he is seen as a player who could cost us a test match. probably the same reason why you don’t pick Russell.
22 May 2006, 16:16 pm
Peter Hewat was possibly the best back in the super 14. This guy will be one of the greats.
22 May 2006, 18:02 pm
What,no Big Dell,I thought his indiscresion would be swept away by now!
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