Aussie wrap (Mon)

Aussie wrap (Mon)

23 Mar 2008

Keo.co.za brings you the latest news from Australia’s franchises.

Reds to keep midield trio

The Reds will keep their 10-12-13 axis in tact for the Sharks on Saturday.

Berryck Barnes returned at No 12 to slot in between Quade Cooper and Morgan Turinui against the Lions, but the trio failed to ignite the backline. Flyhalf Cooper especially was not as impressive as the week before against the Bulls, but Reds coach Phil Mooney wants to give them another run together.

“He [Cooper] did some good things but didn’t exhibit the same control from the week before but a midfield needs a bit of time together,” Mooney told AAP.

“It would be a bit harsh to change after one performance with Quade, Berrick and Morgan together. I’m prepared to give them a little bit more time to cement their combination.”

Lote to move to centre?

Lote Tuqiri could be moved to outside centre for the Waratahs’ clash with the Cheetahs on Friday.

Coach Ewen McKenzie is considering the move as the Aussie outfit has lacked direction and penetration all season, and it is thought Tuqiri could add this to the backline. If Tuqiri does move to No 13 for the game, he will directly oppose JW Jonker who has been very weak on defence all season.

“Lote going to the centres is definitely an option,” McKenzie told rugbyheaven.com.au.

“We have the likes Norton-Knight and Halangahu coming back into the selection mix. We can actually think about a few of these things. [But] we are not going to make wholesale changes just for the sake of doing it. There has to be a purpose behind it.”

“He [Tuqiri] is obviously a difficult guy to handle. He breaks the line and breaks a lot of tackles when he plays. He adds something in that respect. But he does that no matter where he plays.”


2 Comments

  • 1.Funky_Dubai_Monkey: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2008, 15:22 pm

    Reds are going to be SMASHED against the Sharks!!! They suck!

  • 2.TheTackler is a Bok Supporter: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2008, 17:05 pm

    Depends on if he has had alot of Tequiri the night before. Don`t mention Teqiri and lines in the same sentence we don’t want him to break his good work in AA this year.

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