Aussie latest – Tahs lend Baa Baas punch

Aussie latest – Tahs lend Baa Baas punch

3 Feb 2011

Keo.co.za brings you news from Australia’s Super Rugby franchises.

Tahs lend Baa Baas punch -Five of the Waratahs’ Super Rugby squad members will line up for the Australian Barbarians against the Force in a pre-season trial match on Saturday.

Daniel Halangahu, Damien Fitzpatrick, Jeremy Tilse, Pat O’Connor and Brendan McKibbin will face the Perth-based franchise this weekend.

Waratahs head coach Chris Hickey said: ‘This enables a number of those players pushing for places in the 22 to get a good amount of game time which is better for them than getting just 20 minutes at the end of next Friday’s match [against the Force for the Tahs].’

Australian Barbarians - 15 Ben Batger, 14 Rohan Saifoloi, 13 Tim Bennetts, 12 Sione Piukala, 11 Stan Tuionuku, 10 Daniel Halangahu, 9 Brendan McKibbin, 8 Hugh Perrett, 7 Mitchell Wade, 6 Maile Latekefu, 5 Pat O’Connor, 4 Phil Mathers, 3 Shon Siemonek, 2 Damien Fitzpatrick, 1 Jeremy Tilse.
Subs: 16 Eddie Aholelei, 17 Elvis Taione, 18 Ben Matwijow, 19 Gareth Inches, 20 Steve Evans, 21 Dave Harvey, 22 TBC.


18 Comments

  • 1.WOLFMAN21: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2011, 14:00 pm

    Who dragons?

  • 2.DonutDunning: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2011, 14:28 pm

    @WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-1: Yeah even I’m struggling!
    Apart from the NSW squad players listed, the only name I really recognise is Ben Batger. He played some games for the Brumbies back in about ’06, played for Tasman in the NPC then signed for the Waratahs squad, but was injured a lot.
    I thought he disappeared off to Italy…

  • 3.WOLFMAN21: Reply to this comment
    3 Feb 2011, 15:24 pm

    @DonutDunning(DonutDunning)-2: Yeah, I thought I recognised his name. I know rugby playing numbers aren’t particularly high, but I wouold have thought there would be enough for a full 22 man squad!

    It shows how stupid it was giving the team to Perth, with this game taking place in Sydney rather than WA. They will be lucky to get the groundsman and his dog showing up.

  • 4.DonutDunning: Reply to this comment
    4 Feb 2011, 01:50 am

    @WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-3: I guess it makes sense.
    With 5 teams now composing squads of 30, that is the top 150 (mostly) Aussie players already taken.
    When you add to that the 280-odd contracted League players, the guys in this Baa-baas team are theoretically the 300th best rugby players in Australia :P

  • 5.Slartibartfast: Reply to this comment
    4 Feb 2011, 03:02 am

    Errr 431st best player…but who is counting!

    Or is your calculation a little more involved where you discounting some of the 280 league players being poorer than say the 151st union player…? ;-)

  • 6.DonutDunning: Reply to this comment
    4 Feb 2011, 05:15 am

    @Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-5: Damn typo, I meant 400th. I did discount a little for players who would be good enough to play league if they actually ever tried out etc.

  • 7.Slartibartfast: Reply to this comment
    4 Feb 2011, 05:27 am

    @DonutDunning(DonutDunning)-6:

    Nice betting scandal they got themselves into I see…

  • 8.Hondo: Reply to this comment
    4 Feb 2011, 06:14 am

    @DonutDunning(DonutDunning)-6:
    Earl Rose is available!
    Australian rugby should have poached him by now

  • 9.DonutDunning: Reply to this comment
    4 Feb 2011, 06:28 am

    @Hondo(Hondo)-8: We already got rid of Isma-eel Dollie for you, do some of your own dirty work for once.

    @Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-7: My favourite was last year’s betting scandal, where large sums of money were suddenly being bet on the Melb Storm to finish last, conveniently only days before it was announced they had breached the salary cap and would have all their season points deducted.

  • 10.Hondo: Reply to this comment
    4 Feb 2011, 06:34 am

    @DonutDunning(DonutDunning)-4:
    Aussie rugby union should seriously look into the SA reservoir
    Player’s such as Killian, Ludik, Lionel Cronje, Conrad Hoffman or Philip Snyman are always to be marginalised in SA despite their obvious skills, physical attributes and talent, they can increase the Union rugby depth in Oz though.

  • 11.Hondo: Reply to this comment
    4 Feb 2011, 06:36 am

    @DonutDunning(DonutDunning)-9:
    You did? really?
    Didn’t make any headlines here.
    How did you import him in the first place?

  • 12.Slartibartfast: Reply to this comment
    4 Feb 2011, 06:40 am

    @DonutDunning(DonutDunning)-9:

    Hehe those bets were all cancelled though, were they not?

    @Hondo(Hondo)-10:

    Hondo, got to any school/junior club game in Oz and it will become very clear that it is only a question of time before the first ‘v/d Merwe’ comes through the ranks.

  • 13.DonutDunning: Reply to this comment
    4 Feb 2011, 06:44 am

    @Hondo(Hondo)-10: They’re all scrummies and fullbacks aren’t they? Not something we really have a shortage of. Even the Rebels have two Wallaby fullbacks in Gerrard and Huxley, plus a former Kangaroo in Luke Rooney.
    It’s more your big Afrikaans lock we are after :)
    The Waratahs had big hopes for Hendrik Roodt, shame he turned out to just be a fat thug. He’s now back playing for Griquas?

    Dollie tried out for the Brumbies after not getting a contract in SA. He made it as far as the Brumbies Academy – we already had Matt Toomua and Christian Lealifano, both better than him. He eventually gave up and went to Japan.

  • 14.DonutDunning: Reply to this comment
    4 Feb 2011, 06:54 am

    @Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-12: The first will probably be JP du Plessis at the Rebels. There is also a young scrummy Swanepoel coming through at the Force.
    Personally I thought it’d be most appropriate for the first one to come through to be a Wessels :)

  • 15.Slartibartfast: Reply to this comment
    4 Feb 2011, 07:02 am

    @DonutDunning(DonutDunning)-14:

    I forgot about Swanie at the Force, he played a few games last year already!

    You had your Wessels in cricket, don’t be greedy now. I suppose Vickerman was really the first but he just does not sound Saffa…

  • 16.DonutDunning: Reply to this comment
    4 Feb 2011, 07:15 am

    @Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-15: How about Aussie Clyde then?

  • 17.Slartibartfast: Reply to this comment
    4 Feb 2011, 07:18 am

    @DonutDunning(DonutDunning)-16:

    Nope, Rathbone is also not Saffa enough.

  • 18.WOLFMAN21: Reply to this comment
    4 Feb 2011, 10:13 am

    The talent isn’t coming through as quickly in Australia from South African migrants as many expected. Very different systems regarding sport, meaning that the school age South Africans in Australia struggle. There might be an influx of those born in Australia with South African parents, having essentially learnt their rugby in Australia.

    Players such as Vickerman, Rathbone and du Plessis were essentially scouted on the back of quickly age group performances in South Africa. Swanepoel is probably the first “home-grown” South African, however he is probably fourth choice at the Force.

    Another South African playing in Australia this year is Jared Saffy. A former Rugby league player, who, if he performs better than Brown of the Force, will probably go to the World Cup this year.

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