Wallabies latest – Cowan replaces Robinson
15 Jul 2011
Keo.co.za brings you news from the Wallabies camp.
Cowan replaces Robinson – Pek Cowan comes in for the injured Benn Robinson in the Wallabies match 22 for their opening Test against Samoa on Sunday.
The Western Force front rower fills in on the bench as Robinson picked up a knee injury that has ruled him our for the year. Cowan edged veteran Al Baxter for a place amongst the reserves.
If Cowan gets a run on, it will be his fifth Test cap for the Wallabies.
Wallabies (revised) -15 Mark Gerrard, 14 James O’Connor, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Ben McCalman, 7 Matt Hodgson, 6 Rocky Elsom (c), 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Sitaleki Timani, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Sekope Kepu.
Subs: 16 James Hanson, 17 Pek Cowan, 18 Dan Vickerman, 19 Scott Higginbotham, 20 Beau Robinson, 21 Will Genia, 22 Kurtley Beale.
Deans extends Wallabies stay – Wallabies head coach Robbie Deans has signed a two-year contract extension with the ARU, keeping him in Australia until 2013 at least.
ARU boss John O’Neill confirmed that the agreements have already been reached and a formal announcement will be made in the next two weeks. This means no matter what happens in the World Cup, Deans will keep his job after the tournament and is set to manage the Wallabies for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia in 2013.
This also rules out Deans from a return to New Zealand and a chance to apply for the expected vacant All Blacks head coach job after the World Cup.
Aussie bosses dangle cash carrot – The Wallabies will take home A$110 000 a man if they win the World Cup, but will receive no bonus if they fail to reach the final.
The Australian Rugby Union said the players had agreed to reduce match fees in order to maximise this bonus. The players will receive A$10 000 for each pool match and A$11 000 for each game they play in the knockout stages. A bonus of A$25 000 will be paid if they reach the final with an extra A$85 000 being awarded if they win the title.
9 Comments
15 Jul 2011, 08:07 am
monster blow to wallabies hopes imo
15 Jul 2011, 08:50 am
@grant10(grant10)-1:
well if any team team can do it in turbo reverse the wallabies can
15 Jul 2011, 11:26 am
another Nz born player
15 Jul 2011, 11:39 am
@grant10(grant10)-1:
Agreed.
Cowan, Kepu, Baxter…? Come now.
Robinson is quality and troubles so many direct opponents.
Not good news for Deans and his men.
15 Jul 2011, 12:10 pm
@grant10(grant10)-1:
Yes I think so too.
Psychologically more than anything else.
15 Jul 2011, 12:13 pm
Although Alexander, Polota-Nau, Moore, Slipper can all do the job.
15 Jul 2011, 13:55 pm
Cowan is the begining of the end
15 Jul 2011, 14:02 pm
I can see England scrumming these poofters into the ground at the world cup.
16 Jul 2011, 09:08 am
Biggest loss for the wallabies. They could afford to lose any player as they have sufficient cover, but Robinson, is a pillar in any scrum he packs down. Slipper and Daly need to bulk up, Baxter, Cowan and Kepu, have had plenty of goes for same backward result. To top it off, Salesian Maafu, the worst prop to ever play international rugby.
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