Wallabies dominated by Waratahs and Brumbies
Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has
launched the 2014 France Tour with the announcement of a strong 32-man
Australian squad, with 21 players coming from NSW and ACT.
The group will assemble at
Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast on Sunday 1 June before competing
against 2011 Rugby World Cup Finalists France in a three-game Test
series for the Trophée des Bicentenaires.
Tickets are on sale
for the France Tour, which begins at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on
Saturday 7 June; travels through Etihad Stadium in Melbourne on Saturday
14 June; and concludes with a family-friendly Saturday afternoon
encounter at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on 21 June.
In total the
squad boasts 831 games of Test experience, has an average age of just
under 26-years-old, and includes representatives from all five
Australian Super Rugby provinces – NSW Waratahs (11), ACT Brumbies (10),
Western Force (5), Queensland Reds (4) and Melbourne Rebels (2).
Following
a year in which 12 players made their debut for the Wallabies,
McKenzie’s initial squad for 2014 includes just four uncapped players in
hooker Nathan Charles and locks Sam Carter, Luke Jones and Will
Skelton.
A number of former Test representatives who missed
squad selection in 2013 either through injury or non-selection have also
earned a re-call, including prop Pek Cowan and backrowers Scott
Higginbotham and Matt Hodgson.
For Hodgson and Cowan, their
selection presents an opportunity to reignite their international
careers after the pair played their last capped Test for Australia in
2011 against South Africa in Sydney.
“It’s pleasing to see the
quality and depth we have coming through the Australian Rugby ranks at
the moment and I’m confident the squad we’ve chosen can deliver the
outcomes we are looking for throughout the June series,” McKenzie said.
“We’re
beginning to create a strong and competitive selection environment,
which unfortunately means that some quality players will miss out.
“The
challenge for this group now is to build on our four most recent wins
on the Spring Tour and ensure we continue to develop a winning culture.
“The
last time an Australian team won five straight games was in 2008.
That’s a six-year hoodoo we need to break and it will be our immediate
short-term team goal.
“We’re also looking for players to
contribute as much to the cultural piece off the field as they do with
their performance on it.
“We don’t hide from the fact that we
want to have the best Rugby program possible and to do that you need to
have not just the best players but the best people.
“We are in
the business of inspiration. Winning is not enough and it’s important
that our journey captures the hearts and minds of the Australian public
along the way.
“That’s the responsibility of each individual in
the squad and we’re really looking forward to the opportunity to
positively influence the Rugby landscape in Australia in June and
throughout the rest of the year.”
McKenzie has also invited an
additional four players to train with the Qantas Wallabies squad in the
lead-up to their opening Test – wingers Henry Speight and Tom English,
prop Paddy Ryan and lock Cadeyrn Neville.
Speight will not be
available for selection during the France Tour but will be eligible to
represent the Qantas Wallabies from 11 September, 2014.
McKenzie
said, “The reality is we have more players performing well than we have
space in our squad, so it’s important for the coaching staff that we
have an opportunity to learn more about some of the players who haven’t
had as much recent exposure to the national program.
“By adding
four additional players to the group for the opening week we’ll get to
learn more about some guys, while they get to experience a different
environment and test themselves at the elite level.”
Players who
have not been considered for selection due to injury include flanker
David Pocock (knee), flyhalf Quade Cooper (shoulder), centre Kyle Godwin
(knee), scrumhalf Luke Burgess (knee), and outside backs Joe Tomane
(cheekbone), Chris Feauai-Sautia (hamstring) and Peter Betham (ankle).
Wallabies
squad to play France: Ben Alexander, Pek Cowan, Sekope Kepu, Scott Sio,
James Slipper, Nathan Charles, Stephen Moore, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Sam
Carter, James Horwill, Luke Jones, Rob Simmons, Will Skelton, Scott
Fardy, Scott Higginbotham, Matt Hodgson, Michael Hooper, Ben McCalman,
Wycliff Palu, Will Genia, Nick Phipps, Nic White, Kurtley Beale, Bernard
Foley, Tevita Kuridrani, Christian Leali’ifano, Matt Toomua, Adam
Ashley-Cooper, Nick Cummins, Israel Folau, Rob Horne, Pat McCabe
