Dan McKellar is exploring his options at halfback after demoting Joe Powell for the first time this season ahead of the Brumbies' key Super Rugby match against the Jaguares. Matt Lucas will be the starting No.9 in Buenos Aires on Sunday (AEDT), with the smooth-passing Powell having owned the jersey in all their nine games until now. Lucas has had to be content with seven bench appearances but gets his chance inside skipper Christian Lealiifano, who continues his run of starting every game at five-eighth. Coach McKellar has made one other starting switch from the team who bravely held out the Stormers 19-17 in Cape Town last week. James Slipper replaces Scott Sio at prop, continuing the season-long rotation between the two seasoned looseheads. There are two changes on the bench. Hooker Conal McInerney was flown to Argentina to replace veteran Josh Mann-Rea, who suffered a suspected season-ending knee injury against the Stormers. Irae Simone returns as reserve back cover, in place of Wharenui Hawera. The Brumbies are chasing a third straight success on the road after season-reviving wins in South Africa, over the Lions and Stormers. They take a 4-5 record into their clash with the Jaguares (4-4), who are coming off successive losses in South Africa, followed by a bye last week. Ma'a Nonu's bid for a Rugby World Cup return appears to be over after the veteran centre was not selected in an extended All Blacks squad. Coach Steve Hansen has unveiled 41 players to attend a "foundation day" in Wellington next week in the first significant step towards winning the Webb Ellis Cup for a third-straight time. There are few notable omissions aside from Nonu, whose last Test was the triumphant 2015 World Cup final. The 36-year-old played for French club Toulon before returning to Super Rugby with the Blues, where his performances had been solid until last week's virtuoso performance against the NSW Waratahs. However, it hasn't been enough to convince Hansen, who has gone largely with the players who have performed for him over the past two seasons. The only uncapped player is in-form Blues No.8 Akira Ioane, who played a mid-week match for the All Blacks in 2017. Outside back George Bridge and former Melbourne Rebels prop Tyrel Lomax have earned one Test cap each, off the bench against Japan last year when a virtual second XV played. Hansen has included a number of injured players, including flankers Sam Cane and Liam Squire, who are yet to play this year. Others currently sidelined with significant injuries are winger Waisake Naholo, inside centre Sonny Bill Williams and halfback Aaron Smith. A number of in-form players from the first half of the Super Rugby season have been bypassed. They include David Havili, Braydon Ennor, Will Jordan and Jordan Taufua from the competition-leading Crusaders and Blues flankers Tom Robinson and Dalton Papali'i. All Blacks training squad: Backs: Ben Smith, Jordie Barrett, George Bridge, Waisake Naholo, Rieko Ioane, Jack Goodhue, Anton Lienert-Brown, Ryan Crotty, Sonny Bill Williams, Ngani Laumape, Beauden Barrett, Richie Mo'unga, Damian McKenzie, Aaron Smith, TJ Perenara, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi. Forwards: Kieran Read, Akira Ioane, Luke Whitelock, Sam Cane, Ardie Savea, Matt Todd, Liam Squire. Shannon Frizell, Vaea Fifita, Jackson Hemopo, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Scott Barrett, Patrick Tuipulotu, Owen Franks, Nepo Laulala, Tyrel Lomax, Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Joe Moody, Karl Tu'inukuafe, Angus Ta'avao, Dane Coles, Codie Taylor, Nathan Harris, Liam Coltman. The Warriors believe handling the Christchurch factor best will determine the fate of Saturday's NRL match against Manly. Which puts them in the box seat because they've done it before. A surreal build-up to the Christchurch Stadium match has been dominated by both teams primarily paying tribute to those affected by the March 15 mosque terror attacks. There has been little narrative around the Sea Eagles' winless start to Des Hasler's second coming or the Warriors' clumsy loss to the Wests Tigers last week. The theme continued on Friday as Hasler and Manly chief executive Lyall Gorman laid a wreath at the Al Noor Mosque, which both teams have visited this week. They also announced every player at Christchurch Stadium will have #TheyAreUs on their jerseys in solidarity with the families of the 50 victims killed. Warriors coach Stephen Kearney says separating emotion from the pragmatic job of playing well for 80 minutes is a challenge. He should know. His players achieved it with their opening round 40-6 trouncing of Canterbury two weeks ago, just a day after the attacks rocked New Zealand. "All of us have felt and seen and heard what followed the events of two weeks ago so we all feel it and know it," Kearney said. "It was a fairly big occasion for the club, round one. "But our responsibility again as a footy team is to get our jobs done on Saturday afternoon, five o'clock (3pm AEDT). "I'm sure there will be emotion but our role is to make sure we're executing our roles." Kearney doesn't anticipate the same problem that was exposed in the 34-6 loss to the Tigers, after which he accused some of his players of expecting another easy ride. That won't be a problem for Manly either, with Hasler's men having spluttered to wet-weather losses to the Tigers and Sydney Roosters. Hasler was buoyed by scoring the game's final three tries against the premiers last week and also expects their attack to lift after the return from injury of star fullback Tom Trbojevic. STATS THAT MATTER * Manly have won 12 of their 16 games against the Warriors in New Zealand but went down last year in Christchurch. * The Warriors are chasing back-to-back wins over the Sea Eagles for the first time in 15 years. * The Warriors lead the NRL team offload count this season with 27, having also topped that category overall in 2018. |
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April 2019
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