Wallabies seeking intensity of ABs in trial match
The Aussies are pulling out all the stops to take the Bledisloe Cup from the All Blacks.
They have picked a team to play a trial match against the Wallabies tomorrow night with the specific aim of replicating what the All Blacks will throw at them in their Rugby Championship opener in Sydney on August 18.
Banned Wallaby James Slipper will make his return for the Super Rugby allstars at Leichhardt Oval.
Slipper, a veteran of 86 tests for the Wallabies, became the first Australian rugby player to twice test positive for a banned drug earlier this year.
The 29-year-old was stood down for two months and fined $27,500 after two positive tests for cocaine taken from urine samples between February and May this year.
He is one of four capped Wallabies, along with Blake Enever, Matt Philip and Richard Hardwick, who will line up against Michael Cheika’s side. The squad is filled by a number of Super Rugby players and top-line club players.
Cheika will name his squad to face the Super Rugby all-stars later today, but the team won’t include any players from the Waratahs after their semifinal loss on Sunday.
The Wallaby opponents will be coached by Australia’s women’s sevens coach John Manenti.
Rebels club captain Tom English will lead the team and has been named at centre.
The Western Force’s Andrew Deegan will wear the No 10 jersey and play alongside Reds halfback Moses Sorovi in the halves. Former Australian sevens speedster Pama Fou, who has had a successful year playing for Eastwood in Sydney’s Shute Shield competition after an injury riddled 2017, will form an exciting wing combination alongside Reds gun Filipo Daugunu.
“We’ll have some fun this week but make no mistake, we will prepare as best we can to give Cheik’s side a real shake on Friday night,” said Manenti.
“I know how important this game could prove to be ahead of the Bledisloe Cup so we need to play with real accuracy and plenty of intensity straight from the kick-off.”