International
Campbell earns first start for Wallabies in Paris
Inverell-born Jock Campbell will make his starting debut for the Wallabies in Paris against France on Saturday night (local time).
After impressing in his first Test against Scotland on Saturday, Campbell has been named at fullback and will work with a back three that is otherwise unchanged with Tom Wright and Andrew Kellaway on the wings.
Campbell is one of four changes to the starting XV with Taniela Tupou running on as tighthead prop after Allan Alaalatoa was ruled out with concussion. He joins captain James Slipper and hooker David Porecki in the front row, the former playing his 125th Test for the Wallabies.
Waratahs leader Lalakai Foketi returns to the gold jersey at inside centre after missing out in Edinburgh and will reignite his midfield partnership with Len Ikitau who starts at outside centre for the eighth consecutive Test.
The final change to the run-on side sees Nic White back in the number nine jersey for the first time since the side played South Africa in Sydney, combining with Bernard Foley who will again steer the side from flyhalf.
Brumbies teammates Nick Frost and Cadeyrn Neville will again be important at the set-piece as the starting lock pairing, the former making a strong impact in the side’s one point win at BT Murrayfield.
An unchanged backrow sees Waratahs duo Jed Holloway and Michael Hooper as the blindside and openside flanker respectively, with Rob Valetini anchoring the scrum in the familiar number eight jersey. Hooper passing great mate Adam Ashley-Cooper last weekend to become the outright fourth most-capped Wallaby with 122 Test appearances.
Western Force front rower Tom Robertson has been named to play his first Test for 2022, and is one of just five players (Foley, Hooper, Slipper, Skelton) in the matchday 23 who were involved the last time the side played at Stade de France, where they earned a 25-23 win in 2016. He joins new club teammate Folau Fainga’a and Rebels loosehead prop Matt Gibbon as the finishing front row.
Stade Rochelais lock and 2022 European Champion, Will Skelton has been selected for his first match in Wallaby gold this year, named as the finishing second rower, while Pete Samu has recovered from a back injury to return to the team as the backrow cover.
NSW captain Jake Gordon will bring energy as the reserve scrumhalf, while Hunter Paisami shifts back to the pine as the midfield cover. The versatile Reece Hodge rounds out the matchday 23 in what will be his 61st Test for his country.
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie said: “Jock’s had a great year for Queensland and the Australia A side and has earned the right to start for his country.”
“While we were happy to get a win to start the tour, we know we have a lot more in us and will need to be much better on Saturday against what is probably the best team in the world.
“To play France in Paris less than one year out from a Rugby World Cup here is an incredible opportunity and one we’re all excited by.”
Every Wallabies Test from the 2022 Spring Tour will be ad-free, live and on-demand with extended coverage on Stan Sport.
Wallabies team to play France at Stade de France, Paris on Saturday 5 November, 9:00pm CET/7:00am AEDT (Sunday)
- James Slipper (c) (124 Tests)
- David Porecki (8 Tests)
- Taniela Tupou (44 Tests)
- Nick Frost (6 Tests)
- Cadeyrn Neville (4 Tests)
- Jed Holloway (7 Tests)
- Michael Hooper (122 Tests)
- Rob Valetini (28 Tests)
- Nic White (57 Tests)
- Bernard Foley (74 Tests)
- Tom Wright (19 Tests)
- Lalakai Foketi (4 Tests)
- Len Ikitau (22 Tests)
- Andrew Kellaway (19 Tests)
- Jock Campbell (1 Test)
Replacements - Folau Fainga’a (34 Tests)
- Matt Gibbon (3 Tests)
- Tom Robertson (27 Tests)
- Will Skelton (21 Tests)
- Pete Samu (29 Tests)
- Jake Gordon (16 Tests)
- Hunter Paisami (21 Tests)
- Reece Hodge (60 Tests)
2022 Spring Tour Fixtures
Wallabies 16 defeated Scotland 15, Sunday 30 October at BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Wallabies v France, Sunday 6 November, 7:00am AEDT at Stade de France, Paris
Wallabies v Italy, Sunday 13 November, 12:00am AEDT at Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence
Wallabies v Ireland, Sunday 20 November, 7:00am AEDT at Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Wallabies v Wales, Sunday 27 November, 2:15am AEDT at Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Content & Images from – Australia Rugby
The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is delighted to announce the return of the ‘A’ Interprovincial Men’s Championship which will kick off next month.
The times and dates of the opening three rounds of the Championship before Christmas have been confirmed, with a similar points-scoring system as used in the URC. A Championship winner will be declared after the final round of matches in May and the IRFU will be commissioning a legacy trophy to mark the 150th anniversary celebrations.
Welcoming the news, IRFU Performance Director David Humphreys commented:
“We’re delighted to kick-start the Men’s ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship which will provide a host of players with a further means of developing in a meaningful competition. With the success of the Emerging Ireland Tours, coupled with the return of an ‘A’ international against England next year, it is vital that we continue to provide players at provincial and Club levels with opportunities to impress outside of the traditional URC and EPCR fixture windows.
“Discussions have been ongoing for some time to provide players with meaningful games and all four provinces are unanimously supportive of this competition. It is also great to see provinces taking matches around their local Clubs.
“It is anticipated that as the competition progresses over the coming seasons these fixtures won’t clash with Energia All-Ireland League fixtures for the most part, thus potentially also offering players from the Club game with an opportunity to impress.
“This competition will form another important part of the representative pathway from Energia AIL to URC levels for Academy players upwards over the coming seasons.”
The dates for the post-Christmas fixtures will be confirmed in due course. Ticket details will be confirmed via the respective provinces.
IRFU 150 Interprovincial ‘A’ Championship Fixtures:
Saturday, 16th November:
Connacht Eagles v Leinster ‘A’ (Creggs RFC, 1pm)
Friday, 22nd November:
Ulster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (Ballymacaran Park, 3pm), Leinster ‘A’ v Munster ‘A’ (Lakelands, 5pm)
Friday, 29th November:
Munster ‘A’ v Ulster ‘A’ (New Ormond Park, 3pm)
Friday, 20th December:
Ulster ‘A’ v Munster ‘A’ (tbc, 3pm)
Saturday, 21st December:
Leinster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (Ollie Campbell Park, 2pm)
Weekend of 28/29 December:
Connacht Eagles v Ulster ‘A’ (tbc), Munster ‘A’ v Leinster ‘A’ (tbc)
Weekend of 9/10 May:
Connacht Eagles v Munster ‘A’ (tbc), Leinster ‘A’ v Ulster ‘A’ (tbc)
Weekend of 16/17 May:
Munster ‘A’ v Connacht Eagles (tbc), Ulster ‘A’ v Leinster ‘A’ (tbc)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
The Emerging Ireland team to face the Cheetahs in the final game of the three-match series in Bloemfontein on Wednesday evening (kick off 6pm Irish time, 7pm local time) has been named.
Leinster’s James Culhane will lead the team and he forms a new back-row alongside Harry Sheridan and Sean Edogbo, who makes his first start of the tour having come on as a replacement in the 29-24 win over Western Force on Sunday afternoon. Former Ireland Under-20 captain Evan O’Connell locks down with Darragh Murray, who featured in the opening 36-24 victory over the Pumas, with Alex Usanov named in the front row alongside hooker Stephen Smyth and Jack Aungier.
Darragh Murray of Emerging Ireland scores his sides second try – Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/Darren Stewart
In the backline, Sam Prendergast starts his third game of the tour at out-half and he will be partnered by Cormac Foley, who featured as a second half replacements against the Australian Super Rugby side last time out. Connacht’s Hugh Gavin forms a midfield partnership with Hugh Cooney, with Ulster’s Zac Ward named in an exciting back tree alongside the returning Ben O’Connor at full-back and Andrew Osborne who moves to the right wing.
Munster loosehead prop George Hadden, who was called up to the squad last weekend, is set to make his first appearance after being named on the bench alongside Conor O’Tighearnaigh and Alex Soroka who started Sunday’s win. Hadden’s provincial team-mate Danny Sheahan provides cover once more at hooker, while Scott Wilson and Charlie Tector are also named on the bench for the Toyota Stadium clash alongside out-half Jack Murphy.
Looking ahead to the game, Emerging Ireland Head Coach Simon Easterby said: “When we set out at the beginning of our pre-camp in Dublin, we knew about the challenge of facing three sides in a week and we knew that every player in the group would have the opportunity to play his part. To a man each player has given his all so far and we are aiming to finish off the series with another positive performance on Wednesday.
The Cheetahs are a fiercely proud and strong side and it should be a lively game with a vocal home support behind them. It has been a fruitful past few weeks to date and we have learned a lot. While our performances haven’t been perfect, the players have embraced the challenge and played some brilliant rugby at times. The action has come thick and fast and we know that we have to be clinical in our execution. We will need to go up another level on Wednesday to get the performance we want and hopefully finish the tour on a high.”
Wednesday’s game will be broadcast once more on IrishRugby+ – click here.
Emerging Ireland (v The Cheetahs, Wednesday, October 9, 7pm local time, 6pm Irish time)
15: Ben O’Connor (UCC RFC/Munster)
14: Andrew Osborne (Naas RFC/Leinster)
13: Hugh Cooney (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
12: Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Connacht)
11: Zac Ward (Ballynahinch RFC/Ulster/Ireland Sevens)
10: Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
9: Cormac Foley (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
1: Alex Usanov (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
2: Stephen Smyth (Old Wesley RFC/Leinster)
3: Jack Aungier (Clontarf FC/Connacht)
4: Evan O’Connell (Young Munster RFC/Munster)
5: Darragh Murray (Buccaneers RFC/Connacht)
6: Harry Sheridan (Dublin University FC/Ulster)
7: Sean Edogbo (UCC RFC/Munster)
8: James Culhane (UCD RFC/Leinster) (captain)
Replacements:
16: Danny Sheahan (Cork Constitution FC/Munster)
17: George Hadden (Garryowen FC/Munster)
18: Scott Wilson (Queen’s University Belfast RFC/Ulster)
19: Conor O’Tighearnaigh (UCD RFC/Leinster)
20: Alex Soroka (Clontarf FC/Leinster)
21: Matthew Devine (Corinthians RFC/Connacht)
22: Jack Murphy (Clontarf FC/Ulster)
23: Charlie Tector (Lansdowne FC/Leinster)
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
Following Emerging Ireland’s 29-24 victory over Western Force in Bloemfontein on Sunday three players, Gus McCarthy (Leinster), Sean O’Brien (Munster) and Jude Postlethwaite (Ulster) will return to their provinces.
The trio will leave South Africa on Monday afternoon and will be available for selection for their respective URC fixtures this weekend.
The squad will visit Heidedal Township this afternoon and will conclude the three-match series on Wednesday evening against The Cheetahs (kick off 7pm local, 6pm Irish time). That match will be live on irishrugby+
Watch the full match back here on irishrugby+
Check out the highlights from the win against Western Force below.
Images & Content from Irish Rugby & Images © Inpho Photography
IRFU Announces Return Of ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship
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