International
Lalakai Foketi selected in Wallabies squad to tour Argentina
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has confirmed a 36-man squad that will tour Argentina for the opening two matches of the 2022 eToro Rugby Championship.
Rennie has brought in a number of fresh faces who missed the England Series, with Australia A representatives Jock Campbell, Matt Gibbon, Lalakai Foketi and Fraser McReight all called upon following strong performances in the Pacific Nations Cup in Fiji.
Reds fullback Campbell and Melbourne prop Gibbon are two of four uncapped players in the group, with Rebels powerhouse Pone Fa’amausili and Waratahs versatile forward Jed Holloway also in contention for their first Tests on the tour.
Overseas-based lock Rory Arnold re-joins the group for the first time in 2022 after three starts on last year’s Spring Tour, while two-Test inside centre Irae Simone is also back in the national frame after a standout Super Rugby Pacific campaign with the Brumbies.
The balance of the squad is made up of those who were involved in the eToro England Series, with the group to play Los Pumas on the 6th and 13th of August (local time) in Mendoza and San Juan respectively.
The squad will assemble on the Gold Coast on Tuesday before travelling to Argentina on Friday.
Wallabies coach Dave Rennie said: “We were massively disappointed on the weekend but we’re only three matches into a 14-Test season so we need to take the lessons on board quickly and learn from them.”
“To be able to pick guys who have performed well in the Australia A program against quality International opposition is a massive positive and we’re looking forward to welcoming them to the mob next week.
“We’re well aware of how tough the challenge is of playing Argentina two weeks in a row on their home soil and they’ll be full of confidence after their series win over Scotland.”
Tickets to the eToro Rugby Championship are available for purchase at wallabies.rugby/tickets.
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Wallabies squad to tour Argentina (age, team, Tests played)
Allan Alaalatoa (28, Brumbies, 55 Tests)
Rory Arnold (32, TBC, 29 Tests)
Jock Campbell (27, Queensland Reds, uncapped)
Quade Cooper (34, Kintetsu Liners, 75 Tests)
Pone Fa’amausili (25, Melbourne Rebels, uncapped)
Folau Fainga’a (27, Brumbies, 28 Tests)
Lalakai Foketi (27, NSW Waratahs, 1 Test)
Nick Frost (22, Brumbies, 2 Tests)
Matt Gibbon (27, Melbourne Rebels, uncapped)
Jake Gordon (29, NSW Waratahs, 12 Tests)
Reece Hodge (27, Melbourne Rebels, 55 Tests)
Michael Hooper (c) (30, NSW Waratahs, 121 Tests)
Jed Holloway (29, NSW Waratahs, uncapped)
Len Ikitau (23, Brumbies, 15 Tests)
Marika Koroibete (29, Saitama Wild Knights, 45 Tests)
Rob Leota (25, Melbourne Rebels, 9 Tests)
Noah Lolesio (22, Brumbies, 12 Tests)
Lachlan Lonergan (22, Brumbies, 4 Tests)
Tate McDermott (23, Queensland Reds, 16 Tests)
Fraser McReight (23, Queensland Reds, 2 Tests)
James O’Connor (32, Queensland Reds, 63 Tests)
Hunter Paisami (24, Queensland Reds, 17 Tests)
Jordan Petaia (22, Queensland Reds, 18 Tests)
Matt Philip (28, Melbourne Rebels, 23 Tests)
David Porecki (29, NSW Waratahs, 3 Tests)
Pete Samu (30, Brumbies, 22 Tests)
Irae Simone (27, Brumbies, 2 Tests)
Scott Sio (30, Brumbies, 70 Tests)
James Slipper (33, Brumbies, 117 Tests)
Darcy Swain (25, Brumbies, 11 Tests)
Taniela Tupou (26, Queensland Reds, 40 Tests)
Rob Valetini (23, Brumbies, 21 Tests)
Suliasi Vunivalu (26, Queensland Reds, 1 Test)
Nic White (32, Brumbies, 50 Tests)
Harry Wilson (22, Queensland Reds, 11 Tests)
Tom Wright (24, Brumbies, 12 Tests)
6 Nations
IRFU Announces Return Of ‘A’ Interprovincial Championship
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
6 Nations
Emerging Ireland Team For Final Tour Clash Against The Cheetahs Named
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.
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
6 Nations
Emerging Ireland Squad Update As Three Players Return To Provincial Action
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