Four from Force in Wallabies squad

Four Emirates Western Force players have been named in the thirty nine player Wallabies train on squad that was announced today ahead of the 2012 international season.

 

Emirates Western Force captain David Pocock, Nathan Sharpe, Ben McCalman and Salesi Ma’afu have assembled in Sydney this evening following the club’s victory over the Lions in Perth last night.  All four have Wallabies test experience with 176 international caps between them in the squad that includes fifteen players that are yet to represent Australia in a Test match.

 

They will be joined midweek by players from the other franchises, who will spend Wednesday with the national side before returning to their respective state sides to prepare for the upcoming FxPro Super Rugby round.

 

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans appreciates the assistance the franchises have provided, in releasing the players, in order that they can get some background ahead of the full squad assembly on Sunday June 3.

 

“The cooperation of the franchises has been considerable and we appreciate that,” Deans says.

 

“We’ve obviously sought to have as little disruption to their campaigns as is possible, but the solution provided by utilising the training day off does at least allow us to get the players started – both with organisational logistics and training background – as we will have to hit the ground running once the final group gathers.”

 

Deans and his fellow selectors, coaching coordinator Tony McGahan and David Nucifora; will name the match night squad to play the Castrol EDGE Rugby International against Scotland on June 3.

 

That is just 48 hours before the historic match, which will represent the first Test match to have been held at Newcastle.

 

Although acknowledging that it will be a tight preparation, Deans says delaying the naming until after the final match featuring Australian participation in the weekend’s Super Rugby round had concluded; was imperative.

 

“We can’t finalise a side for that match until all of the games are played, and we are in a position to assess all of the players,” Deans says.

 

“Obviously we have preliminary ideas but the selection template is a living document. It can, and probably will change, as a result of events through the final round of Super Rugby before the international break.”

 

As well as the match night twenty-two for the Scotland Test, the remainder of the Wallabies squad that will train ahead of the Castrol EDGE Wales Tour will also be confirmed next Sunday, although the exact size of that group, and how many of the players will depart after the Scotland Test, won’t be confirmed until after that Test has been played.

 

“We are effectively having to select two combinations at the same time, as the first Castrol EDGE Wales Tour Test in Brisbane follows just four days after the game in Newcastle, so we need to have an up-to-date picture before we complete that process,” Deans says.

 

The state representation within the training squad is as follows –

 

Queensland Reds 11 players, NSW Waratahs 11, Brumbies eight, Melbourne Rebels five and Western Force four.

 

 

 

(i) June 5: Qantas Wallabies v Scotland, Newcastle, 7.30pm

 

(ii) June 9: Qantas Wallabies v Wales, Brisbane, 8pm

(iii) June 16: Qantas Wallabies v Wales, Melbourne, 8pm

(iv) June 23: Qantas Wallabies v Wales, Sydney (SFS), 3pm

 

(v) August 18: Qantas Wallabies v New Zealand, Sydney (ANZ), 8pm

 

(vi) August 25: Qantas Wallabies v New Zealand, Auckland, 7.35pm

 

(vii) September 8: Qantas Wallabies v South Africa, Perth, 6.30pm

 

(viii) September 15: Qantas Wallabies v Argentina, Gold Coast, 8pm

 

(ix) September 29: Qantas Wallabies v South Africa, Pretoria, 3pm

 

(x) October 6: Qantas Wallabies v Argentina, Rosario, 8pm