Elsom to be released after Tri-Nations
Welcome back!
Rocky Elsom the Wallabies flanker will be released by the ARU after the Tri-Nations series to play for Leinster on a three month contract under compassionate grounds.
Elsom, 25, has had a stellar last two years for the Waratahs and the Wallabies, consistently being one of the teams best performers. Elsom has departed under compassionate grounds, the exact nature of his departure has not been disclosed for privacy reasons. The concern by the ARU was that if they did not release him then he may have been lost from the Australian Rugby for good. It is hoped Elsom will be back for the 2009 international rugby season.
While this is a loss for Australian Rugby is could also be a positive as it will unearth some additional stars who have been coming through the ranks during 2008.
Ben Alexander replaces Matt Dunning
Ben Alexander, 23, has replaced an injured Matt Dunning who has been forced to withdraw after succumbing to a cork injury. Al Baxter will replace Matt Dunning in the starting team as Alexander takes his place on the bench. Alexander was called into the side after starting in the Australia A win last week against Tonga.
Ben Alexander has had a meteoric rise this year after impressing Robbie Deans and Wallaby selectors in his brief appearances for the ACT Brumbies. Alexander impressed off the bench with his scrummaging and workrate on the field and distinguished himself enough in his limited time to get the nod for Wallaby selection.
We here at the ruck and maul think Ben Alexander is the future of Australian Rugby and his workrate around the field and scrummaging will only improve and he can look forward to a very long and successful international career ahead of him.
Wallabies training camp
The Wallabies will unveil a new style of play this year under new coach Robbie Deans. The Wallabies game has been highly structured over the last ten years and whereas once the Wallaby style of play was cutting edge under Rod McQueen it has become predictable and lacking in imagination.
The structured style of play has plagued Australian teams in the Super 14 in recent years as all Australian sides have played a highly structured game taking out the flamboyance and unpredictability that could have been useful in the World Cup. In the 2007 World Cup sides like the Argentines and French were dynamic when they played free flowing unstructured rugby. If Robbie Deans can instil this successfully in the Wallabies they will develop in leaps and bounds. The advantage the Australian side has is they are an intelligent rugby playing team and are capable of adapting and reading a game well and determining what needs to be done.
We will see how far they have come in two weeks under Robbie Deans against Ireland on 14th June.
Tri-Nations
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2008 Rugby Tri-Nations Schedule
| Sat 5 Jul | New Zealand 19 South Africa 8 | Wellington |
| Sat 12 Jul | New Zealand 28 South Africa 30 | Dunedin |
| Sat 19 Jul | Australia 16 South Africa 9 | Perth |
| Sat 26 Jul | Australia 34 New Zealand 19 | Sydney |
| Sat 2 Aug | New Zealand 39 Australia 10 | Auckland |
| Sat 16 Aug | South Africa 0 New Zealand 19 | Cape Town |
| Sat 23 Aug | South Africa 15 Australia 27 | Durban |
| Sat 30 Aug | South Africa 53 Australia 8 | Johannesburg |
| Sat 13 Sep | Australia 24 New Zealand 28 | Brisbane |
2008 Tri-Nations Ladder
| TEAM | P | W | D | L | F/A | BP1 | BP2 | PTS |
| New Zealand | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 46 | 2 | 1 | 19 |
| Australia | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | -44 | 1 | 1 | 14 |
| South Africa | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -2 | 0 | 2 | 10 |
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Rugby Tri-Nations Past Winners
1996
New Zealand
1997
New Zealand
1998
South Africa
1999
New Zealand
2000
Australia
2001
Australia
2002
New Zealand
2003
New Zealand
2004
South Africa
2005
New Zealand
2006
New Zealand
2007
New Zealand
2008
New Zealand