THE AUSSIES LOOK like they are taking the upcoming British and Irish Lions tour this summer.
Wallabies outhalf Quade Cooper made a successful foray into the world of professional boxing with a first round win over Barry Dunnett.
Speaking before the bout, Dunnett had declared, “He’s fighting for the next chapter in his biography, for sponsors, but I’m fighting for everything.”
Cooper, on debut, was rocked by a Dunnett blow midway through the round but his long, left jab had him in control otherwise.
With less than 30 seconds remaining at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, the rugby star put his opponent on the floor after a flurry of combination punches.
Dunnett was given a count of eight after clambering to his feet but, with seconds remaining in the round, took a right jab flush in the face and folded like a deckchair. The result was a knockout win for Cooper.
The fight was part of the undercard to the Sonny Bill Williams versus Francois Botha bout for the vacant WBA International Heavyweight title, which the All Black, and World Cup winner, captured on points.
You can view the bout highlights by clicking here.
Cooper was named in the extended Australia training squad last month ahead of this summer’s Lions tour.
As much as I’d love to see more Munster guys involved you can’t really argue too much with his selection. He’s capped a lot of guys over the last two seasons and this group knows the Irish system inside out. Cutting it down agsin is going to be a huge task. The one that irks me is stockdale over Daly. Daly has been so so consistent this season and has improved more than any Munster player this season imo. Still like other world cups there’s going to be a lot of injuries so let’s not write the non selected off yet
@Daithí: Don’t let it irk you too much. Stockdale is a proven quality player at the very highest level. Beset by injuries in recent seasons but showed real form/ fight in the last few months in an Ulster team that were losing. Farrell clearly rewarding that as a fit and firing Stockdale would be a serious asset to this team. Easy to forget he’s still only 27.
@Daithí: There is no place for that kind of measured and sensible comment here!
@Jack McCartie: oh for sure I totally get it, experience at international level is massive. Just thought over the season Daly had been the better player and he’s been in and around the Irish set up so it wouldn’t just be throwing him in there. Saying all that would either of the two be in the 23 ? I don’t think so
@Daithí: Exactly. He has been working with all these players for the past 2 years and he’s been imbedding different structures and systems in place. He’s been developing the likes of Baird, Frawley, Osborne, O’Brien, McCarthy, Prendergast, Stewart for a while now. He’s had a great year with the squad that he has stuck with. He’s hardly going to just drop all of those guys because a few Munster players have been playing well 2 or 3 months out from a World Cup. That would be totally reckless and erratic. Munster fans insisting Loughnan, Barron, Daly, Frisch be included when they’ve hardly ever been in the actual training squads. Like what planet are yous on haha
“Indeed, the selection strengthens the sense that Ireland will go into the World Cup with great cohesion and a confident sense of momentum based on their exploits over the past two seasons. Again, that’s more relevant than how Leinster or Munster have played recently.”
I’d disagree with this. There’s nothing better for momentum than winning. Adding an extra 3/4 of that Munster starting team to the squad would have raised the intensity of that environment in camp a lot I’d say.
First time in a decade there’s some genuine competition between Munster and Leinster and I think the coaches have missed a trick not harnessing that for the next few months, regardless of who they plan to bring on the plance to France.
@ttam 12: Genuinely curious, but who would you add/replace?
@Ruaidhri MagFhloinn: Daly for Earls, Kleyn for Treadwell. And then I’d have just selected Hodnett and Haley as specialists at 7 and 15. Insurance in the camp in case anything happens to JVDF or Keenan before they leave.
I think those 4 have been Munster’s best players this season, along with Nash and Beirne once he came back.
@ttam 12: there’s a long road yet before the squad departs never mind injuries that will undoubtedly occur along the way.
Winning a mickey mouse trophy is obviously not going to change Farrells plans, lets be honest
@Dave Moran: wouldn’t you have liked to win that Mickey Mouse trophy!
@Dave Moran: Ah your back, bit annoyed about Jordan I’d say?
@Dave Moran: well it is a trophy!
@Philyclever@eircom.net: again? Not really. Leinster’s season was a failure for not winning Europe.
@Dave Moran: Better than no trophy.
.. contd
Locks Back Row (10) : Baird, Beirne, Conan, Doris, VDF, O’Mahony, Ryan all certain. So pick 3 from Coombes, Henderson, McCarthy, Prendergast and Treadwell.
Scrum-halves-(3) done and dusted. JGP, Murray and Casey.
Out halves (3) Sexton, Crowley, Byrne
Centres (3) Aki, Henshaw and Ringrose
Back 3 (5) Hansen, Lowe, Keenan and certain. So choose 2 from Stockdale, O’Brien, Osborne, Frawley, Earls(?)
Really not much selections in play if there is no injury!
Team cohesion won the 6N for Ireland and no way was this going to be compromised for WC. Hence the incremental expansion. For a 33 man panel, there are very few open positions – assuming a 19/14 backs/forwards split and 3 needed for specialist positions:
Front row: only Herring/Stewart
Back
@John Morris: I think he goes 18-15 – goes with 8 front rowers with Bealham being versatile
@Owen ODonoghue: unless Furlong sorts his fitness issues, Bealham may well be starting TH!
@John Morris: very true , I’d go 9 front rowers and have Loughman over Kilcoyne, i don’t see Healey starting any games
Shocking shi… from Farrell.