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Perth Now
4 days ago
- Perth Now
Schmidt's switch: Wallabies set to unleash stand-in 10
The Wallabies have had a rare eve-of-Test change of heart, deciding to bring in international novice Tane Edmed as bench cover for veteran James O'Connor in their Rugby Championship opener against South Africa in Johannesburg. Eyebrows had been raised on Thursday when coach Joe Schmidt announced a team with no specialist flyhalf back-up for his veteran playmaker O'Connor, who's been recalled for his first Test in three years. Schmidt had suggested scumhalf Nic White or outside back Andrew Kellaway were equipped as fill-in No.10s even though neither had played there in their pro careers, with his team selection appearing very risky at the Ellis Park home of the world champions. But after an overnight rethink, Schmidt named one-cap Edmed on Friday as cover for 35-year-old O'Connor, putting him on the bench in place of the originally selected replacement loose forward Nick Champion de Crespigny. If the Wallabies stick by their original plan to have O'Connor playing just the first half, that would mean Edmed coming on for the second 40, having previously played only three minutes as a replacement in the green-and-gold before he got injured against Ireland in Dublin late last year. Schmidt's late volte face, announced by the Wallabies on social media, was highly unusual after his team had already been named, even though the New Zealander had signalled on Thursday he was pondering potential late switches after Ben Donaldson, his original replacement 10, got injured late in training. Now, what had originally been listed as a surprise 6-2 split between forwards and backs on the bench has again reverted to a 5-3. The No.10 berth has become a headache for Schmidt. His first-choice Noah Lolesio is out with neck trouble and Tom Lynagh suffered a concussion in their third-Test win over the British & Irish Lions in Sydney a fortnight ago, before Donaldson's latest setback. "Dono went down in last-minute training on Thursday afternoon, which wasn't ideal after the team has been announced internally," explained captain Harry Wilson at a press conference on Friday. "We named Crep (Champion de Crespigny) but the coach has had a few meetings overnight and again this morning to work out what would be the best replacement and decided to put in Tane, which he's really excited about. "We've got a lot of confidence in him, he's been around the group now for a little while and what he's put in on the training park has been first class," Wilson added. Wilson also has great faith in O'Connor, who's been important as a 'finisher' for the New Zealand Super Rugby outfit, the Crusaders. "After three years, I know he's really excited to be out there. He's 35 years old. He's got plenty of experience. He's got plenty of confidence, and we can't wait to see him go out there and do his job," said Wilson.
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Perth Now
Local Perth rugby union clubs set to host Force game
The Palmrya RUFC will be putting on a show of Force next month. Western Force will be playing its two Super Rugby AUS home games at the club's Tompkins Park venue. Super Rugby AUS is a domestic competition pitting the Force against Australia's three other Super Rugby sides in a bid to give non-Wallabies players more meaningful playing time. The Force will take on the ACT Brumbies on Sunday, September 21, from 2pm and the Queensland Reds on Sunday, September 28, from 2.30pm. Both games will be preceded by under-age games in the Super Rugby Men's U19s and U16s competitions. PERTH, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 28: Nic White of the Force passes the ball during the tour match between Western Force and British & Irish Lions at Optus Stadium on June 28, 2025 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Janelle) Credit: Janelle St Pierre / Getty Images There will be free entry for both games. The September 21 date at Palmyra will a double-header, with the Force to also take on the Brumbies in the Super Rugby Men's U19s from noon. The September 28 gameday will be a triple-header, with the Force facing Rugby Victoria in the Super Rugby Men's U16s from 10.30am and the Force taking on the Reds in the Super Rugby Men's U19s from 12.30pm. Palmyra RUFC was founded in 1934 and competes in the Fortescue RugbyWA Premier Grade men's and women's competitions along with juniors. They were Premier Grade men's champions in 2023 and are in the mix again this season, just one win behind ladder leaders Nedlands and Cottesloe. Palmyra RUFC president Peter Matthiesen said the matches were a fantastic opportunity to showcase emerging local talent to the passionate rugby community. 'The matches also highlight Palmyra Rugby Union Club's home grounds and the facilities that support our day-to-day operations in allowing us to continue building pathways that provide representative opportunities such as showcased in these matches,' he said. Southern Lions RUFC will also host the Force's final Super Rugby Men's U16s home game against the Queensland Reds as a stand-alone fixture on Sunday, October 19, from 1pm. Southern Lions, previously known as Fremantle-Leeming RUFC, were founded in 1987 and also compete in the Fortescue RugbyWA Premier Grade men's and women's competitions along with juniors. The club re-located to its state-of-the-art Success facilities in 2010. PERTH, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 28: Tom Robertson of the Force gets tackled by Finn Russell of the Lions during the tour match between the Western Force and British & Irish Lions at Optus Stadium on June 28, 2025 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by) Credit: Paul Kane / Getty Images Southern Lions RUFC club president Ronan O'Shea said they were delighted to host the Western Force U16s against the Queensland Reds. 'The match promises to be an exciting one and we look forward to the WA players showing what they are made of,' he said. 'It is a great chance to show the Cockburn community what we can do. We'll work with the City of Cockburn and the other stakeholders to put on the best day possible.' Western Force CEO Niamh O'Connor said the club was rapt to connect with club rugby and its grass roots community through playing at Palmyra RUFC and Southern Lions RUFC. She thanked the clubs and the cities of Cockburn and Melville for their support. 'We're really grateful for Southern Lions' support and hospitality for our U16s fixture and know both clubs will put on a great show with their home games, which we anticipate will attract a lot of the local rugby community,' Ms O'Connor said. 'The Super Rugby AUS competition is an important part of the Australian Rugby pathway to support the ongoing growth and development of players, coaches and staff. 'The competition also provides more opportunities for WA rugby fans to watch the Force and Super Rugby, so we're really happy to bring this action to a strong local rugby club like Palmyra.' All Super Rugby AUS games will be live-streamed on Stan Sport.
Sydney Morning Herald
6 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Caps on foreign players, star payments under radical Shute Shield overhaul
The Shute Shield will undergo a major overhaul in 2026, with teams facing weekly caps on professional stars and foreign players, and limits on payments at club level, under a radical new system that will replace the controversial player points system. The player points system, a salary cap-style talent equalisation device introduced in Sydney's premier club rugby in 2008, has been scrapped and replaced by a new 'cap system', which limits the number of certain players a Shute Shield team can have on the field at one time, within categories like contracted Wallabies and Super Rugby players, and players from overseas. In what was seen as a growing 'arms race' among many Shute Shield clubs, foreign players had grown to account for 10 per cent of all players in recent seasons (with some clubs having far more than 10 per cent); inhibiting the development of local talent and reducing the pool of eligible players for the Waratahs. Ahead of the Shute Shield finals series beginning this weekend, Sydney Rugby Union confirmed the changes in a letter to all Sydney club presidents, chairmen and general managers on Tuesday, following a three-month review. The unwieldy points system has players given a value, with Wallabies worth 20 points and Super Rugby players worth 10 points each, and factoring in other histories overseas and at junior level. But an array of discounts are also available for things like junior rep background and long service at a club. Shute Shield sides have a limit of 100 points per game, and squabbling between clubs and fans over the self-reported player values is rampant, particularly around the star-studded clubs. In 2024, Eastern Suburbs were found guilty of breaching the 100-point limit and were initially let off without punishment. But after rival club bosses threatened to boycott the Catchpole medal awards night, Easts were later docked five competition points. The penalty didn't stop the Waratahs-laden Easts side winning their first premiership in 55 years, but the saga was the impetus for the SRU to fast-track change. 'Sydney Rugby has been looking at it for a number of years, it's not just in isolation to the 2025 season or 2024 season, where we had some challenges with it,' SRU general manager Peter Watkins said.
