|
|
 |
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Retro rugby Lions vs. Western Australia is return to "older days"
PERTH (Reuters) -- British and Irish Lions team manager Donal Lenihan said Tuesday the players were treating Friday's opening tour match against Western Australia (WA) as a rare opportunity to return to rugby's "older days." The Lions have arrived in Australia amid much debate over just who are the favorites for the three test series, the tourists or the World Cup-winning Wallabies. Australia's coach Rod Macqueen has gone as far as to say the Lions squad "has no weaknesses," while Lions coach Graham Henry likens beating the Wallabies to conquering Mount Everest. But Friday's match will largely be a world-class professional unit against a team of club players and Lenihan said it would be a unique opportunity for the WA side. "It's probably one of the few games in professional rugby now where a lot of amateurs get a chance to play against what is a full, professional side," Lenihan was quoted as saying in The Australian newspaper. "That is probably unique in some respects and it is a throw back to the older days when touring teams gave certain individuals the biggest opportunity in their lives -- to play against a touring side. "I have no doubt at all those WA players will lift 30 to 40 per cent over their usual standard and that will make it difficult for us." Welsh center Mark Taylor said there was no chance the Lions would take a relaxed approach to the first of their 10 matches on the tour. "The game is huge for everybody involved because whoever plays has a duty to perform at their best for the Lions, and you have to respect any Australian team," the newspaper quoted Taylor as saying. Noriega to play for WA Western Australia (WA) named former Wallaby prop Patricio Noriega on the reserves bench Tuesday in the team to play the Lions at Perth's WACA cricket stadium. Noriega, 29, a veteran of nine tests for Australia and 22 for the country of his birth, Argentina, is expected to be given plenty of time on the pitch as is former Saracens and New South Wales Waratahs flyhalf Duncan McRae. "They've both been named on the bench but they'll both play about an hour. I'm told," WA Rugby Union media officer Russell McKinnon said Tuesday. "We would expect a crowd in the region of 15,000 to 20,000." Noriega has returned from a stint playing club rugby in France and has played one club match in Sydney so far in his bid to win selection for the three-test series against the Lions starting with the first test in Brisbane on June 30. The Lions, who arrived in Australia on Saturday with a 37-strong squad, are expected to name their team for the tour-opening match against WA on Wednesday. Western Australia: 15-Shannon Apaapa; 14-Mark Gardiner, 13-Aaron Broughton, 12-Hamish Waldin/Matt Harrington, 11-Brent Becroft, 10-Todd Feather, 9-Mark Fleet, 8-Anthony Brain; 7-Richard Coney, 6-Hamish Grace, 5-Trefor Thomas (captain), 4-Nathan Hollis, 3-Tim Stevens/Adam New, 2-Campbell Duff, 1-Dirk Gleghorn/Tim Stevens. Reserves: 16-Duncan McRae, 17-Robbie Barugh, 18-Matt Harrington/Hamish Waldin, 19-Patricio Noriega, 20-Tim Cameron, 21-Greg Plimmer, 22-Adam New/Rob Kellam.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
