Wallaby forwards Al Baxter and Wycliff Palu have been ruled out of the Waratahs Saturday Round Six match against the Western Force in Perth due to injury.
Both players were given every opportunity to play, and while head coach Chris Hickey remains positive about their chances of making it back for the Blues game, the decision was made to give the Test players more time to recover.
“If it was a semi-final you’d seriously consider putting both players on the park, but at this stage of the season the risk is just too great,” said Hickey. “There’s a good chance they could worsen their injuries by playing and given we have good depth in the pack it’s the right decision to make.
“By staying in Sydney they can get on to their rehab and we’ll see where they’re at when we come back on Monday.”
Wallaby prop Sekope Kepu comes into the starting line-up for their first time this year, with Dan Palmer moving onto the bench. Ben Mowen will now start at No.8, with Locky McCaffrey celebrating his new Super 14 contract by being elevated to the match day 22 for the second time this year.
“Keps and Benny Mowen have a lot of experience starting in these important games and will have no problem slotting into the side,” said Hickey.
“Dan Palmer and Locky McCaffrey have been sticking up their hand for selection every week and they were both fairly impressive for the Junior Waratahs last weekend.
“It’s a great sign of the depth within the squad that if we lose players like Al and Cliffy we can replace them with quality players.”
Waratahs (revised): 15 Sosene Anesi, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Tom Carter, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Daniel Halangahu, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Ben Mowen, 7 Phil Waugh (captain), 6 Dave Dennis, 5 Kane Douglas, 4 Dean Mumm, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Damien Fitzpatrick, 17 Dan Palmer, 18 Will Caldwell, 19 Locky McCaffrey, 20 Josh Holmes, 21 Kurtley Beale, 22 Rob Horne.
Article courtesy of Rugby 365
Tweet
Oh COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Give me a break!!!!!!!!
Bloody Palu is in my Starting XV!!!!!!!!!!! 😳 👿 😳 👿 😳 👿
And Baxter in mine!!! Crises!
Go the FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORCE ?
LOL
Drama Queens!! 😆 😈
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 3) :
They have to win something sometime, maybe they are like the Cheetahs and will lift their game against local opposition.
Rob has a saying that I rather enjoy. “Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then” Will the Force find one this weekend? 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 5) : Saving themselves for the Sharks 😕
@wpw (Comment 4) :
That HAS to be a first!!!!!!!!!!!!! A WP supporter calling someone else a queen. 😯 😈 😈 😈
@wpw (Comment 4) : Great result for your lads this morning…Blues won’t be easy at home !
They must be good they squeezed past us …like you guys 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 7) :
‘Oh COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Give me a break!!!!!!!!’
Like I said, DRAMA Queen!!
😉
GO TAHS by 10 on sb
@Hertford Highlander (Comment 8) :
bwhahahahaha 😆
NOOOOO!!!!! My LMS lifeline is at stake!
@robdylan (Comment 12) :
Yours and MANY others.
😎 😎 😎 😎
I have the Sharks on LMS.
Sorry HH, I will be showing NO mercy this weekend. 😉
@KSA Shark © (Comment 14) : lost my lms life line 😥 on the very first game sharks played 😳 what happens if i loose this game to got stormers next 😳 so far i’ve been right 🙂
@Charmaine (Comment 15) :
1st loss you lose a lifeline, second loss you are out of the game.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 16) : o shit ❗ sorry stormers you better win and big please otherwise i’m dead like my pic 🙁
@KSA Shark © (Comment 16) : why did you want to know what my team is on LMS 😳
@Charmaine (Comment 17) :
Stormers won’t disappoint you, dont worry!!
😉
@wpw (Comment 19) : they better not other wise dead my friend just dead 🙁
@Charmaine (Comment 18) :
So that I could see what your current “status” was. In other words if you’d already lost a LIFELINE OR NOT.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 21) : ok
My FL is going to be a disaster this week 😥 . To all the guys remaining: PLEASE score multiple tries each of you.