Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has used his stint with the Barbarians as a chance to experiment with some of Australia’s leading players.
Rennie is in charge of the legendary ‘Baa-Baas’ invitational, international team, who will take on Samoa at Twickenham this weekend (Sunday 1.20am AEDT).
And he has stacked the team full of Wallabies including the whole backline apart from Japan five-eighth Ryoto Nakamura.
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James O’Connor will start at fullback with Rob Leota at openside flanker and Pete Samu on the blindside.
“We’ve got a great group of players here and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the week, learning about them all and getting input from everyone as to how we want to play next Saturday,” Rennie said.
“Every one of these guys are honoured to become Barbarians and there’s already a real sense of excitement and anticipation. We have brought a diverse range of countries and cultures together and it’s going to make for an exceptional week.”
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https://twitter.com/Barbarian_FC/status/1462714294848692235?s=20https://twitter.com/StanSportAU/status/1463296307313926148?s=20
Meanwhile, the Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that Stephen Larkham will replace Dan McKellar as the Brumbies coach in 2023.
The Wallabies legend has announced he is leaving Munster to return to Australia and the SMH reported Larkham was the Brumbies’ preferred candidate.
McKellar, also the Wallabies’ forwards coach, will depart the Brumbies at the end of the 2022 campaign.
“I only recently spoke about my desire to remain with Munster and continue working with my fellow coaches and playing group,” Larkham said.
“That hopefully gives some indication as to how difficult a decision this has been for me. The staff, players, fans, and facilities are world class here and I am grateful to have had this opportunity.
“My family made a number of sacrifices in joining me on this move to Ireland and my girls’ adjustment over here, particularly with COVID, has been difficult. I have to put them first now, and with a coaching opportunity closer to home this is the right thing for my family at this time.
“For now, my focus is very much with Munster Rugby and with a long season ahead I will savour every moment of working within this great environment as we continue to build in the right direction.”