Cooper in Australian U19 side
Australia has announced its team to defend the title at the International Rugby Board’s Under-19 World Championship in Belfast in April. Quade Cooper who made his Super 14 debut on Saturday is in the side.
In Dubai last year the Australians won the championship when they beat New Zealand 17-13 in the final. Five of those players are back again – prop Ben Daley, scrumhalf Will Genia, centre Brett Gillespie, hooker James Hanson and lock Sam Sykes.
There are 13 players from last year’s Australian Schools side which played Tests and then toured Europe, less successfully than their predecessors had done – three-quarters Andrew Barrett and Alfi Mafi, fullback Peter Beltham, props Albert Anae, Tetera Faulkner and Daniel Palmer, flanks Chris Harkins, Ben McCalman and Rodney Ma’a, centre Rowan Kellam, flyhalf Quade Cooper, scrumhalf Jeremy Sua and lock Robert Simmons.
Cooper and Genia, who was born in Papua New Guinea, made their Super 14 debuts against the Lions on Saturday.
Wing Blair Connor has played in the Australian Sevens team in the IRB Sevens Series. Mitchell Inman is the brother of Luke Inman. Lock Waqa Waerea-Hargreaves was in the Brumbies squad for pre-season friendlies.
The team, coached by Queensland Reds Academy Coach Phil Mooney, with former Wallaby Mark Bell as his Assistant, will have its first training day as a squad in Sydney on Sunday.
Mooney said: “The world championships provide us with a rare benchmark of where our junior development is at compared with the other nations.
“It also gives the players valuable match experience and a great springboard to launch their Super 14 and Test rugby careers against the best Under 19 players in the world.
“We’ll certainly be going to Belfast with the purpose of winning the tournament, although we have a very tough group with Ireland, on home turf, Fiji and a strong French outfit.”
The Australians will begin their title defence against Ireland in Belfast on April 5.
The squad will come together for a nine day camp at the AIS in Canberra from 20 March before flying out for Belfast on 29 March.
The Australian Under-19 squad:
Forwards (starting with the front row): Albert Anae (Queensland), Ben Daley (Queensland), Tetera Faulkner (Australian Capital Territory), Daniel Palmer (New South Wales), James Hanson (Queensland), Daniel Penca (Australian Capital Territory), Robert Simmons (Queensland), Sam Wykes (New South Wales), Waqa Vulawalu (Australian Capital Territory), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (New South Wales), Chris Harkins (Australian Capital Territory), Rodney Ma’a (New South Wales), Ben McCalman (New South Wales), Michael Uoka (Australian Capital Territory)
Backs (starting at fullback): Peter Betham (New South Wales), Patrick McCabe (New South Wales), Andrew Barrett (New South Wales), Blair Connor (Queensland), Alfi Mafi (New South Wales), Brett Gillespie (Queensland), Mitchell Inman (New South Wales), Rowan Kellam (New South Wales), Quade Cooper (Queensland), Will Genia (Queensland), Jason Ryan (New South Wales), Jeremy Sua (New South Wales)
Manager: Bill Swain
Coaches: Phil Mooney, Mark BellIn Dubai last year the Australians won the championship when they beat New Zealand 17-13 in the final. Five of those players are back again – prop Ben Daley, scrumhalf Will Genia, centre Brett Gillespie, hooker James Hanson and lock Sam Sykes.
There are 13 players from last year’s Australian Schools side which played Tests and then toured Europe, less successfully than their predecessors had done – three-quarters Andrew Barrett and Alfi Mafi, fullback Peter Beltham, props Albert Anae, Tetera Faulkner and Daniel Palmer, flanks Chris Harkins, Ben McCalman and Rodney Ma’a, centre Rowan Kellam, flyhalf Quade Cooper, scrumhalf Jeremy Sua and lock Robert Simmons.
Cooper and Genia, who was born in Papua New Guinea, made their Super 14 debuts against the Lions on Saturday.
Wing Blair Connor has played in the Australian Sevens team in the IRB Sevens Series. Mitchell Inman is the brother of Luke Inman. Lock Waqa Waerea-Hargreaves was in the Brumbies squad for pre-season friendlies.
The team, coached by Queensland Reds Academy Coach Phil Mooney, with former Wallaby Mark Bell as his Assistant, will have its first training day as a squad in Sydney on Sunday.
Mooney said: “The world championships provide us with a rare benchmark of where our junior development is at compared with the other nations.
“It also gives the players valuable match experience and a great springboard to launch their Super 14 and Test rugby careers against the best Under 19 players in the world.
“We’ll certainly be going to Belfast with the purpose of winning the tournament, although we have a very tough group with Ireland, on home turf, Fiji and a strong French outfit.”
The Australians will begin their title defence against Ireland in Belfast on April 5.
The squad will come together for a nine day camp at the AIS in Canberra from 20 March before flying out for Belfast on 29 March.
The Australian Under-19 squad:
Forwards (starting with the front row): Albert Anae (Queensland), Ben Daley (Queensland), Tetera Faulkner (Australian Capital Territory), Daniel Palmer (New South Wales), James Hanson (Queensland), Daniel Penca (Australian Capital Territory), Robert Simmons (Queensland), Sam Wykes (New South Wales), Waqa Vulawalu (Australian Capital Territory), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (New South Wales), Chris Harkins (Australian Capital Territory), Rodney Ma’a (New South Wales), Ben McCalman (New South Wales), Michael Uoka (Australian Capital Territory)
Backs (starting at fullback): Peter Betham (New South Wales), Patrick McCabe (New South Wales), Andrew Barrett (New South Wales), Blair Connor (Queensland), Alfi Mafi (New South Wales), Brett Gillespie (Queensland), Mitchell Inman (New South Wales), Rowan Kellam (New South Wales), Quade Cooper (Queensland), Will Genia (Queensland), Jason Ryan (New South Wales), Jeremy Sua (New South Wales)
Manager: Bill Swain
Coaches: Phil Mooney, Mark Bell
