Finalists Sweat On Wallabies Selections

Sydney Morning Herald

Monday May 22, 2006

Ben Kimber

SYDNEY University and Eastwood will keenly await news from the Waratahs and Wallabies as they look to add to their firepower for Saturday's Shute Shield final.

The game will reprise last year's Tooheys New Cup final, won 41-5 by the Students, but a more accurate assessment of how tough a game the Shield final will be was on display in round five, three weeks ago.

That match ended in a 34-all draw, and the inclusion of one or more top-line players could prove the difference at TG Millner Field this weekend. The Waratahs not included in the Wallabies train-on squad will be free to play in the Shield final if they wish.

Both sides will miss young stars, with Eastwood coach Chris Hickey also taking his Australian under-21s team into camp this Thursday, meaning the Woods pair of halfback Josh Holmes and No.8 Leroy Houston will be absent, while Students openside David Haydon is also in the Australian team.

Hickey will head for France for three weeks with his under-21s squad on June 3, meaning the Woods coach will miss the first three rounds of the Tooheys New Cup, including yet another clash with the Students in the opening round on that same weekend.

Sydney University will seek the return of Waratahs Super 14 players Daniel Halangahu and Will Caldwell for this weekend's clash, while also watching to see if, as expected, top players such as David Lyons, and Brumby Al Campbell and the injured Jone Tawake miss out on the Wallabies squad. If they do, the Students could field a significantly improved side.

For the Woods, props Matt Dunning and Bill Young may be available, with the former likely to miss the Wallabies squad and the latter's immediate inclusion uncertain.

Both teams would appreciate the inclusion of their Western Force players, but concede that looks increasingly unlikely, a situation that could change the way the clubs operate. "Up until now the expectation has been those players will go back and complete their playing commitments with their club, and how the ARU responds to this will be quite interesting," Hickey said.

"If they go down this track clubs will be looking to contract players. It's probably not ideal but it forces the clubs to go into that sort of situation to protect their investment. With many of these players, clubs are looking at a four- or five-year investment in developing these players ... "

The Students advanced to the final with a 19-8 win over Randwick, while the Woods beat Parramatta 28-22.

© 2006 Sydney Morning Herald

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