Month: September 2019

The Western Force have re-signed locks Matt Philip and Richie Arnold for the 2017 Super Rugby season.

Philip, a former Australian Schoolboys and Australian Under 20s representative was called into the Force squad last season following a series of injuries, making his debut off the bench against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein and going on to earn a further two Super Rugby caps.

“Obviously there is a whole new environment at the Force now and I feel like there could be something special building at the club.”

“When I came over last season I had getting a contract for 2017 in mind every training session and every game. I felt like this was the place I wanted to be in the future so I’m stoked to be given the chance to come back.”

The 22-year-old didn’t take part in Perth Spirit’s NRC championship run last season, having played in New Zealand’s Mitre10 Cup for Southland, although comes with plenty of valuable experience from his time across the ditch.

“From playing over there you can tell why the All Blacks are so good. The skill level is so high, I think I learnt a lot and hopefully I can bring something back and contribute to the group.”

Current Wallabies lock Rory Arnold’s identical twin brother, Richie, will be hoping to put his multiple injuries setbacks behind him in 2017 after locking in with the Force for another season.

“I’m super happy to have resigned with the Western Force,” said the giant 208cm lock.

“This year I’ve had a pretty bad season with injury, which was tough, but that’s rugby.

“At the moment the body feels really good, it’s been a little over three months since the shoulder reconstruction so come pre-season I’ll be able to do most of the running and work myself into the contact training.”

“Being on the sidelines and doing rehabilitation work for the whole of last season was hard because you want to be out there playing but it has definitely increased my drive for the 2017 season and hopefully I can make my debut.”

Newly appointed Head Coach of the Western Force Dave Wessels said his squad was starting to take shape, with Philip and Arnold adding to the aggressive style they are looking to build for the season ahead.

“I’m really excited to see how Richie goes this year because he has had to work so hard for it. He has all the attributes to be a world class player, he’s a very big man, he’s aggressive and most importantly he really wants this opportunity, so we are looking forward to getting a full season out of him.”

“Matty is an example of someone who got half a sniff and really made the most of it. When he came in last year he really showed a desire to learn and his ability to understand information tells me that he can certainly play elite level rugby.”
“Matt has been very dedicated to getting his body to the point where he can physically hold his own at Super Rugby and we are looking to get a full preseason out of him to develop that even further.”

“The spots in that second row have become really competitive for us with Richie, Matt, Ben Matwijow, Ross Haylett-Petty and Adam Coleman all fighting it out.

The Western Force will begin their pre-season next Monday, 7 November.

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The Algerian once again popped up with a vital goal in a tense match as the Premier League champions battled to a 3-1 victory at Everton

Riyad Mahrez has a happy knack of making a big difference in tight matches.

The Manchester City winger scored the only goals in crucial victories at Tottenham and Bournemouth in last season’s Premier League title triumph.

And at Goodison Park on Saturday night, he stepped up again just as the champions looked like they might fall further behind current leaders Liverpool.

With just 20 minutes remaining, Mahrez took responsibility when City won a free-kick on the edge of Everton’s box and curled a delightful left-footed shot beyond Jordan Pickford.

It was not too dissimilar to a free-kick he scored for Algeria at this summer’s African Cup of Nations at a time when his country needed him most.

His injury-time winner in a semi-final victory over Nigeria has made him a hero in his homeland just as much as in Leicester, when he was the standout performer in their unforgettable title success.

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At City, success hasn’t come as quickly but he’s finally getting there.

Mahrez has been directly involved in 17 goals – seven goals and 10 assists – in his last 17 starts for City, including nine in his last seven.

And, while it’s only September, his goal was hugely important, as it helped City reduce the gap to Liverpool to five points again.

With the game at Goodison locked at 1-1, Pep Guardiola’s men were struggling to find that breakthrough and were, thus, in danger of falling seven points adrift.

But Mahrez delivered again.

He should have had a major hand in giving City the advantage just minutes earlier with an outrageous, defence-splitting pass that Raheem Sterling unforgivably fluffed.

The England forward did at least make up for his miscalculation when he smashed in a third off the underside of the crossbar, a goal that added some gloss to the scoreline and prevented a game Everton side from staging a grandstand finish.

But while Guardiola will be grateful for Mahrez’s dead-ball brilliance, he will also be thankful for the performance of goalkeeper Ederson.

The Brazilian is more generally lauded for his ball-playing skills but, on Merseyside, he made three fantastic saves as the Toffees threatened to follow up on Norwich’s shock result.

He reacted quickly to keep out two fine efforts from Yerry Mina and spread himself brilliantly to deny Dominic Calvert-Lewin in a one-on-one.

It had looked like a textbook City win when Gabriel Jesus headed home a typically pinpoint cross from Kevin De Bruyne in the 24th minute as the champions monopolised possession in their usual way.

De Bruyne’s deliveries are now becoming the norm and Thierry Henry’s Premier League record of 20 assists in a season is surely set to come under imminent threat.

Still, despite City’s early dominance, Everton found an equaliser through Dominic Calvert-Lewin and threatened to spring a surprise.

Last season’s home loss to City was met with a collective shrug of the shoulders by Toffees fans as it was a bad result for their title-chasing city rivals Liverpool.

But after a mixed start and a disappointing defeat at home to newly-promoted Sheffield United last weekend, this proved a free hit to restore a feelgood factor.

They did just that, by producing a spirited display, but another timely moment of magic from Mahrez once again proved decisive for Man City.

Zinedine Zidane’s side have moved to the top of La Liga but face their biggest challenge of the season in the derby

Atletico Madrid play host to Real Madrid at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday in the latest chapter of one of sport’s great rivalries.

Despite a concerning start to the season, Zinedine Zidane’s Real side find themselves at the summit of the Primera Division, having strung together three successive victories, the latest of which came against Osasuna on Wednesday.

Atleti, meanwhile, got back to winning ways in midweek as they defeated Real Mallorca 2-0, having earned only a single point in their previous two outings.

Game	Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid
Date	Saturday, September 28
Time	8:00pm BST / 3:00pm ET
Stream (US)	fubo TV (7-day free trial)

In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial) .

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

US TV channel	Online stream
beIN Sports / beIN Sports en Espanol	fubo TV (7-day free trial)

The match will be available to watch live on Premier Sports 1. It can be streamed via Premier Player.

UK TV channel	Online stream
Premier Sports 1	Premier Player

Position	Atletico Madrid squad
Goalkeepers	Oblak, Adan
Defenders	Gimenez, Savic, Hermoso, Filipe, Lodi, Trippier, Arias
Midfielders	Thomas, Llorente, Niguez, Herrera, Koke, Lemar
Forwards	Vitolo, Correa, Joao Felix, Costa, Saponijic

Atletico Madrid starting XI: Oblak; Trippier, Savic, Gimenez, Lodi; Saul, Partey, Koke, Vitolo; Felix, Costa

Position	Real Madrid squad
Goalkeepers	Courtois, Areola, Altube
Defenders	Ramos, Varane, Carvajal, Militao, Nacho, Mendy
Midfielders	Kroos, Casemiro, Rodriguez, Valverde, Modric, Isco
Forwards	Benzema, Jovic, Hazard, Vinicius, Bale, L. Vazquez

 Real Madrid starting XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Nacho; Valverde, Casemiro, Kroos; Bale, Benzema, Hazard.

Atletico Madrid are 7/5 favourites to win this game at  bet365 . Real Madrid are 2/1 to continue their domestic winning streak, with a draw 23/10.

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All eyes will be on the Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday, with Atletico Madrid’s hosting of Real Madrid the biggest game of the Primera Division season to date.

None of La Liga’s giants have started the season at the tempo they would have wished, with even league leaders Real having had to ride out a crisis early in the campaign as they played out a couple of disappointing draws and were crushed away to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

They have since rallied, moving to the top of the table, with their defence the unexpected heroes of that tale. In successive games they have not faced a single shot on target – the first time they have achieved this feat in a decade.

Zidane, who has already experienced both the highs and lows of coaching the club barely a month into the new season, is understandably not getting carried away.

“Being leaders means nothing,” he said after watching Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo fire them to victory against Osasuna. “What matters is that we keep going on this road. We have to believe in what we do but we’ll have complicated times.”

After wins over Sevilla and Osasuna, they face what will inevitably be a far tougher challenge against their neighbours on Saturday.

It is a date that new Galactico Eden Hazard is especially looking forward to.

“If you play football, you know the feelings and passion that these matches bring, especially as it’s two teams from the same city. I want to score, win and make the fans happy,” he said in a promotional video by Mahou. “The key to winning? Mentality, you need to want it more.”

Hazard also indicated that he was looking forward to seeing Diego Costa once again, with the Atletico Madrid striker netting in the 2-0 win over Mallorca in midweek, which head coach Diego Simeone believes is an indication of their steady improvement.

“We know that the strikers live on goals. It is very good for him and for the team,” he said after the ex-Chelsea man netted his first of the season. “We are improving the balance with the team. If a team like us has humility, talent makes us better.”

Four of the last five derbies in La Liga have ended drawn, with Atleti seeking to end a winless league streak against their neighbours dating back to February 2016.

The former Red Devils winger says the club will have a chance to bounce back from the Norwegian’s first defeat in charge

Ryan Giggs says there is no need to overreact to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first loss as Manchester United manager in the wake of the Champions League defeat to PSG.

Solskjaer rattled off a streak of 11 unbeaten matches to start his Red Devils tenure before suffering a 2-0 reversal against PSG in Tuesday’s clash at Old Trafford.

With Neymar and Edinson Cavani headlining those absent from the PSG team, Solskjaer and Manchester United have been criticized in the aftermath for their inability to put together a performance at home.

Giggs, meanwhile, doesn’t see it that way as he backed the former Red Devils striker despite the recent defeat.

“Manchester United have been brilliant since Ole took over but we all knew what United are, they were in a false position in the league before he took over but they’re still a few players short of challenging in the Champions League year after year,” Giggs said in his Class of 92 Diary on Sky Sports.

“But the signs have been promising so it’s just a case of not getting too cocky when United were winning, but not getting too downhearted after losing to PSG. They had to lose at some point!

“There are some big games coming up for the club to bounce back in; tough games against Chelsea and then Liverpool, probably the biggest game for United fans.

“But they’re good games to have after a defeat as you don’t need any help to get the players up for them.”

Manchester United will be without Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial for upcoming clashes against Chelsea and Liverpool as the pair have been diagnosed with injuries that will keep them out two-to-three weeks.

As things stand, the Red Devils sit fourth in the Premier League following a run of form in the league that has produced eights wins and one draw from nine matches.

They sit one point above fifth-place Arsenal and sixth-place Chelsea, while Tottenham are nine points clear of Solskjaer’s side in third spot.

Following an FA Cup meeting with Chelsea on Monday and a league match against Liverpool, Manchester United will face Crystal Palace and Southampton before heading to Paris for their second leg against PSG.

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The Italian is close to being pushed out of Stamford Bridge after a poor winter run of results for the Premier League club

Maurizio Sarri is set to be replaced by an internal appointment on an interim basis should the under-fire Chelsea manager fail to secure positive results in his next three games, Goal understands.

Former Napoli coach Sarri is under increasing pressure at Stamford Bridge following an inconsistent run of results since the start of 2019.

Though Chelsea have set up a Carabao Cup final date with Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday, they have suffered humbling defeats at Bournemouth and City to drop out of the Premier League’s top four, and were beaten 2-0 at home by Manchester United in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday.

Given the scrutiny of Sarri’s position in west London, a host of managers have been linked with the post, but Chelsea have not reached out to any of the names.

Instead, Sarri’s assistant Gianfranco Zola or loan manager Eddie Newton could take charge on an interim basis, should Chelsea dispense with the Italian.

Newton has trained the first team before, during the interim period between Antonio Conte leaving and Sarri arriving at Chelsea last summer.

Many Blues fans have turned on Sarri after the loss to United, when the supporters were heard chanting ‘F*** Sarriball’ .

Derby County manager Frank Lampard has been linked with the job, but the Chelsea legend has yet to be sounded out, while owner Roman Abramovich’s friend Leonid Slutzky has also yet to receive the call.

Chelsea looked at appointing Laurent Blanc in the summer, before opting to go with Sarri, and the former Paris Saint-Germain coach could be considered again. There has yet to have been formal contact with the former Manchester United defender, however.

Zinedine Zidane is expected to be difficult to bring in, given the Blues are looking like a less attractive proposition than years gone by due to problems off the field such as transfer bans and the prospect of losing Eden Hazard to Real Madrid.

It is understood that former Madrid coach Zidane’s arrival would not be considered as a major factor in Hazard’s upcoming summer decision, despite the Belgium playmaker idolising the France legend as a boy.

With Sarri under intense pressure, Goal understands games against Malmo in the Europa League on Thursday, Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday and Tottenham in the Premier League next week will be decisive in deciding the Italian’s future in west London.

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The Argentina international continues to be linked with Real Madrid amid ongoing contract talks with the San Siro outfit

Inter have named goalkeeper Samir Handanovic as their new club captain, stripping star striker Mauro Icardi of the role amid persistent transfer rumours.

Argentina international Icardi has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid recently, as talks over a new contract at San Siro continue to stall.

Icardi’s agent and wife Wanda Nara has insisted that her husband will commit his future to Inter, but speculation is likely to be fueled after the club’s latest announcement.

Wanda has stated her belief that Icardi should be offered a much larger wage packet to reflect his standing in European football while also admitting that several top clubs from Spain, England and France have already expressed an interest in him.

The 25-year-old hitman has scored nine goals in 20 Serie A matches this season but he will no longer serve as captain, with Handanovic set to take up the role starting on Thursday in the Europa League.

And following the news about the captaincy, Icardi’s name was notably absent from Inter’s squad list for their Europa League clash with Rapid Vienna on Thursday, adding further uncertainty over the striker’s future at the club.

Icardi is contracted to Inter until 2021, but with Madrid tipped to launch a large bid for his services during the next transfer window, it remains to be seen if he’ll still be a Nerazzurri player in the summer.

Luciano Spalletti’s side are currently sitting third in Serie A and a whopping 20 points behind leaders Juventus in the table after 23 matches.

Inter’s only hope of silverware this term now lies in the Europa League, with a round of 32 clash against Rapid Vienna to negotiate starting on Thursday.

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Icardi is expected to retain his spot in the starting line-up for the clash before Inter return to Serie A duties against Sampdoria on Sunday.

The former Barcelona academy star is currently valued at around €90m (£79m/$102m) and is revered by supporters and experts as one of the best natural centre-forwards in the world.

 

The Eredivisie club are aiming to cause a monumental upset against Santi Solari’s men in the Champions League on Wednesday

Defending champions Real Madrid are back in Champions League action on Wednesday as they travel to the Johan Cruijff ArenA to face Ajax in the last-16 first leg.

Buoyed by a sequence of good results in tough matches, Santi Solari’s side will start this encounter as favourites, having negotiated a group that involved Roma, Viktoria Plzen and CSKA Moscow.

Ajax, meanwhile, will be no pushovers, having impressed in Europe in recent seasons and with a clutch of exciting young players eager to prove themselves at the highest level.

Game	Ajax vs Real Madrid
Date	Wednesday, February 13
Time	8pm GMT / 3pm ET
Stream (US only)	fubo TV (7-day free trial)

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In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial) .

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

US TV channel	Online stream
Univision Deportes / UniMas	fubo TV (7-day free trial)

In the United Kingdom (UK), the game will be broadcast on BT Sport 3 and can be streamed via BT Sport Live.

UK TV channel	Online stream
BT Sport 3	BT Sport Live

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Position	Ajax squad
Goalkeepers	Onana, Lamprou, Varela, Kotarski, Van Bladeren
Defenders	Kristensen, Veltman, De Ligt, Magallan, Blind, Schuurs, Tagliafico, Bakker, Bakboord, Botman
Midfielders	Van de Beek, Sinkgraven, Mazroui, Labyad, Schone, De Jong, Ziyech, De Wit, Lang, Gravenberch, Ekkelenkamp
Forwards	Neres, Huntelaar, Tadic, Traore, Dolberg, Cerny, Nunnely

Ajax starting XI: Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Blind, Tagliafico; Schone, Van de Beek, De Jong; Ziyech, Tadic, Neres.

Position	Real Madrid squad
Goalkeepers	Navas, Altube, Courtois
Defenders	Carvajal, Vallejo, Ramos, Nacho, Varane, Marcelo, Odriozoloa, Reguilon
Midfielders	Kroos, Modric, Casemiro, Valverde, Vazquez, Asensio, Ceballos, Brahim
Forwards	Mariano, Benzema, Bale, Vinicius Junior

Real Madrid starting XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Nacho, Ramos, Reguilon; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos; Bale, Benzema, Vinicius

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Real Madrid are 21/20 favourites to win this clash with Bet365. Meanwhile, Ajax are priced at 13/5 while a draw is 14/5.

Click here to see more offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.

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Real Madrid did not play like three-time defending Champions League winners during their Group G campaign prior to Christmas. Twice Los Blancos lost to CSKA Moscow, and while they came good for the big occasion, the level of their form was largely disappointing.

There has been some improvement since then, with the greatest indications that they are picking up a head of steam arriving over the course of the last week. A trip to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey saw them deservedly earn a 1-1 draw, which was followed up by a terrific 3-1 derby win over Atletico Madrid at the weekend.

Following that victory, which came about after goals from Casemiro, Sergio Ramos and Gareth Bale, interim head coach Santi Solari talked up his team’s chances of even more European success.

Speaking to UEFA, he said: “Nothing is impossible for Real Madrid.”

Despite piecing together a seven-match undefeated run, he is aware how fickle the game can be – particularly at the Bernabeu.

“That’s what this profession is like, in football you have one game and another. Then when you lose it’s terrible, when you win it’s fine,” he told the press on the eve of this match before playing down the two defeats Ajax have suffered in their last three matches.

“I don’t think it’s a bad period for them, I don’t agree. I think they are having a good season. I’ve seen a lot of games and they play well, construct the play well and they have great players. This is football. There is always an opponent and you have to respect them all, just like the teams Ajax have played.

“I hope we play a game with a serious performance as we did three days ago, that’s my maximum hope. Football is day-to-day work. All we have to live for is the game tomorrow.”

One man hoping to make an impression is Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, the former Madrid forward. 

“I think that in my time at Real Madrid, they were not really ‘royal’,” the veteran told De Telegraaf.

“At a certain moment, everybody had to leave, including the coach, technical director and chairman. They don’t really bother about a million more or less.

“That’s how it works, it’s football. They need you or they don’t. I could have stayed for a couple of years, but, for me, the sporting part was the most important thing.”

At Ajax, meanwhile, up-and-coming stars like Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt have pushed him into the shadows somewhat, but the 35-year-old striker is hopeful they can inspire the Eredivisie side to an upset for the ages.

“If we play like we played earlier this season in the Champions League, we can make it very difficult for Real Madrid,” he added. “But, at first hand, they are the favourites.

“We will only be satisfied if we qualify for the next round. It’s more realistic to think they will make it, but that’s not the way we think, because this is our chance to make history.”

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The Brumbies are host the Highlanders tomorrow night for a spot in the Super Rugby semi-finals, but who has had the edge in their recent matches?

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Round 10, 2016

The Highlanders held onto a 23-10 in invercargill off the back of an impressive display from flyhalf Lima Sopoanga who scored 18 of his sides points. The Highlanders managed to nullify the impact of the Brumbies rolling maul with Sam Carter being penalised three times in the opening half off the back of lineouts.

Round 11, 2015

A David Pocock hat-trick masterclass helped break a Brumbies two game losing streak in Canberra as the defeated the Highlanders 31-18. Pocock had scored hat-trick inside 35 minutes off the back of rolling mauls to set up a 25-point lead at the break. The Highlanders scored 12 unanswered points in the second half, but it was little too late.

Round 9, 2013

The Brumbies secured their spot on top of the Australian conference with a 30-19 victory over the Higlhanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium. The Brumbies jumped out to an early lead inside the opening three minutes after Henry Speight found space out wide. George Smith and Joe Tomane followed suit for the Brumbies, while Christian Lealiifano kicked at 100% with the boot. Highlanders halfback Aaron Smith scored a consolation try in the dying minutes.

Round 5, 2012

A young Brumbies side knocked off the undefeated Highlanders 33-26 to jump to the top of the Australian conference. Joe Tomane took an intercept and ran 80 metres to score the first Super Rugby try of his career. Michael Hooper scored the match winning try in the 62nd minute when he dragged two Highlanders over the line.

Round 10, 2011

The Brumbies chances of a place in the Super Rugby finals were dashed after going down to the Highlanders 26-20. It was the Brumbies fifth loss in a row, and while the scoreline makes it seems like a tight match, the Brumbies were rarely in it. Highlanders back Jason Rutledge scored back-to-back tries in the opening half to set up the Highlanders victory.

 

Wallabies captain Stephen Moore is already Australia’s second-most capped Test player, but the hooker feels as good as ever after a marathon season.

Moore will embark on a new Super Rugby experience in 2017, returning to his home state of Queensland, after signing a three-year contract with the Reds.

The 33-year-old sits behind only George Gregan on the Wallabies’ all-time caps list and his new provincial deal could put him on track to become the most-capped Super Rugby player of all time.

As he looks towards the 2019 World Cup, Moore said he would be monitoring the load his body could cope with.

“I’ll sit down with Cheik and talk about that in the down time, and same with [Queensland coach Nick Stiles] when I get to the Reds,” he said. 

“They’ll have a plan and I will recover well over the next few weeks and get ready to go again.

“I feel good physically, I think it’s a big mental thing to want to keep improving and contributing and that’s going to be a challenge for me to try to find a way to do that.

“I know my teammates and coaches will help me through that.”

Moore has shown different elements to his game in 2016, as the Wallabies tried to upskill their forwards, encouraging the tight five to carry and run with the ball more often.

With the influence of national skills coach Mick Byrne, Moore said he was always looking for ways to be better, in the mould of his former Brumbies and Wallabies teammate, and future Reds teammate, George Smith.

“You probably have to as you get older, you find different ways to have an impact on the game,” he said.

“I’ve watched players do that before, and I’ve learned from that. Someone like George Smith is a great example of a player who over his career has found ways to get better and that’s something you have to do.

“We’ve had great coaching this year around that, Mick Byrne’s come in and been a terrific asset for us as a team around our skill and how we use that in a game.

“That’s something we’ll look forward to progressing next year.

Moore comes into a Queensland side that already contains a promising hooker in Andrew Ready and said he wanted to help mentor the Queenslander.

“He had a great year this year and I think it’s important that for me, going up there, I want to help him become the best player he can be,” he said.

“That’s ultimately to go on and play for Australia for a long time, play for Queensland for a long time. That’s a big part of my role up there, I’m looking forward to working alongside him.

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“He’s already shown that he’s a very capable player. He’s going to be a teammate for me and I’ll make sure we work together hard to contribute as best we can for the Reds.

The Melbourne Rebels won’t see Sean McMahon on the field for at least another six weeks, the flanker headlining another season of carnage.

McMahon has missed the first six rounds of Super Rugby after off-season ankle surgery but was initially expected to be back in action in the next fortnight.

A knee injury on his road back to fitness has blown that return date out until June, the club has said.

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Should everything be on track, McMahon could potentially play against the Brumbies in Canberra in round 15, but that leaves him little time to return to his peak for the first Wallabies Test the next week.

“We’re disappointed for Sean after he’s been so diligent during his rehab but the latest incident underlines a frustrating season which has been impacted by injury,” Melbourne Rebels general manager football operations Baden Stephenson said.

“The rigours of Super Rugby have taken their toll on the squad with 16 players unavailable from existing long term injuries suffered last year, concussions or other physical contact related injuries.”

If he makes it back for the final matches of Super Rugby, those could be McMahon’s last for the club, with the flanker off-contract this season and the Reds believed to be keen on securing his talents.

McMahon’s name is just the top of a long list of unavailable Rebels, with fellow backrower Jordy Reid ruled out for six weeks with a broken back.

Reid has been playing with the injury the past two weeks but that courageous effort stops now.

The Rebels have four players – Dom Shipperley (knee), Pama Fou (knee), new recruit Alex Toolis (knee) and Rob Leota (knee) – out for the season, while Sam Jeffries has an indefinite return date, battling a foot injury.

Three-month layoffs loom for Murray Douglas and U20s star Harley Fox, while Tim Metcher, fullback Jack Maddocks, prop Cruze Ah-Nau and Semisi Tupou are all out for the better part of a month.

Rampaging number eight Amanaki Mafi (ankle) and winger Sefa Naivalu (shoulder) are both under a cloud for next week’s clash with the Brumbies as well.

In one positive, prop Toby Smith is shaping to be available for their clash with the Kings on April 30.