Halfback Luke Burgess has been cleared to return to action for the Wallabies and may come off the bench against the All Blacks on Saturday night.
Burgess fractured his hand ahead of the NSW Waratahs’ Super Rugby play-off against the Blues in Auckland five weeks ago but finally looks set to get his chance to play at Eden Park.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans on Monday confirmed the 27-year-old was fully recovered and back in the selection mix for the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup encounter as back-up to the influential Will Genia.
Deans will name his 24-man travel party on Tuesday before announcing his team on Thursday after their first training session in Auckland.
Burgess, capped 32 times, is expected to replace rookie Nick Phipps in the only change to the 22-man squad which beat a second-string South Africa 39-20 nine days ago, as all indications are the selectors will reward the incumbents.
Deans admitted discarded veteran back Matt Giteau had the experience to also cover at No.9 but wasn’t being considered as a halfback option against New Zealand, who thrashed the Springboks 40-7 in Wellington on the weekend.
Giteau trained briefly at halfback last week in camp on the Gold Coast but has spent most time at five-eighth and inside centre.
In positive news for this Saturday’s crucial Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Test, fullback Kurtley Beale declared himself fit and ready to go after overcoming an ankle injury sustained against the Springboks.
Beale returned to team training last Friday and reported he’d pulled up well over the weekend.
“I think all the time we’ve given it has helped me out,” he said on Friday. “It feels really good.
“There’s been a lot of physio work and it’s coming along really well.”
Brumbies prop Salesi Ma’afu, who has recovered from a broken arm, won’t be taken to Auckland but Deans said he was close to being available for the August 13 clash with South Africa in Durban.
Fellow front-rower Benn Robinson remains upbeat about his slim chances of overcoming a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in time for the World Cup after continuing his running rehab without problem at The Southport School on the Gold Coast.
Blinky Bill of Bellingen
Guest
Crikey I hope his rehab allowed him time to watch some old Rugby tapes and see how much better a 9 can be when he fires that pill out to runners instead of standing over it and looking at it as if it's an emu egg hatching. Otherwise he's a pretty handy back-up.
niwdEyaJ
Guest
the real good news is that Robinson is a chance to make it back. we need him fit asap. hopefully he can get some game time in the pool matches and be fit for the knockout stages, even 60 mins will do...
Bakkies
Guest
Might have actually improved it. One of the most inconsistant test scrumhalfs around.
Jimbo
Guest
... and there it is.
formeropenside
Guest
How would a broken hand have affected Burgess' passing over the last few weeks?
Gary Russell-Sharam
Guest
Good News on Burgess, they need him, Phipps hasn't come up to tors yet, he needs another season. Don't know where Ma'afu would fit in. I have never been impressed with him since he first started. I would rate him about 6 or 7 in the order of good props in Australia. He might be just OK in Super Rugby but I have not seen him do anything of note at test level. Deans should give himself a pinch and look at Greg Holmes to get some punch behind the pack. I would rate Palmer ahead of Ma'afu and Holmes ahead of both of them. Same for Pec Cowan he's about the same if not worse that Ma'afu. IMO I would like to see Higginbotham start at 8 instead of McCalman and have Samu on the bench. I would anticipate the Wallabies will get pulverized in the set pieces, with the scrum going backwards. Genia looks like he is going to have a hard day at the office. IMO the ABs will win by a small but comfortable margin.