Australian Super Rugby sides are allowed 35 players each, moved up from 30 in 2012, in their Extended Player Squads for Super Rugby 2013.
Two of the Australian Super Rugby franchises, the Brumbies and the Reds, have both finalised their 35-Man squads.
rugbyweek
The Brumbies have added Stephan Van der Walt and Mark Swanepoel as the final members of the 2013 Super Rugby Extended Playing squad (EPS) squad.
The Brumbies 2013 playing roster is now full as Van Der Walt and Mark Swanepoel have occupied the final two EPS positions.
Van Der Walt arrives from Queensland where he has been playing with Queensland Country and the University of Queensland.
A former Sunshine Coast boy who migrated to Australia with his family from South Africa at the age of 8, Van Der Walt has the size and speed to make it as an outside centre or wing at Super Rugby level.
Backs Coach Stephen Larkham said Van Der Walt had many similar traits to Clyde Rathbone in the way he attacks.
“We’ve signed Stephan from Queensland as a very passionate, aggressive outside back,” Larkham said.
“Stephan is a bit like Clyde – he’ll run over the top of you before he’ll run around you. He’s a big guy with quality skills and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do with the benefit of a fulltime system.
“He’s got good size and speed and we think he’s probably slipped under the radar a bit so it will be exciting to see how he goes.
Swanepoel joins the Brumbies from New Zealand where he has been representing Canterbury in the ITM Cup.
A former Western Force player who claimed four caps between 2009 and 2011, Swanepoel was on the cusp of featuring for the Crusaders in 2012 before returning to Australian shores in search of more opportunity.
Another player with South African heritage, Swanepoel is a big, physical halfback who intends on pushing Ian Prior and Nic White all the way in the hunt for the starting No 9 jersey.
“He gives us coverage now, particularly with Nic White missing the majority of pre-season through his shoulder injury,” Larkham said.
“He’s only flown in this morning from New Zealand but you’d have to say that early inspections suggest he’s a very promising player.
“At 22 he’s been in Super Rugby before, he’s got four caps with the Force and also spent time with the Crusaders so that experience will certainly work in his favour.”
All 35 spots on the Brumbies roster have now been filled.
Queensland’s EPS for next season boasts new additions in backrower Jarrad Butler, lock Blake Enever and outside back Joel Faulkner along with returning members in front-rower Kevin Davis and playmaker UJ Seuteni.
All three new inclusions were former QAS Reds Academy members in 2011 before joining the inaugural National Academy when the development pathway changed in 2012.
Butler and Enever have been rewarded for their 2012 efforts where they were plucked out of the National Academy by Reds Director of Coaching Ewen McKenzie to make their Super Rugby debuts for an injury-hit Reds side late last season.
Enever got a small taste of Super Rugby when used as a replacement against the Melbourne Rebels in round 16 while Butler made his debut a week later against the Highlanders before earning his second Super Rugby cap in the Reds regular season finale against the NSW Waratahs.
Faulkner has a strong background with the Reds where he was member of the Reds Academy in 2010 and 2011 and will now offer the squad increased backline depth with his ability to cover fullback, centre and wing.
Seuteni remains the youngest member of the EPS and he will continue to develop his game at flyhalf after a 2012 year where he joined the group following his final year of schooling at The Southport School.
Davis also enters his second year in the EPS and will be aiming to build on the experience gained during his first year by offering further depth at both hooker and prop.
McKenzie said the 2013 EPS offered a good mix of experience and youth and would be crucial to the team’s 2013 campaign.
“Last season proved that you need more than just 30 contracted players to survive in Super Rugby so it’s important you have a strong group of players coming through the EPS as they will be forced to step up at some point during the year,” McKenzie said.
“Nick Frisby and Albert Anae were two examples from last year’s EPS who successfully made the transition into Super Rugby and have been rewarded with fulltime contracts for 2013.
“We’re fortunate to have an EPS group next year that has a strong background with the Reds either through our former Academy system or in last year’s EPS and we’re confident they have the ability to follow the same pathway as both Nick and Albert.”
October 30th, 2012 at 15:33 SAST
“Stephan is a bit like Clyde – he’ll run over the top of you before he’ll run around you. He’s a big guy with quality skills..” quite interested to read this as this trying to run over rather than around players is one thing I see folk here complain about with South African players and that they see it as ‘dom’ of these players to always try bulldoze over others ie. too much brawn and not enough brain. Yet here the Aussie is saying they rate this quality and because he does what folk here would call ‘dom’ that he has quality skills and he is a big guy – so brawn over brain??? Or is that just the usual hype spin that clubs seem to put out these days when they have made a new signing…
October 30th, 2012 at 15:33 SAST
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=487787907909582&set=a.131702326851477.16206.129368440418199&type=1&theater
A pic of today’s victory parade in Cape Town
October 30th, 2012 at 15:34 SAST
50 @ Bullscot:
A Man-manager is a man-manager… whether you work with Pumas players or Bulls Super Rugby players.
If he managed to get that performance out of fringe players, imagine what he would be able to do with star players and an abundance of resources.
Well, that is how I see it.
Remember, he has always had to fight the odds playing against stronger teams, working out plans and being innovative with analysis. I guess he would be a wonderful fresh breeze at one of the Super Rugby Franchises and add value.
One never hears about unhappiness in the Pumas team, so I guess he manages those players well.
October 30th, 2012 at 15:39 SAST
52 @ Stormersboy:
Many people, few teeth on show!
October 30th, 2012 at 15:42 SAST
@ grootblousmile:
hahahahaha
Sies!
October 30th, 2012 at 16:18 SAST
55 @ Stormersboy:
Hehehe
Sorry, could not contain my jealousy for you guys getting the bloody Cup this time!
Hahahaha
October 30th, 2012 at 16:32 SAST
53 @ grootblousmile:
Thanks for that all sounds quite positive so sounds like he could make a good contribution then, thing is will he be considered by us in the first place? I hear what you say about an ability to manage people and maybe am not getting this across properly but often we hear about managers finding a difference between coaching lower league (and I guess generally lesser skilled folk who are easier to teach) than a team with stars and possible ‘prima donnas’/stronger personalities. A good example off the top of my head was Chelsea’s coach last season the young and apparently very bright and gifted Portuguese Andre Villas Boas who came in to the set up there with BIG expectations and it just didn’t work out, rumour was he couldn’t get the players on board, once they got Di Matteo (a former Chelsea player) on board they seemed to up their game, as if the players were happier to play for Di Matteo someone who at that stage was probably the lesser astute of the two managers. But you do say Puma players seem happy under Stonehouse so thats a good thing.
October 30th, 2012 at 16:55 SAST
57 @ Bullscot:
I doubt that there will be the foresight by the Bulls to rope Stonehouse in… that’s what I would have done, with the Blue Bulls having lost so many of their coaching staff to the Springboks.
Other possibilities include Nollis Marais… Tuks coach.
The ultimate proof of the pudding is only in the eating… but in order to discover that great cake to eat, your eyes MUST be open in the cake shop… hehehehe
So, we can only go on what current coaches have showed us and have managed to achieve in their unique circumstances, that’s why guys like Jimmy Stonehouse and Nollis Marais stands out, in their respective circles. Sometimes one has to be bold, take a chance… but I favour calculated chances above blind and sheer luck.
At Super Rugby level one cannot just assume that your current junior coaches at a Union must naturally rise in the ranks of that Union to replace the guy above him, when he replaces the guy above him in the pecking order and so forth… one must cast the net wider, intelligently… and head hunt someone IF and WHEN the need arises.
Sometimes the Bulls seem a bit slow on the uptake of innovation, change, adaption and intelligent progress in the right direction, for instance this kick and chase strategy should have been dropped more than a year ago already….
Now with the new 5 second rule in 2013 PLUS the shortened scrum setting calls AND existing current favouring of the player with ball in hand, Super Rugby is going to be even faster and ball in hand rugby coupled to playing the breakdowns perfectly is going to be even more important, with the dominant team at these two facets of play most likely to walk away with most titles!
October 30th, 2012 at 17:19 SAST
58 @ grootblousmile:
Yes that new rule change should make a big difference to the way the game is played and should make for a faster pace of game which in turn will put more pressure on the players fitness levels. Hopefully we’ll come up with some good new coaching guys for Super rugby, thought Nollis Marais was there already with Blue Bulls coaching the victorious U21s.
October 30th, 2012 at 17:23 SAST
Right time to get some sleep before tonight GBS, enjoy rest of the day there man cheers vir eers.
October 30th, 2012 at 17:24 SAST
59 @ Bullscot:
He is, and should coach the Vodacom Cup side in 2013.