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WALLABIES flanker Rocky Elsom will play with the Queensland Reds next season if there are no late hitches in his contract negotiations.
It is understood Elsom, a veteran of 66 matches for NSW but a product of Queensland's Nudgee College, told QRU officials he will not negotiate with anyone else, including his old province, as long as his talks with the Reds stay on track.
But at this stage the Reds are only peripherally involved in the negotiations to bring Elsom home from Dublin where his provincial side Leinster tomorrow meets arch-rival Munster in the semi-finals of the European Cup.
Most of the long-running negotiations are being handled by the Australian Rugby Union. Indications are that the lure of reactivating his Test career ultimately will be enough to convince Elsom to return, but talks could turn tricky if the hard-hitting backrower holds out to be allowed to continue with Leinster when not required by the Wallabies.
While the ARU has shown no inclination to ease its requirement that only Australian-based players will be considered for the national team, Elsom could become a test case for a relaxation of the rules. New Zealand has been bending its own similar rules lately to allow Luke McAlister to sidestep the requirement that overseas-based Kiwis play a full season in the Super 14 or NPC before being considered for the All Blacks.
The Reds have every reason to hope the course of Elsom's return runs smoothly because they have all but given up hope of luring Western Force Test number eight Richard Brown back to Queensland. But even if Elsom - arguably the only Australian other than Matt Giteau who would command a place in a World XV - signs on with Phil Mooney's squad, that still leaves the Reds desperately short of a genuine ball-scavenging openside flanker.
Even when the Reds' side to play the Brumbies at Suncorp Stadium tomorrow night was named two days ago, there were simmering fears that the backrow of number eight Ezra Taylor and flankers Putasi Luafutu and Hugh McMeniman was unbalanced, edging too far into power at the expense of mobility. And the presence of George Smith in the opposition ranks is enough to make any side jittery about a lack of speed in the backrow.
But those fears were compounded yesterday when McMeniman rolled his ankle at training and was ruled out of the match and possibly the remainder of the Super 14, opening the door for the return of powerhouse blindside flanker Scott Higginbotham.
Higginbotham earned lavish praise and even lofty comparisons with Elsom after some rampaging early-season form. Lately, however, a rising error rate and a string of defensive lapses have served as a reminder that he is only 15 games into his professional rugby career - and most of those have been off the bench.
Although the Reds have ventured wide whenever opportunity has presented itself this season - and too often when it hasn't - the loss of McMeniman could prompt a narrowing of their game tomorrow. As if sensing that's the way they might go, Brumbies coach Andy Friend has tightened up his defence around the fringes of the ruck by selecting the more robust Patrick Phibbs ahead of Josh Holmes at halfback.
That said, he also has dealt with the shortcomings out wide laid bare by the Hurricanes, reshuffling his backline to accommodate the return of inside centre Gene Gairbanks and fullback Mark Gerrard by switching Stirling Mortlock and Adam Ashley-Cooper to the wings.
"Gene and Pat are both good organisers on the field and will help provide us with direction but it's a matter of matching up physically against what is a very competent Queensland pack," Friend said, identifying the main danger.
It's fair to say that had Mortlock been a mere mortal and not the Wallabies captain, he might have found himself benched for this match but there is no element of punishment in Friend's decision to move him away from outside centre.
Aside from his opening-round heroics against the Highlanders in the midfield, Mortlock has looked most effective when used on the wing and it will not have escaped the Brumbies' attention that the Reds speedster he will mark tomorrow, Brando Va'aulu, frequently was bustled into error last Saturday against the Blues.
It is understood Elsom, a veteran of 66 matches for NSW but a product of Queensland's Nudgee College, told QRU officials he will not negotiate with anyone else, including his old province, as long as his talks with the Reds stay on track.
But at this stage the Reds are only peripherally involved in the negotiations to bring Elsom home from Dublin where his provincial side Leinster tomorrow meets arch-rival Munster in the semi-finals of the European Cup.
Most of the long-running negotiations are being handled by the Australian Rugby Union. Indications are that the lure of reactivating his Test career ultimately will be enough to convince Elsom to return, but talks could turn tricky if the hard-hitting backrower holds out to be allowed to continue with Leinster when not required by the Wallabies.
While the ARU has shown no inclination to ease its requirement that only Australian-based players will be considered for the national team, Elsom could become a test case for a relaxation of the rules. New Zealand has been bending its own similar rules lately to allow Luke McAlister to sidestep the requirement that overseas-based Kiwis play a full season in the Super 14 or NPC before being considered for the All Blacks.
The Reds have every reason to hope the course of Elsom's return runs smoothly because they have all but given up hope of luring Western Force Test number eight Richard Brown back to Queensland. But even if Elsom - arguably the only Australian other than Matt Giteau who would command a place in a World XV - signs on with Phil Mooney's squad, that still leaves the Reds desperately short of a genuine ball-scavenging openside flanker.
Even when the Reds' side to play the Brumbies at Suncorp Stadium tomorrow night was named two days ago, there were simmering fears that the backrow of number eight Ezra Taylor and flankers Putasi Luafutu and Hugh McMeniman was unbalanced, edging too far into power at the expense of mobility. And the presence of George Smith in the opposition ranks is enough to make any side jittery about a lack of speed in the backrow.
But those fears were compounded yesterday when McMeniman rolled his ankle at training and was ruled out of the match and possibly the remainder of the Super 14, opening the door for the return of powerhouse blindside flanker Scott Higginbotham.
Higginbotham earned lavish praise and even lofty comparisons with Elsom after some rampaging early-season form. Lately, however, a rising error rate and a string of defensive lapses have served as a reminder that he is only 15 games into his professional rugby career - and most of those have been off the bench.
Although the Reds have ventured wide whenever opportunity has presented itself this season - and too often when it hasn't - the loss of McMeniman could prompt a narrowing of their game tomorrow. As if sensing that's the way they might go, Brumbies coach Andy Friend has tightened up his defence around the fringes of the ruck by selecting the more robust Patrick Phibbs ahead of Josh Holmes at halfback.
That said, he also has dealt with the shortcomings out wide laid bare by the Hurricanes, reshuffling his backline to accommodate the return of inside centre Gene Gairbanks and fullback Mark Gerrard by switching Stirling Mortlock and Adam Ashley-Cooper to the wings.
"Gene and Pat are both good organisers on the field and will help provide us with direction but it's a matter of matching up physically against what is a very competent Queensland pack," Friend said, identifying the main danger.
It's fair to say that had Mortlock been a mere mortal and not the Wallabies captain, he might have found himself benched for this match but there is no element of punishment in Friend's decision to move him away from outside centre.
Aside from his opening-round heroics against the Highlanders in the midfield, Mortlock has looked most effective when used on the wing and it will not have escaped the Brumbies' attention that the Reds speedster he will mark tomorrow, Brando Va'aulu, frequently was bustled into error last Saturday against the Blues.
