Mortlock backs 'home town boys'
Mon, 29 Sep 2008 11:22
Wallaby captain Stirling Mortlock has come out strongly in support of the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) directive that will prevent overseas-based players from being selected for Test duty.
Mortlock is of the view that overseas-based players like Rugby Union's latest prize recruit from Rugby League, Mark Gasnier, should not be considered for Wallaby selection.
Kangaroos centre Gasnier made an instant impact on his debut for French club Stade Francais at the weekend.
Playing on the wing for the side coached by former Waratahs mentor Ewen McKenzie, he scored a try in a 32-25 win over Bourgoin.
His two-year contract effectively rules him out of Wallabies selection during that period, as current ARU policy is to choose only locally based players.
Asked if he would like to se the ARU relax their stance on players domiciled offshore, Mortlock said not at this stage.
"My thoughts on that is that we've got to do everything in our power to make sure that Australian rugby is really strong and it starts with developing the players domestically at club level and provincial level and then trying to get as strong a Wallaby side as possible," Mortlock told AAP.
"To do that I think, the mechanism that seems to be the most positive is having players chosen that are playing in Australia.''
Mortlock and wing Lote Tuqiri - another high-profile recruit from League - both expected Gasnier to do well in Union, provided he was willing to put in the work on learning the nuances of the highly technical code.
"He is a quality player and I've got no doubts if he keeps on working, he can go well,'' Mortlock said.
Tuqiri, who has accumulated 66 Test caps since moving over from Rugby League, believed Gasnier had the attributes needed to succeed.
"He's a freak athlete, he's a freak player he can beat a tackle, he can swerve, he's got a great step, he's got speed, they are all ingredients to be a good Union player as well as a good League player,'' Tuqiri said.
"He's just got to get used to how you train and body height and positioning and positioning on the field and that will only take him a month or a couple to get used to it.
"He's done well with Ewen being coach, having an English speaking coach which is probably really good and smart for him.''
The normally reserved Mortlock said he felt a huge amount of excitement and positivity about the Wallabies coming six-match year-end tour, which starts with a Bledisloe Cup clash against New Zealand in Hong Kong and ends with a match against the Barbarians at Wembley Stadium - with Tests in between against Italy, France, England and Wales.
"We would have liked to have got a result in our last match [the Tri-Nations decider against New Zealand], it wasn't to be, but I think nonetheless that's probably instilled a little bit of resolve amongst this group to hopefully have a really positive tour,'' Mortlock told AAP.
"We've got four uncapped players coming into the group a few of the guys that weren't in the 30 for the last Test match come back in, it's very exciting.
"A lot of young guys are going extremely well so far this season and it's going to be a great test for them and for us as a group.''
