FORMER Country Cockatoos captain Ben Wright has branded the Australian Rugby Union’s decision to use city-based professionals in the NSW-Queensland Country side to play the British and Irish Lions as poor.
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Wright played in the second row for the Cockatoos in the Lions’ last tour to Australia in 2001, describing his side’s 46-3 loss against Test players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales as a “surreal” experience.
But that same experience is set to be swept out from under the current crop of Cockatoos and Queensland Blue Heelers players as the ARU moves away from a tradition kept proudly since the first Lions tour in 1888.
The Country side set to play the Lions in Newcastle on June 11 looks likely to be selected on the basis of origin, all but gifting Super Rugby players bred in the bush but not picked for the Wallabies a spot in the team.
“It’s poor if that’s what the ARU is doing,” Wright said.
“As I understand it it’s always been a true country team that’s played. It’s tradition.
“Commercialisation’s obviously taken over. The country gets the rough end of the stick as it is at the moment anyway.”
Former Wallaby prop Cam Blades will coach the combined NSW-Queensland Country team and is yet to rule out selecting amateur bush players, although his desire to pick the strongest possible side available doesn’t bode well for country-based players.
Wright was understandably disappointed with that approach.
“For everyone in the side it was the biggest game of their careers and a game you’d probably never really dream of playing in,” the former Orange Emu said.
“My first son was due to be born on the day of the game and I said to my wife I’d love to be there for the birth but I’ve got to go and play this game, and she understood.
“A lot of guys are probably playing this year in the country with this game in mind.
“To have that pulled out from underneath them is pretty disappointing.”
In 1966 a combined Country side pushed the Lions 6-4 while the 1989 Country boys were handed a big 72-13 defeat.
Wright and NSW Country performed creditably in 2001 in a 46-3 defeat at Coffs Harbour.
“It was actually pretty good,” the big lock remembers, reciting names like 100-Test English prop Jason Leonard, Welsh prop Dai Young, five-eighth Neil Jenkins and halfback Austin Healey.
“They scored most of their tries 10 minutes either side of half-time,” Wright recalled.
“They didn’t score their first try until 20 minutes in and every one of the players we played against was a Test player for their country.”
If eligible, the ruling opens the door for the likes of Narromine-born Pat McCutcheon and Kinross Wolaroi School old boy Ben McCalman to play for Country on June 11.
