Dennis makes Wallabies from club rugby - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Dennis makes Wallabies from club rugby

By Adrian Warren 09/10/2009 06:42:57 PM Comments (0)

Bolter David Dennis is part of a large infusion of new blood into the Wallabies squad for their spring tour, but he still has no idea who he will be playing rugby for next year.

The Sydney University forward was one of seven uncapped players who comprise 20 per cent of the total squad.

While he has played most of his rugby as a blindside flanker, 23-year-old Dennis has been selected as a lock for the vertically-challenged Wallabies, who have lost several locks through injury.

Dennis, who has played just one match for the NSW Waratahs back in 2007, suffered serious knee injuries in that year and 2008 and has yet to be offered a contract for next season.

"Things are probably still not as clear as I'd hoped, but that's just the way the sport is," Dennis told AAP on Friday.

"Hopefully I will enjoy the next two months involved with this squad and then when I get back try and sort something out."

Dennis would prefer to remain in Australia and said he had also contemplated heading overseas.

"Definitely, that was a huge consideration," Dennis said.

"Obviously the four (Super 14) provinces in Australia with the economy at the moment, they are all running a pretty tight shop, so things are pretty tight in terms of opportunities and spaces.

"But I've always had this dream to be in this (Wallabies) squad and I'm only still relatively young and I want to stay in Australia for as long as I can."

A member of Sydney Uni's Sydney club premiership-winning team, Dennis admitted being pressed into service as a second-rower by the Students had boosted his international aspirations.

"With club football, we were lacking depth in the locks, so I managed to play there and in the end it's turned out well," Dennis said.

The uncapped contingent included three 20-year-old backs in Queensland halfback Richard Kingi and the NSW duo of centre Rob Horne and five-eighth Kurtley Beale.

Kingi is almost as inexperienced at Super rugby level as Dennis, having played just two games off the bench for the Reds.

He is not even a member of their senior squad for next year, having been signed to the Queensland Academy.

"He has got potential, clearly he is a wildcard," Deans said of Kingi.

An Australian sevens and under-20 representative, New Zealand-born Kingi will be the third-string halfback behind Queensland's Will Genia and the Waratahs' Luke Burgess.

The other uncapped forwards chosen in the 35-man squad are Western Force back-rower Matt Hodgson, Brumbies flanker Mitchell Chapman and his team-mate, prop Salesi Ma'afu.

Waratahs front-rowers Matt Dunning and Sekope Kepu, both of whom missed the start of this year's Super 14 through injuries on last year's Wallabies tour, were also among six props picked in the squad.

Only two specialist hookers were chosen, with prop Pek Cowan acting as back-up.

Brought to you by AAP AAP © 2024 AAP

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