Elsom signs with Brumbies and ARU until 2011

awhir

not sure if this has been posted , did'nt see it in a seach .sorry if it was allready posted.

Wallabies flanker Rocky Elsom has returned to Australian rugby and signed with the CA Brumbies and the Australian Rugby Union until 2011.

The former Waratahs back rower has spent the past nine months playing for Irish club, Leinster, in Europe's Magners League. Elsom played 21 matches for the Dublin-based side, including a man-of-the-match performance in their 19-16 Heineken Cup final win over Leicester at Murrayfield last week.
Prior to heading to the UK (and then on to Ireland) , the 26-year-old was a key member of the Waratahs, playing 66 Super 14 matches between 2003 and 2008.

The tear-away flanker started for NSW in their 2005 and 2008 Super 14 final appearances as well as claiming the 2007 Matthew Burke Cup for Waratahs Players' Player.

Elsom, who returned to Australia this week to represent the Barbarians against the Wallabies on Saturday night in Sydney, says he's keen to return to the Super 14 with the CA Brumbies.

"I'm very happy to be joining the Brumbies in 2010 and I look forward to mounting a challenge for the Super 14 title," he said.

The former Nudgee College student represented the Australian Schoolboys in 2000 before joining the Canterbury Bulldogs for two seasons in the National Rugby League, winning a Jersey Flegg premiership in 2001.

Elsom made his Super Rugby debut against the Blues in 2003 and went on to score a try on debut for the Wallabies against Samoa in Sydney two years later. He was a member of the Wallabies' 2007 Rugby World Cup squad and scored a hat-trick of tries against Japan in their first match in Lyon, France.

Elsom said regaining his place in the Australian side was a factor behind his return to Australia.

"We made progress last year with the Wallabies and there are exciting challenges ahead in 2009," he said.

CA Brumbies Head Coach Andy Friend says Elsom returns to Australia having enhanced his global reputation in the Northern Hemisphere.

"Rocky has played an integral role in any of his sides' success over the past five years, whether it be the Waratahs, the Wallabies or Leinster," he said. "He's a very impressive athlete and he's undoubtedly been the form player in Europe this season.

"He's an immense physical presence on the field, he's got incredible brute strength, he's extremely agile for a big man and there aren't too many players in world rugby who'd like to see Rocky Elsom charging at them. He consistently has an incredibly high work rate and offers some utility value across the back row.

"We're very pleased to have Rocky joining us for 2010 and we're excited to see what he will do in Brumbies colours."

Brumbies Rugby CEO Andrew Fagan says Elsom's inclusion enhances the CA Brumbies' forward pack's credentials for 2010.
"We're very pleased to have Rocky joining the CA Brumbies for 2010 and 2011," he said.

"We prided ourselves on having the strongest Australian forward pack in 2009 and the addition of Rocky will only add to that claim from next season.

"Rocky will join players like Stephen Hoiles and George Smith in an all-Wallaby back row, combining with the likes of Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander and Mark Chisholm in what should be a very formidable scrum.

"With the retention of Guy Shepherdson and Peter Kimlin and with the addition of Matt Giteau and Josh Valentine to an already impressive backline, all is heading in the right direction for 2010."

ARU Managing Director and CEO John O'Neill says Elsom is among the elite players in world rugby.

"Let no one try to diminish the importance of this deal," he said. "When we let Rocky go last year there were personal circumstances that he raised which we took into consideration. We did not give him a sabbatical. What we did do was act in his best interests and let him go to Ireland early.

"Rocky has repaid that goodwill by returning when he suggested he might."

Rocky Elsom
Position: Flanker
Physical: 1.97m, 106kg
Age: 14.02.1983, Melbourne
Super 14 Caps: 66
Super 14 Points: 50 (10t)
Super 14 Debut: 2003 v Blues, Sydney
Test Caps: 40
Test Points: 35 (7t)
Test Debut: 2005 v Samoa, Sydney

http://www.super14.com/news/viewarticle.asp?id=20610

GiftofGab

Brumbies for S14 title 2010. Would be a good bet with the likes of Elsom and Mortlock playing amazing at the mo.

Diamondmaker

Heres the video where the man says it all himself for anyone hanging onto a slim thread of hope:

http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/video/0,,The%20Rugby%20Club_7498,00.html

Note the idiot Ozzie reference to playing for Leinster as the UK.

Podge_irl

They better take good care of him. We want him back in pristine condition after the RWC

Paulie907

do you reckon he would have stayed if he was allowed play for Austrailia?

GiftofGab

Paulie907 wrote: »

do you reckon he would have stayed if he was allowed play for Austrailia?

Yeah of course, he always said he had a great time at Leinster. The only reason he said he was leaving was because he wanted to play for Australia. I reckon he would have stayed another year if Leinster lost the H cup final. It was a catch 22. The man is a legend. You have to respect his decision thou.

funky penguin

See you in a couple of years Rocky!

Gis a ring before hand, we'll put the kettle on.

Paulie907

the guy is a legend allright! I just hope we can attract someone on the same level to replace him!

remus808

GiftofGab wrote: »

Yeah of course, he always said he had a great time at Leinster.

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Sunset V

Who will be the likely replacement for Elsom now in Leinster?

[Jackass]

Sunset V wrote: »

Who will be the likely replacement for Elsom now in Leinster?

Jerry Collins would have been good, but there is now no obvious replacement. We do need to sign a backrow player, if only for the depth alone. We've lost Rocky & Jowitt, which only leaves Jennings, Heaslip, O'Brien (which is grand as a starting backrow) but only Keogh and McLaughlin as cover. 2 or 3 of the first choice could be on international duty during the season and we wouldn't have enough backrows in the squad to replace them all, let alone have a sub.

Would love to see Rocky come back after the world cup.

It's 99% not going to happen, but I still hold out hope!!

Jello

Just saw this article Rocky wrote for the Hearld, a great read:

As I was boarding the plane out of Dublin last month, the lady at the check-out said, "So, this is it, huh?" I nodded and she said, "Well, we couldn't have asked for anything more," and I thought to myself 'you think you couldn't have asked for anything more!' I felt like I've had a career worth of experience in what felt like three weeks.

So many things that I've never experienced before were crammed into one season. I've never had a guy go through the whole team only to try and headbutt me in the middle of a match. I've never played on a field inside a dog track. I've never had my fingers numb before a match. I've never been part of a team where people would openly and genuinely laugh at our chances of winning. I've never had a crowd so openly and obviously demand something during a match. I've never been in a team that has fought out so many close wins in one season or one that saved their best for when it counted most.

I had never been to a place where there are 1,000s of rocks all shaped like hexagons. I'd never seen snow fall. I'd never had an Argentinean Christmas, (which seems to be a lot like the traditional version but with Santa having his days mixed up). I'd never had so many chats with cab drivers. I'd never been to a place where I couldn't understand what was being said to me when the language being spoken was apparently English.

This could go on for a while but the point is it couldn't have been more different from anything I've experienced before.

As good as all that was, it's never what you've done that makes your time somewhere, it's how you feel doing it. People would always say "you're from Australia what the hell are you doing here?" but I don't think they took into account just how good it was for me being 'here'. I'm not exactly from an undesirable place in Australia either but I didn't get homesick once and I love Australia.

I think that if I had asked for a couple of weeks to go back to Australia I would have got them, but I couldn't have imagined doing that.

Sure, I would have liked to see my family and friends but I would have preferred they visit me.

I wouldn't say winter was ideal but something I'm glad I experienced, even if I was only awake for around 12 hours in the day. Maybe it sounds like I'm not all there with comments about enjoying winter but you've got to understand that it's the people that make the experience and the experience was immense.

The best thing about travelling in rugby is the people you meet and I've met some great ones. From the little kid next door who recites scorelines from years ago and his father who is as polite and genuine a man as you'll meet, only to turn into a swearing maniac when Ireland are playing, to the teenagers who would play American football with us in Herbert Park on Sundays.

I'm excited to get back to Australia. I couldn't wait to get back for a lot of reasons and it would be good to shake the moon tan I've picked up, but I also think I'm lucky that I've got something so good to look forward to and take my mind off what I've left behind.

The Barbarians game at Twickenham could not have come at a better time. Having time to dwell on the time I've had in Ireland wouldn't have been ideal for me so close to what was such a great finale. Joining another team so soon made it easier for me by taking my focus off what I'm leaving, even if it meant not being able to train all week and delaying some rest time.

It's a bit like when you go to see a movie and people rave about how good it is, it's unlikely you're going to think it's better that expected. That's how I have felt about Dublin, only I was that one doing the initial raving.

Sure I had the two coldest days of my life there in 2006 but I did sign with Leinster expecting something from Dublin and Ireland.

I didn't know it was going to be this and consider myself extremely fortunate and indebted to the people for what they've given me.

- Rocky Elsom

http://www.herald.ie/sport/leinster-rugby/rocky-i-had-an-immense-experience-1768264.html

Hopefully we'll get him back some day

Crash

You know, the main reason I really really liked Rockys articles is in his last two, he comments on the impact the crowd has had. I'd consider myself a fairly hardcore supporter, but there's always a part of me that feels kinda weird about it, if yeh get me. I'm not on the pitch, i'm not playing, so i feel in an essence we should feel a bit more removed than I do feel while at a game.

But when you have players comment on what a difference the Quins match made, for instance, it really makes my day.

Fishtits

Rocky is gone. Move on.

I would have thought his replacement was obvious...

Stephen Ferris.

anonymous_joe

Fishtits wrote: »

I would have thought his replacement was obvious...

Stephen Ferris.

Why would he leave his home province?

faigs

I was just thinking Ferris would be perfect the other day. Wish we could sign him!

Fishtits

Provincial teams are arranged in hierarchal order, officially acknowledged or not.

Ulster are a fine team, I'm a regular on the stands in Ravenhill, often in god awful weather. (D Cave is one for the future btw)

But, Ulster & Connaught are at this point in time development areas for the Ireland team, we don't have the player base otherwise.

It doesn't make sense for a world class blind side to be playing for Ulster when he could add so much to Leinster on a wider scale.

anonymous_joe

Fishtits wrote: »

Provincial teams are arranged in hierarchal order, officially acknowledged or not.

Ulster are a fine team, I'm a regular on the stands in Ravenhill, often in god awful weather. (D Cave is one for the future btw)

But, Ulster & Connaught are at this point in time development areas for the Ireland team, we don't have the player base otherwise.

It doesn't make sense for a world class blind side to be playing for Ulster when he could add so much to Leinster on a wider scale.

Yeah, and Brian O'Driscoll should've gone to Munster to win Heineken Cups. :pac:

Come on, if an Irish player wants to step up they'd leave and go to a foreign club rather than a direct rival.

And in fairness, Ulster are underachieving, they'll definitely be doing better in the near to medium term future.

Podge_irl

Crash wrote: »

You know, the main reason I really really liked Rockys articles is in his last two, he comments on the impact the crowd has had. I'd consider myself a fairly hardcore supporter, but there's always a part of me that feels kinda weird about it, if yeh get me. I'm not on the pitch, i'm not playing, so i feel in an essence we should feel a bit more removed than I do feel while at a game.

But when you have players comment on what a difference the Quins match made, for instance, it really makes my day.

I assume you were at the Quins game so? It was by far the best atmosphere I have ever experienced at a game, it really was something else. I do know what ya mean in terms of overstating our importance, but that Quins game was something else.

[Jackass]

Fishtits wrote: »

Provincial teams are arranged in hierarchal order, officially acknowledged or not.

Ulster are a fine team, I'm a regular on the stands in Ravenhill, often in god awful weather. (D Cave is one for the future btw)

But, Ulster & Connaught are at this point in time development areas for the Ireland team, we don't have the player base otherwise.

It doesn't make sense for a world class blind side to be playing for Ulster when he could add so much to Leinster on a wider scale.

I'd be a little bit insulted by that if I was an Ulster fan!! :eek:

I agree Ulster are a fine team, but I don't agree with the sentiment that they are a lost cause.

Ulster are now, in a simular position Leinster were in when Cheika joined us...a lot of talented players, but god awful team, and little or no structure to the direction of the province.

I was gutted to see Williams go for 2 reasons. First of all because I think he is a great coach (I'm sure not all will agree with that however) and second of all, because Ulster were starting to get a bit of stability under him before he left.

The game in Thomond Park springs to mind when thinking of what this Ulster side are capable of. That was the reigning European champions and Magners champions in waiting at full strength in their self styled fortress and with a team at full strength, and Ulster enighelated them. Arguably the best side in Europe.

The Munster players talked about that being a turning point and reality check in their season, and spurred them on to lose some complaincency and they put in some of there best preformances of the season after that defeat to Ulster.

This just highlights what they are capable of when focused and driven to preform in a game.

They had a shambolic year in 2007/2008 before Williams came in at the end, and they didn't start 08/09 well, but got better and better as the year went on, including the Munster victory, but also a great win over Harlequins in Ravenhill also.

Looking at their squad, they have some brilliant players. In Best they've got possibly the best 2 in the country (despite who Kidney and thus the Lions might pick), they've got arguably the most promising second row player in the country in Caldwell, they have superb young backrow players in Ferris and Pollock.

In the backs they've one of the most promising centres in Irish rugby, Darren Cave, and fair enough Ulster players don't get the media hysteria and hype that the likes of Keith Earls of Luke Fitzgerald might get, but that's not to say they're just as good!

Then they've so many players of quality throughout the squad too- Danielli, Court, Botha, Nagusa, Wallace, Trimble, Schkofski..lots of decent players...and all this after losing Neil Best and Bowe too! If only they had them back..

I mean they've really built a strong squad, it is really good, and they are good enough to make magners play-offs or to push to get out of their group, all they need is that steadying hand of the likes of a Cheika. They also need a good half back pairing, which, as anyone knows in Rugby, you can have all the talent in the world, but if you don't have the player to direct it, then it's never nearly as effective.

I just hope Williams good work wont be undone and they can get a decent coach in their soon, and when you think about it, in a group with Edinburgh who have just lost their coach too, Bath who are all coaked off their heads and may be putting out academy players before the games begin, Stade Francais who will be tough, but you never know...Ulster are a sleeping giant if you ask me, it's only a matter of time before they come back as big as they once were...I remember reading about Tony Ward saying that as both a Leinster player and a Munster player, there was no game he dreaded more than Ulster in Revenhill (who have won 26 inter pro titles versus Munster & Leinsters 22 and Connachts 2).

They're in a lull, but have superb young players coming through. I look forward to them being a force to be reckoned with again.

Sorry for my random defence of Ulster, just felt they were points worth making.

Trojan

What Jackass said, only shorter and less eloquent. And I couldn't make up a new word like that

I believed Ulster were on course for great things in the '09/'10 season, but losing Williams puts a massive dent in my hopes for them. A gentleman and a superb coach, a big loss.

funky penguin

Excellent post Jackass. We can't forget that Ulster are previous holders of the heinekin cup, and just need a fire lit under them to become serious contenders again. I'm hoping they prove to be the dark horse of their group and come out all guns blazing. It would be fantastic for Irish rugby for them to find form again.