Kane Douglas rewarded with Wallaby call up

The 26-year-old lock looks set to follow in the footsteps of his NSW team mate Dave Dennis, who made his Test debut against Scotland in June before featuring in all three of the Wallabies’ Test wins over Wales.

The hard-working second row, who featured at each of the two recent training camps, is one of four uncapped players named in coach Robbie Deans’s 30-man Wallaby squad.

 

Since appearing for the Australian Barbarians against England in 2010, the Maclean-born Southern Districts star is widely respected for the work-ethic that has seen him develop into one of Australia’s best set-piece exponents.

 

Alongside another towering NSW lock Sitaleki Timani, the pair add over 240kg of size and power to the Australian set-piece.

 

Country-bred, Douglas played junior rugby for the Yamba Buccaneers and represented the Far North Coast.  Earning selection for NSW Country as an under-17, he was picked up by the NSW Academy in 2008. After representing Australia at Under-20 level in 2009, he earned a senior contract with the HSBC Waratahs squad in 2010, capping an outstanding debut season by winning the Chris Whitaker Aspiring Waratah Award.

 

An abrasive forward who excels in the physical contest, the Southern Districts’ second rower has been a prominent ball carrier for his club and state, starting in the number five jersey in all but one of the HSBC Waratahs’ 16 matches and playing almost 19 hours of rugby throughout the 2012 FxPro Super Rugby campaign.

The latest addition to the Wallabies squad, Douglas’ inclusion takes the NSW contingent to 10, including the entire tight five of Benn Robinson, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Sekope Kepu, Sitaleki Timani and Douglas. Also included are loose forward Dave Dennis and backs Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, Rob Horne and Drew Mitchell, who works his way back into the squad after finishing the FxPro Super Rugby season well and impressing in training at the recent National Training camps which wrapped up last week.

 

After ankle and hamstring injuries temporarily stalled his career, Mitchell has gradually built up his strength and fitness base since returning to playing duties on the HSBC Waratahs’ tour of South Africa in May. Making his 100^th Super Rugby appearance against the Reds in the final round of the season, only five players have scored more Test tries for the Wallabies than the 28-year-old, who appeared in his 58^th and most recent Test for Australia during the Rugby World Cup pool match against Russia in New Zealand last year.

 

 

Player	Position	State	Age	Appearances
Ben Alexander	Prop	Brumbies	27	40
Adam Ashley-Cooper	Fullback-Wing-Midfield	HSBC Waratahs	28	67
Berrick Barnes	Flyhalf/Inside Centre	HSBC Waratahs	26	41
Kurtley Beale	Fullback	Melbourne Rebels	23	25
Quade Cooper	Flyhalf	Queensland Reds	24	35
Dave Dennis	Loose Forward	HSBC Waratahs	26	4
Kane Douglas	Lock	HSBC Waratahs	26	Uncapped
Anthony Fainga’a	Centre	Queensland Reds	25	18
Saia Fainga’a	Hooker	Queensland Reds	25	16
Will Genia	Halfback	Queensland Reds	24	38
Liam Gill	Flanker	Queensland Reds	20	Uncapped
Mike Harris	Flyhalf/Inside Centre	Queensland Reds	24	2
Scott Higginbotham	Loose forward	Queensland Reds	25	15
Michael Hooper	Flanker	Brumbies	20	3
Rob Horne	Centre	HSBC Waratahs	22	12
Digby Ioane	Wing	Queensland Reds	27	25
Sekope Kepu	Prop	HSBC Waratahs	26	16
Drew Mitchell	Wing	HSBC Waratahs	28	58
Stephen Moore	Hooker	Brumbies	29	70
Nick Phipps	Halfback	Melbourne Rebels	23	3
David Pocock (c)	Flanker	Western Force	24	44
Tatafu Polota-Nau	Hooker	HSBC Waratahs	27	35
Benn Robinson	Prop	HSBC Waratahs	28	45
Radike Samo	Loose Forward	Queensland Reds	36	14
Jake Schatz	Loose Forward	Queensland Reds	22	Uncapped
Nathan Sharpe	Lock	Western Force	34	105
Rob Simmons	Lock	Queensland Reds	23	20
James Slipper	Prop	Queensland Reds	23	23
Sitaleki Timani	Lock	HSBC Waratahs	25	3
Nic White	Halfback	Brumbies	22	Uncapped

 

(i) August 18: Qantas Wallabies v New Zealand, Sydney (ANZ), 8pm

 

(ii) August 25: Qantas Wallabies v New Zealand, Auckland, 7.35pm

 

(iii) September 8: Qantas Wallabies v South Africa, Perth, 6.30pm

 

(iv) September 15: Qantas Wallabies v Argentina, Gold Coast, 8pm

 

(v) September 29: Qantas Wallabies v South Africa, Pretoria, 3pm

 

(vi) October 6: Qantas Wallabies v Argentina, Rosario, 8pm

 

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(vii) October 20: Qantas Wallabies v New Zealand, Brisbane, 8pm