THE Queensland Outback Barbarians have completed their first training run on US soil in Uptown Dallas, Texas, in wet and cold conditions.
Despite the previous day’s 15 hour flight the team looked fresh and ready to go after blowing out a few cobwebs as it went through it paces under the watchful eye of coach Mick Bishop.
“There’s certainly plenty of enthusiasm there,” Bishop said. “We’ve only had the one training run back at Ballymore but already there are good signs that some of the combinations are coming together very well.
“I was particularly impressed with the way the backs were flowing. The Barbas should be pretty potent on the edges going by the way they look.”
Cunnamulla Dingo Joe Dalton relished the wet going.
“It’s a bit different to home but its pretty good,” the halfback said. “We don’t get a lot of wet games at Cunnamulla so it should be great to get out and run about in this.”
The team trained on the same field on which the game against the Dallas Harlequins will be played on Monday evening US time (11am Tuesday Queensland time).
The run-on team is:
1.Cameron Knights. 2. Tom Hewitt. 3. Alaistair Costello. 4. Tim McClymont. 5. Jai Blakey. 6. Sam Schmidt. 7. John Moloney. 8. Tubby Heron. 9. Damon Hesp. 10. Andrew Kennedy. 11. Adam Conway. 12. Colby Mason. 13. Tom Butcher. 14. Dudley Miles. 15. David West.
Given the game’s unlimited interchange it is expected the majority of players will gain time on the field during Monday evening’s game.
The expected tough hit out against the Harlequins will also give the team invaluable preparation against New Orleans on May 26. New Orleans is the only team to have ever beat the Outback Barbarians twice.
- Queensland Country Life’s Mark Phelps is traveling with the Outback Barbarians.
