Ben Alexander
Prop
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Profile
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Height:
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189cm
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Weight:
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117kg
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Date Of Birth:
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13/11/1984
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Rugby Career
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Senior Club:
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ACT Brumbies
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Stats
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Test Rugby Caps:
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36 (Wallabies Cap # 825)
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Test Rugby Points:
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10 (2t)
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Test Rugby Debut:
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2008 v France, Sydney
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A surprise selection for Australia in 2008 when he was not even a regular in Super Rugby, BEN ALEXANDER overcame a knee ligament injury to score his first Test try against Wales on the 2010 Spring Tour, after being forced to miss the domestic Test season while he rehabilitated. He then added a second during last year’s Tri Nations opener against South Africa in Sydney, helping to anchor an improving Australian scrum during the tournament. Such has been the level of Alexander’s growth as a Test performer, he heads into 2012 having missed just one of Australia’s last 18 Tests. This after the knee injury slowed the 27-year-old’s rise, after Alexander had rocketed to prominence the year before, ending 2009 as an established member of the starting side – at tighthead prop.
Alexander has figured almost exclusively as a loosehead in Super Rugby, and has been a prominent try-scorer in his state career. In 2010, he scored seven to finish as the Brumbies leading source of tries for the year. After making his Test debut against France in Sydney in 2008, Alexander was switched to the tight-head side of the scrum by the national team a year later, taking over on a regular basis from Al Baxter – Australia’s most capped front ranker – during the back half of the 2009 Tri Nations. Although still learning his trade as a tighthead, Alexander’s greater mobility and ability with ball in hand gave him the edge in securing the position and he cemented his place by excelling against the European sides on that year’s Spring Tour. Alexander finished 2009 as one of just four players – Adam Ashley-Cooper, James Horwill and George Smith were the others – to feature in all 14 games played by the Wallabies.
In 2010, Alexander’s mobility around the field and prowess with the ball in hand was highlighted when he scored two tries for the Brumbies in matches on three separate occasions. Alexander found himself playing Test rugby less than six months after he had debuted for the Brumbies in Super Rugby.
The Sydney-born front-rower joined the Brumbies Academy in 2008 and was first introduced to Super Rugby that year against the Queensland Reds. He finished his maiden campaign with six caps, and a try to his name. This was followed by Wallaby selection; and two Test appearances off the bench during the two-nil series win over France in June and early July, followed by starts against Italy and France, and an appearance off the bench during the win over the Barbarians, on the Spring Tour.
Alexander first showed his promise as an Australian age-grade representative, developing further during stints with the Western Sydney Rams in the 2007 Australian Rugby Championships, and with the Bedford Blues in England’s National Division One competition.
FAST FACT
The meteoric nature of Ben Alexander’s rise to Test rugby was highlighted by the fact that when he started in Australia’s Test win over Italy at Padova in November 2008: it was the first ‘starting role’ in either Super or Test rugby of his fledgling professional career.