Qantas Wallabies announce dates for 2014 Spring Tour

Wed, Apr 16, 2014, 2:00 AM
AAP
by AAP

Australian Rugby Union today announced the dates for the Qantas Wallabies 2014 Spring Tour, with fixtures against Six Nations Champions Ireland and next year’s Rugby World Cup hosts England once again on the itinerary.

The tour will also include matches against the Barbarians (for the first time since 2011), Wales at the cauldron that is the Millennium Stadium as well as France in Paris.

Head Coach Ewen McKenzie will be looking for the trip to be as successful as last year’s Spring Tour. After narrowly losing to England at Twickenham, Australia embarked on a four-match winning run making it the most successful Spring Tour since 2008.

On the 2013 Spring Tour, the Qantas Wallabies defeated Italy in Turin (50-20), Ireland in Dublin (32-15), Scotland at Murrayfield (21-15) and most memorably Wales in Cardiff (30-26).

Fixtures for the 2014 Spring Tour:

Saturday, 1 November: Barbarians v Qantas Wallabies, Twickenham, London

Saturday, 8 November: Wales v Qantas Wallabies, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

Saturday, 15 November: France v Qantas Wallabies, Stade de France, Paris

Saturday, 22 November: Ireland v Qantas Wallabies, Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Saturday, 29 November: England v Qantas Wallabies, Twickenham, London

*All kick off times TBC

Qantas Wallabies Head Coach Ewen McKenzie is anticipating some hotly-contested battles during the Spring Tour.

“The Spring Tour last year was the most successful in five years for the Qantas Wallabies and we’ll be looking to improve on that come November.

“With the Rugby World Cup just a year away in England, we have scheduled five games against five teams that will bring a different style to each.

“We’ve got England and Wales in our pool for the Rugby World Cup and big improvers in France and Ireland, who just won the Six Nations. That will be a good challenge for us.

“We’ll also get a chance to play two games at Twickenham – the venue where two of our pool games will take place – as part of a tour that should help further our preparations ahead of the World Cup.”

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