Drug testing steps up on Wallabies

Snap drug testing of Australian test rugby players has increased since Wendell Sailor returned a positive result that is now the subject of a career-threatening hearing at a secret location in Sydney.

The Daily Telegraph reported yesterday that a three-man anti-doping tribunal chaired by John Gleeson QC has opened proceedings into a case that has Sailor facing a two-year ban.

But as the spotlight falls on the veteran wing, it has been revealed the Wallabies have twice been tested out of competition by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) in the nine weeks since Sailor had traces of cocaine found in a random sample, the Foxsports website reported today.

A three-man squad of drug testers zeroed in on a test-week training session in Brisbane on July 11, when backs Matt Giteau and Mat Rogers were among four Wallabies selected for testing ahead of their match against South Africa.

ASADA has also visited the national squad at their Coffs Harbour training camp.

One Wallabies insider said testing had been "stepped up a little" since Sailor was stood down from all levels of the game after being informed of his positive sample on May 12.

An Australian Rugby Union spokesman claimed the tests were in line with ASADA notification that provincial and test players would be subjected to 118 out-of-competition tests and 72 match-day tests in 2006.

The ARU, bound by confidentiality regulations, was not as forthcoming with details surrounding the Sailor issue.

Sailor, 32, would not be drawn on whether he was involved in a hearing.

He tested positive after a Super 14 match for New South Wales against the Brumbies on Easter Sunday.

As the ARU awaits the tribunal finding, Wallabies coach John Connolly is preparing to fly to Melbourne this weekend to watch prop Rodney Blake trial for a place in the test side to face New Zealand in Brisbane on Saturday week.

Blake was yesterday named in the Australia A side to play Fiji at Olympic Park on Saturday night with Connolly saying the 130kg Queenslander is in contention to take on New Zealand.

Blake has been sidelined with a foot injury, missing the past three tests, since debuting in the two-game series against England last month.

- NZPA