Three changes to Wallabies to face the Boks

Sep 2 • General News, International, Springboks, The Rugby Championship • 1977 Views • Comments Off on Three changes to Wallabies to face the Boks

Australia head coach Ewen McKenzie has named Bernard Foley to start in the Castle Lager Rugby Championship against South Africa’s Springboks as one of three changes to the side that lost to New Zealand’s All Blacks.
McKenzie dropped Kurtley Beale and Nic White to the replacements bench and promoted Waratahs duo scrumhalf Nick Phipps and flyhalf Bernard Foley.

The third personnel change to the starting side that lost to the All Blacks is the promotion of hooker James Hanson.

The retirement of Pat McCabe has resulted in a further reshuffle of the backline with vice-captain Adam Ashley Cooper shifting back to the wing and Tevita Kuridrani getting a call-up at outside centre.

McKenzie has opted for a forward-heavy 6-2 split on the bench with lock James Horwill returning to the matchday line-up, and Western Force captain Matt Hodgson and Queensland Reds hooker Saia Fainga’a getting their first opportunities for Australia in 2014.

The Australian team is:

Israel Folau; Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Toomua, Rob Horne; Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps; Wycliff Palu, Michael Hooper (capt), Scott Fardy; Rob Simmons, Sam Carter; Sekope Kepu, James Hanson, James Slipper. Replacements: Saia Fainga’a, Pek Cowan, Ben Alexander, James Horwill, Scott Higginbotham, Matt Hodgson, Nic White, Kurtley Beale

Courtesy of a SARU