Wallabies announce side to challenge Springboks
The Wallabies have made only one change to their starting XV for Saturday’s Tri-Nations match against the Springboks in Pretoria from what appeared against New Zealand earlier this month.
Quade Cooper, who has missed the last two matches due to suspension, returns to the flyhalf position. He replaces Anthony Faingaa in the run on combination, with Matt Giteau moving out to inside centre.
Faingaa has been included among the run on reserves.
The 22-year-old Cooper’s most recent appearance came during last month’s 30-13 win over South Africa at Brisbane which opened the three-game Mandela Trophy series.
Australia last held the trophy in 2008, the year it last won a Test in South Africa.
Skipper Rocky Elsom, prop Benn Robinson, Giteau and winger Drew Mitchell are the sole starting line-up survivors from the 27-15 win in Durban two years ago, although both Giteau and Mitchell will on the weekend appear in different positions.
Australia has won just twice previously at high veldt venues – in 1933 at Bloemfontein and 1963 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The Wallabies have been beaten on all four previous visits to Loftus Versfeld in 1963, 1997, 2001 and 2005.
The team is:
15. Kurtley Beale
14. James O’Connor
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
12. Matt Giteau
11. Drew Mitchell
10. Quade Cooper
9. Will Genia
8. Richard Brown
7. David Pocock
6. Rocky Elsom (captain)
5. Nathan Sharpe
4. Dean Mumm
3. Salesi Ma’afu
2. Saia Faingaa
1. Benn Robinson
Run on reserves:
16. Stephen Moore
17. James Slipper
18. Ben McCalman
19. Scott Higginbotham
20. Luke Burgess
21. Berrick Barnes
22. Anthony Faingaa
[Story from Eyewitness News]
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