Michael Cheika has made 14 changes to the Australia team that beat Uruguay for their game against England at Twickenham on Saturday.
He has recalled of his big guns, including in the back row where the David Pocock/Michael Hooper combination runs out again. Will Genia and Bernard Foley are given the nod at half-back; Matt Giteau and Tevita Kuridrani will be the ones tasked with picking apart England’s much-maligned centre partnership.
Scott Sio is the only man to start the third Wallaby game in a row, at loosehead prop. Kane Douglas is preferred to the in-form Dean Mumm in the engine room, partnering Rob Simmons.
Cheika will name his bench later on Thursday, after the Wallabies complete their training for the day.
AUSTRALIA TEAM TO PLAY ENGLAND
15 Israel Folau, 14 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Rob Horne, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Will Genia, 8 David Pocock, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Scott Fardy, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Kane Douglas, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Stephen Moore (c), 1 Scott Sio.
Replacements: 16 tbc.
Date: Saturday, October 3
Venue: Twickenham
Kick-off: 20:00 local (19:00 GMT)
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Two fetchers and a 12 that can distribute; it’s like they’re rubbing our deficiencies in our face…
Self inflicted to some extent Jacob. SL has had plenty of time to develop an openside and distributing centre. He has the latter in the squad but refuses to select him, even from the bench. afew more caps for Kvesic, instead of Haskell, with CR at 6, might have at least provided an option or alternative.
Think it is an awful situation but not one I can bring myself to blame on SL (even though I have turned on him slowly dating back tot he Hartley situation).
Kvesic looks bang average at Prem level, and just because his style is that of a fetcher it doesn’t make him a better 7 than Robshaw. There aren’t any genuine options. Fraser may have been, but injuries are wrecking his career. Clarke maybe, but we all know the issues he has had over the past few years.
Develop a distributing centre? Who? Slade? Would love to see Slade at 12 definitely. But to play him there, JJ can’t play at 13. We just wouldn’t get over the gainline enough. Much like Australia use Kurindrani outside Giteau, we’d need a similar blend. Then who do you go for? With the emergence of JJ, it made picking Slade next to impossible.
Slade and Tuilagi in the future does sound like something I’d enjoy watching though.
eeek
With the Aus scrum much improved I think England will have to play out of their skins to beat this team.
Much improved against other SH sides. Let’s see how they go against a NH pack.
They also lost a few scrum to the Fijians if I remember correctly, I know we did as well but we were much improved against Wales.
So I still reckon we may just do a number on them come scrum time.
I like your optimism. Finger’s crossed Poite reads the scrum in England’s favour.
But sadly note how the Fijian scrum routed Wales, so Wales may not be a good benchmark for us up front. Please Rowntree earn your money on this one.
The key name here may actually be Romain Poite.
I expect the first line on the team talk notes to read ‘must dominate first scrum’
I think we can forget about getting anything other than parity upfront,if we are lucky.
Our pack has done nothing to show me otherwise .Australia by 10
England has 2 chances – slim and none
I was right, wasn’t I