Four changes for Qantas Wallabies
July 01, 2008 - 12:01pm
Story by: ARU
There are four changes to the Qantas Wallabies starting XV for the second Trophee des Bicentenaries Test against France in Brisbane on Saturday night.
Fullback Adam Ashley-Cooper, winger Lachlan Turner, No 8 Stephen Hoiles and flanker Phil Waugh have all been selected.
They take the places of Cameron Shepherd, Lote Tuqiri, Wycliff Palu and George Smith, from the line-up that started last Saturday night’s 34-13 win over France in the Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series Test in Sydney.
Tuqiri (knee) and Palu (neck soreness) have been ruled out as a result of the injuries they sustained at ANZ Stadium, while Shepherd and Smith drop to a place among the run on substitutes.
The Tuqiri injury has handed a Test debut to NSW Waratahs 21-year-old Lachlan Turner, just 15-months after he debuted for his state in the Investec Super 14 on March 17 last year.
By taking his place, Turner will become the 826th player to have donned the famous Wallaby jersey in Test matches; and the sixth to have debuted this year.
While Turner’s international career kicks off, Hoiles resumes at this level, after featuring in all 12 matches played by the Qantas Wallabies last season.
Saturday night will be the 16th Test of the 26-year-old’s career after he was first capped against Scotland at the end of 2004.
Recent weeks have seen Hoiles in strong form for Australia A in the Pacific Nations Cup, scoring four tries against Tonga two weeks ago, and a try against Fiji at Ballymore last Sunday.
Turner was also in try-scoring form in both matches, jetting in for two during Australia A’s 50-13 win against Fiji.
Qantas Wallabies coach Robbie Deans says the decision to sideline Tuqiri and Palu was a straight forward one even though both had been given time to recover from the injuries they sustained last weekend before the call was eventually made.
“Initially the outlook was fairly promising on both of them,” Deans says.
“But, in the end, we’ve decided that it’s not worth risking further aggravation of their current situations by playing them when they’re not quite right.”
Deans says both players were still feeling some discomfort, and would benefit from a few more days of recovery time.
“With Lote’s history, in terms of the knee injury he’s had previously, we felt it was best to let the joint settle right down, hence the reason for making the call to pull him out now, rather than delaying until later in the week,” Deans said.
“Even though the scans we’ve had done on Cliffy have been clear in terms of any structural damage, he too was still struggling a little bit.”
Deans says Turner is ready to take a maiden Test match bow after his recent work load for Australia A.
“Lachie has been playing well for Australia A and working hard off the field when he has trained with us. We see this as a good opportunity to get his Test career underway,” Deans said.
The two other personnel changes to the starting unit – the elevations of Ashley-Cooper to fullback and Waugh to the openside flank – reflect a desire to give both players further game time, after they performed well from the bench last weekend.
Ashley-Cooper won his 13th cap in the first Test after he replaced Tuqiri in the 31st minute. While more regularly known as a winger, the 24-year-old is equally capable operating from fullback.
This versatility is something that Deans is keen to develop, as it strengthens the overall balance of the Qantas Wallabies squad.
Waugh has provided impact coming off the bench in both of the Tests that the Qantas Wallabies have played so far this season. Last week, he played the second half after replacing the injured Palu.
This weekend provides his first start of the international campaign, with Smith coming off the bench.
“In both of these instances, the selection doesn’t reflect a dis-satisfaction at all with what Cameron [Shepherd] and George [Smith] have contributed,” Deans says.
“It is more a case of taking this opportunity to give two other players game time in our environment, as opposed to sending them elsewhere.”
While today’s selection means, fitness pending, that the Qantas Wallabies will have employed just 25 players through the first three matches of the Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series; Deans is continuing to provide other playing opportunities for squad members ahead of the upcoming Tri-Nations.
Three Wallaby squad members who have featured for Australia A – winger Digby Ioane, halfback Brett Sheehan and flanker Richard Brown – will return to that side, which has moved to Sydney, after completing their training commitments with the Wallabies today.
“The Australian A program has provided an excellent vehicle for us to give a broader group of players game time, while developing our overall depth,” Deans says.
“The match conditioning the players have gained will be invaluable for us going forward. The competition has also served to provide us with a good gauge as to how a wider group of our players are developing and the standard they are at.”
Deans will be in attendance at the Sydney Football Stadium on Sunday when Australia A plays the New Zealand Maori in a match that will determine the outcome of this year’s Pacific Nations Cup tournament.
Australia’s 30-man squad for the 2008 Tri-Nations tournament will be finalized after that match, and will be announced at the Australian Rugby Union headquarters in Sydney at 10am on Monday morning.
The Qantas Wallabies team to play France at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, on Saturday July 5 (8.05pm kick off), is:
15. Adam Ashley-Cooper (ACT Brumbies)
14. Peter Hynes (Queensland Reds)
13. Stirling Mortlock (ACT Brumbies) captain
12. Berrick Barnes (Queensland Reds)
11. Lachlan Turner* (NSW Waratahs)
10. Matt Giteau (Western Force)
9. Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs)
8. Stephen Hoiles (ACT Brumbies)
7. Phil Waugh (NSW Waratahs)
6. Rocky Elsom (NSW Waratahs)
5. Nathan Sharpe (Western Force)
4. James Horwill (Queensland Reds)
3. Al Baxter (NSW Waratahs)
2. Stephen Moore (Queensland Reds)
1. Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs)
Reserves:
16. Adam Freier (NSW Waratahs)
17. Ben Alexander (ACT Brumbies)
18. Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs)
19. George Smith (ACT Brumbies)
20. Sam Cordingley (Queensland Reds)
21. Ryan Cross (Western Force)
22. Cameron Shepherd (Western Force)
* denotes new cap
Australia v France in Brisbane – Historical Notes
Saturday night represents the 38th match between Australia and France, with the Wallabies having won 19, and lost 16, with two drawn.
Twelve of these wins have been gained in Australia.
In Brisbane, the Wallabies have won the last four, after the inaugural clash was won 16-15 by France at Ballymore in 1972.
Aside from Australia’s 48-30 win in 1990 which was, until last weekend, the Wallabies’ biggest winning margin against France in Australia; the other four matches between the two teams that have been played in Brisbane have all been determined by margins of seven points or less.
