Deans changes four
10 Jun 2010
Australia coach Robbie Deans has made four changes for Saturday’s first Test against England.
James O’Connor, who played from the wood against Fiji and impressed in the Austalian Barbarians’ midweek draw with England, starts at fullback ahead of Kurtley Beale. Drew Mitchell returns in place of the injured Adam Ashley-Cooper on the left wing.
Benn Alexander’s injury-enforced absence has provided an opportunity for the inexperienced Ben Daley to start at loosehead prop, while Salesi Ma’afu runs on at tighthead with Saia Faingaa at hooker.
Meanwhile, there was no place in the England starting 15 for Jonny Wilkinson. The Toulon flyhalf will cover Toby Flood who has debutant Shontayne Hape on his outside.
Australia - 15. James O’Connor, 14. Digby Ioane, 13. Rob Horne, 12. Matt Giteau, 11. Drew Mitchell, 10. Quade Cooper, 9. Luke Burgess, 8. Richard Brown, 7. David Pocock, 6. Rocky Elsom (captain), 5. Nathan Sharpe, 4. Dean Mumm, 3. Salesi Ma’afu, 2. Saia Faingaa, 1. Ben Daley
Subs: 16. Huia Edmonds, 17. James Slipper, 18. Mark Chisholm, 19. Matt Hodgson, 20. Will Genia, 21. Berrick Barnes, 22. Kurtley Beale
England – 15 Ben Foden, 14 Mark Cueto, 13 Mike Tindall, 12 Shontayne Hape, 11 Chris Ashton, 10 Toby Flood, 9 Danny Care, 8 Nick Easter, 7 Lewis Moody (c), 6 Tom Croft, 5 Tom Palmer, 4 Simon Shaw, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Steve Thompson, 1 Tim Payne.
Subs: 16 George Chuter, 17 David Wilson, 18 Courtney Lawes, 19 James Haskell, 20 Ben Youngs, 21 Jonny Wilkinson, 22 Mathew Tait
48 Comments
10 Jun 2010, 09:44 am
Simon Shaw, now there’s one for the future!
Better Aussie side. O’Connor should have always been there, Mitchell too. When Ashley-Cooper is back he should come in for Horne at 13. Genia will make a difference when fit.
That said, that front 5 is hardly intimidating.
10 Jun 2010, 09:44 am
Shows the value of having an “A” side – players like O’Connor, Hodgson and Slipper were selected after good performances in the Barbarians game on Tuesday.
The Aussies have major problems in the front row. They are playing their third and fourth choice hookers, and maybe 4th and 5th choice props. They should get destroyed in the scrums, but their backrow will have too much for the English.
How many players have England brought over for this tour? It must be somewhere close to 30-35.
10 Jun 2010, 10:05 am
With the front row injuries Aus have and Genia out that does not look like such a strong team.
Poms can def win this game.
10 Jun 2010, 10:07 am
@Sonito(Sonito)-3:
See Genia is on the bench, wont be surprised if he actually starts.
10 Jun 2010, 10:10 am
Will the likes of Robinson, Moore, Polota-Nau and Alexander be available for the Tri-Nations?
10 Jun 2010, 10:13 am
Aus will be trying desperately to get their backs running at those Eng forwards. Except for Croft not much pace in that Eng pack.
10 Jun 2010, 10:19 am
@puff(puff)-5: Alexander is out for 3 months, Polota-Nau should be back as should Moore (broken cheek bone) and Robinson will be handled conservatively one would think, based on him fracturing his arm in the same place twice in a row.
10 Jun 2010, 10:27 am
@WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-2:
Its in the 40′s
42 or 44 i think
Thats what i read somewhere.. maybe im wrong
10 Jun 2010, 10:31 am
@Rhys7(Rhys7)-8: Wow – for a three test tour and three mid-week games?! That is a bit rough!
10 Jun 2010, 10:58 am
Yoh, that backline of the Aussies is awesome. To be able to leave out Andrew Walker lookalike, Kurtly Beale, and Berrick Barnes, and be better off… crikey, these lads will be awesome come NZ2011…
10 Jun 2010, 11:07 am
Two really average sides… going to be a cracker. Whoohooo! Can’t wait…. zzzzz.
10 Jun 2010, 11:27 am
Whose gonna be more dominant? The North or the South.
Go Australia, for now…
10 Jun 2010, 11:42 am
@mozez22(mozez22)-10:
aussies always have a strong backline. if i was an aussie fan i’d worry about their lack of experience and tactical nous. they’re gonna need to employ an extremely risky – high tempo game in the 3n and hope like heck it does not backfire. and of course to run with the ball they’re gonna need forwards capable of winning the ball first.
the reds were electric in S14 at times, and tahs squeaked into semi’s but i think we’re being too quick to talk these guys up. i predict they’ll finish last in the 3n again this year. but they’ll probably score some of the best tries in doing so.
10 Jun 2010, 11:58 am
when deans decides to unleash the genia, quade combo along with gits, the field could light up. i agree with above comment that with a fit ashley cooper they should get him into the 13 jumper. he is the perfect replacement for mortlock.
looking at the aussie front row crisis another way. they have the opportunity to develop some depth ahead of next year. getting these young guns a taste of 3N and test footy is only doing aussie rugby good.
sure they could struggle in the tight against england and then possibly the 3N, but they will be better for it in 12 months time.
thought it ruff to drop beale so quickly, but then again inspiring stuff to reward o’connor with a call up.
deans is prepping something special with his wallabies. he has good 2nd row options, and a buzzing loose trio even without recently retired legend in smith. if nz lost mccaw they would be in deep trouble.
looking forward to 3N. its going to be huge!
10 Jun 2010, 12:04 pm
@Tomsta(Tomsta)-14: Yes, Deans is grooming depth and the injury woes has enforced the youngsters to step up to the plate.
The guys have played S14 and surprised many, including a lot of Aussies. So why not batter them a little more! Yep they’re going to get pushed about and from that they will learn. It is a far better scenario than going with the old war horses.
10 Jun 2010, 12:31 pm
The team to rule the 3N this year!
10 Jun 2010, 12:32 pm
O’Connor oozes talent. Doc Craven would have called him a natural “footballer”.
10 Jun 2010, 12:50 pm
While the Australian seem to have more option than last yr,they could be weaker side come 3N
-Their front row is below par.Ma’afu/Fa’ianga/Daley will struggle against any of Fra/SA/NZ/Eng/Ita
-The second row while mobile,lacks grunt with the loss of Horwill HUGE.contact points they will struggle
-backrow: In Elsom & Pocock they have 2 class players.But 8 at they have been in trouble for a while.Palu out injured even whorse.Brown was terrible in his debut season last yr in tests.Hoiles while skillful is a lightweight-more a supersub
-Halfbacks: the most exciting pair in world rugby in Genia/Cooper.But Cooper decisionmaking is erratic and it showed in latter stages of S14,defensively he is a turnstile as well
Centres: in Giteau/Horne they have the smallest centres in world rugby.Its also a btand new pair and injury-prone especially Horne.He will not last entire test season.And in Ioane/AAC have plenty potential but not specialists 13′s
Back3- Strongest suit of OZ.Iaone/Mitchell possibly the form wingers in SH,good belnd of power,speed,skill.Still lack out & out speed.Beale is not test standard period-DONT RATE HIM.O’Connor while talented-still has a long way to go.Magic going forward though.AAC-solid 15
Bench-a bit thin at 1/3/4/9
With Polotu-Nau/Moore/Robinson returning at some point they’ll get better but wont be up to match fitness/firng.
Wallabies operating on many IF’s…
10 Jun 2010, 12:58 pm
@hier kom groot k: #17 i agree he made wynand olivier look like a moegoe in the force/bulls game…now that is talent…
10 Jun 2010, 13:29 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-19: Made the English B team on Tuesday evening look pretty lack lustre too. The teenager scored 25 of the Aussie Barbarians points.
Final score Aussie Barbarians 28 – England 28
10 Jun 2010, 13:32 pm
and wynand made de jongh look like a moegoe … so lets hope we don’t play de jongh vs Australia
10 Jun 2010, 13:37 pm
@quotas_sux(quota_conrad_jantjies_is_jorrie_muller)-21: Depends what you expect from your centres. If you want attack then you go with de jongh, he is superb. If you want defense then you go with wynand. Neither is the complete package, so horses for courses.
10 Jun 2010, 13:38 pm
To many ballet stepping little players in the Aus backline
Lacks hard direct, strike runners
To pretty and unbalanced
We shall exploit
10 Jun 2010, 13:39 pm
@quotas_sux: #21 only you & your moegoe friends saw that coz de jongh left the field after 10min or so…
o’connor, stanley & anthony faingaa all of them made a turnstile of wynand!
10 Jun 2010, 13:42 pm
i’d also leave the field if i had to run into a brick wall everytime …
10 Jun 2010, 13:55 pm
have to agree with the comments posted. Front row worries me, good for long term but against the POMS, not so good. 23. is right, a lot of ballet steppers, more of a problem in defence than attack though, This an area that the big POM forwards will target for sure, It will be an interesting battle
10 Jun 2010, 13:55 pm
I still
when I saw Rene Ranger gunning down on meisikind! Overrated good for nothing maggot….Juan in his first test did more than meisikind in his 35 test…to score a try
10 Jun 2010, 13:58 pm
if its about how many tries you score ..then surely KING SHADOW!!! should be picked before Aplon .. so its a k@k argument
10 Jun 2010, 14:01 pm
King Shadow is injured! Or is he?
10 Jun 2010, 14:02 pm
The point is meisikind is an a below average Test player..or can i call him a Test quota?
love the sound of it …test quota
10 Jun 2010, 14:02 pm
on 1 leg he is still faster than Ndugane
10 Jun 2010, 14:05 pm
At least Ndugane wasnt caught by Higginbotham..
10 Jun 2010, 14:08 pm
@quotas_sux: #28 hurdles leaks profusely on defence, not sure who is worse between him & mullet rat dippenaar!
o’connor looks @ wynand & sees a turnstile…
i liked ben foden in that last england/french six nations test still want to see more of him…is toby flood really the top english flyhalf?
10 Jun 2010, 14:08 pm
no, the prop got to him first
10 Jun 2010, 14:12 pm
@heita(heita)-23:
Yeah, not many strong ball carriers in their whole team.
10 Jun 2010, 14:14 pm
@WOLFMAN21(WOLFMAN21)-2: 44, with a 45th, Dowson, called up when Fourie was injured. It’s effectively a 6 match tour.
@RugbyRulz(RugbyRulz)-20: yeah, but that was the Aussie B team who were at home!
@Transformation(Transformation)-33: Wilko is the top flyhalf but Flood was good against France when Wilko was injured so keeps his place
10 Jun 2010, 14:18 pm
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-36:
U confident England can win this one?
10 Jun 2010, 14:19 pm
@Big Hit(Big Hit)-36: Yes the Aussie ‘B’arbarians v the English B team.
It was a good hit-out for both teams and the result was indicative of the match. For the Aussies O’Connor shone and for the English Attwood faired well
10 Jun 2010, 17:18 pm
U guys are jokers. England have got some brilliant young players but Martin johnson doesnt pick them.
England have got better talent than australia and South africa just look at the under 20 teams England always produce quality players.
BEN YOUNGS FOR ME WILL BE THE BEST SCRUM HALF IN THE WORLD HES A BETTER PLAYER THAN WILL GENIA AND DU PREZZ. HE has got unbelievable pace hes very fast 100 metre runner. Wonderful passer, makes alot of breaks in small spaces and is a very good tactical kicker as well as a good defender and hes only 20.
BEN FODEN THE NEW JASON ROBINSON VERY EXCITING FULL BACK BEEN RIPPING DEFENDERS TO SHREDS JONO HAS FINALLY PICKED HIM AND HE PLAYED WELL AGAINST FRANCE.
DAN COLE YOUNG TIGHT HEAD WHOS IS LOOKING BETTER AND BETTER. vERY GOOD SCRUMAGER AND BALL CARRIER.
DAVE ATTWOOD FOR ME HES AN EXCELLENT YOUNG LOCK GOT A BIT OF THE MARTN JOHNSON ABOUT HIM, PHYSICAL BUT HAS GREAT SOFT HANDS AND AS A KNACK OF SCORING TRIES.
TOM CROFT BEEN INJURED ALOT THIS SEASON BUT HAS COME BACK NOW AND IS GETTING BACK TO HIS BEST.
DOMINIC WALDOUCK FOR ME SHOULD BE STARTING FOR ENGLAND. ENGLAND DONT HAVE MANY GOOD CENTRES AND FOR ME HES THE BEST IN THE GUINESS PREMIERSHIP HES 21,22 BUT HES GOT GREAT PACE, MAKES ALOT OF BREAKS, GOOD DEFENDER AND GREAT AT DRAWING DEFENDERS. HES LIKE BRIAN O DRISCOLL VERY SIMILAR.
JAMES HASKELL ITS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE HE STARTS DESTRYOING TEAMS WITH HIS SHEER PACE AND POWER. THE MANS A BEAST DOES BOXING, KUNG FU, KARATE, WRESTLING, TAE KWONDO MANS A FREAK.
CHRIS ASHTON REALLY IMPRESSIVE WINGER SCORED A BILLION TRIES, GREAT SUPPORT RUNNER, HAS THE BEST STEP CAN BEAT ANYONE ONE ON ONE AND RUNS AT GREAT ANGLES. WORKS BRILLIANTLY WITH BEN FODEN
COME ON ENGLAND!
10 Jun 2010, 17:21 pm
i wonder how BH would feel if he had england saddled with plod at 3 !
10 Jun 2010, 17:23 pm
i also have england to win this test….
10 Jun 2010, 17:32 pm
People go on about Will Genia. Just watch Ben youngs hes unbelievable.
Courtney Lawes destroyed Australia and the boks under 20s last year. The kid is a monster and will is a destructive ball carier.
Hes another young exciting player England have got Jono just has to start blooding them.
It doesnt make sense when he puts young players like Alex goode whos been a revelation into the saxons and Andy saull an openside flanker with blistering pace in the saxons as well.
PHIL DOWSON THE BEST ENGLISH FLANKER WASNT EVEN PICKED BY MARTIN JOHNSON AND ONLY CAUSE HENDER HOURIE GOT INJURED HES BEEN CALLED UP. HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CALLED UP IN THE FIRST PLACE.
WHAT GAMES DO THESE ENGLAND SELECTORS WATCH. DOWSON IS AN INTERNATIONAL FLANKER WHO CAN PLAY 6, 7 AND 8 and hes a leader.
Until England sort out thier selection process we cant move foward
10 Jun 2010, 17:47 pm
@john123(john123)-42:
Pick who you want ……we will crush you like ants !!!!
10 Jun 2010, 17:51 pm
Going to be a great game this one
10 Jun 2010, 17:55 pm
JUSTRUGY watch out we are big ants it takes alot more than Quade cooper and the other pansies u have in ur back line to crush us.
I expect England to batter Australia up front with a 4,5th choice front row and kill the aussies out wide with foden and ashton
10 Jun 2010, 18:00 pm
@john123(john123)-45:
LOL…..no mate I am a SAFFA , by all means go out and give the Aussies a hiding !!
Although my brain says Aussies by 9 !!!
10 Jun 2010, 18:06 pm
I personally think France and England can compete with South africa, New zealand and Australia.
Englands problem has been selection and tactics. We have hated the fact players werent getting picked on form and the coaches we have in john wells and mike ford are far too negative and have had problems with our attack coach Brian Smith.
France problem has been thier half backs they have sorted that out and now look the real deal especially with their pack.
England are getting there in terms of selection but there are still more players that should be in this squad
11 Jun 2010, 08:50 am
@john123(john123)-47:
I have to agree with you that England are not picking there talented youngsters.
I mean Tindell, Easter etc… WTF????
Easter must honestly be one of the worst 8th men playing international rugby.
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