Beale back for Wallabies
19 Oct 2011
Kurtley Beale has recovered from injury and will start against Wales in Friday’s third-place play-off.
Beale’s return at fullback sees Adam Ashley-Cooper shifting back to outside centre. Coach Robbie Deans has also brought Berrick Barnes into the midfield to replace the injured Pat McCabe.
Other changes see Ben McCalman starting at No 8, Scott Higginbotham at blindside flank and Nathan Sharpe in the second row. Deans has also opted for an entirely new front row in James Slipper, Tatafu Polota-Nau and Salesi Ma’afu.
Australia - 15. Kurtley Beale, 14. James O’Connor, 13. Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12. Berrick Barnes, 11. Digby Ioane, 10. Quade Cooper, 9. Will Genia, 8. Ben McCalman, 7. David Pocock, 6. Scott Higginbotham, 5. Nathan Sharpe, 4. James Horwill (c), 3. Salesi Ma’afu, 2. Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1. James Slipper,
Subs: 16. Saia Faingaa, 17. Ben Alexander, 18. Rob Simmons, 19. Radike Samo, 20. Luke Burgess, 21. Anthony Faingaa, 22 Rob Horne.
7 Comments
19 Oct 2011, 03:23 am
Mmm I think the Dragon deans picked his best team a week late…
19 Oct 2011, 06:40 am
@Slartibartfast(Slartibartfast)-1:
Deans’ biggest mistake was not maintaining his 5/2 split with 3 locks and 5 loose-forwards…
19 Oct 2011, 06:44 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-2:
Well that and not bringing on Barnes sooner for Cooper…
19 Oct 2011, 07:32 am
@bryce_in_oz(bryce_in_oz)-3:
How about having useless forwards?
If Australia could hold their own in set-pieces, and have reliable ball-carriers & support runners in the forwards, they may have found a way of getting out of their own half.
Instead they spent 160 minutes of rugby playing with only 25% territory, with barely any of it in the opposition 22.
19 Oct 2011, 07:42 am
hope they lose.
19 Oct 2011, 07:43 am
Strong team. They should do the business against the Welsh Dragons!
19 Oct 2011, 22:24 pm
Should be a good game
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