Qantas Wallabies named for Bledisloe Cup opener

Matt Giteau and Berrick Barnes will combine in the Australian backline for the first time this year after being named alongside of each other today in the Qantas Wallabies side that will confront the All Blacks in Melbourne.

Giteau moves in one backline position to flyhalf, after starting from inside centre in his previous four Tests this year, while Barnes gains his second start of the season after appearing at inside centre during the 27-17 win over England in Perth last month.

The pair first operated together in this formation for the Wallabies in Robbie Deans’ first Test as Australian coach against Ireland at Melbourne in 2008. They have been re-united for this weekend’s Bledisloe Cup opener after suspension sidelined flyhalf Quade Cooper.

Only Stephen Larkham (87) and Michael Lynagh (64) have appeared mores times as a flyhalf for Australia than has Giteau, who has played 39 of his 82 Tests in the position.

Barnes has played 17 of his previous 23 Tests as an inside centre, replacing Giteau in that position for the final eight minutes of last Saturday’s Bundaberg Red Tri Nations opener in Brisbane.

As a pairing, with Giteau operating from flyhalf and Barnes inside centre; the combination has been aligned in the starting XV for 15 of Australia’s last 33 Tests dating back to the start of the 2008 season.

Saturday night will be the first time that they have been combined since the final game of last year’s Bundaberg Red Tri Nations Series against the All Blacks in Wellington.

The inclusion of Barnes is one of two alterations to the run on XV from that which started in the 30-13 against South Africa in Brisbane last Saturday night.

The other sees the experienced Brumbies hooker Stephen Moore take over from Saia Faingaa up front.

Moore made his return from a broken jaw via the bench last weekend in Brisbane, getting through 25 minutes of play as he racked up his 47th Test appearance.

It is not all bad news for the Faingaa family on the selection front, with Saia included among the run on reserves as is his twin brother Anthony, who has been named in a Wallabies match night squad for the first time.

Anthony earlier appeared for the Australian Barbarians in both of their Tour matches against England.

Should the Faingaa’s take the field, they will become the 40th set of brothers to have appeared for Australia in Test matches.

An additional change to the bench from last weekend’s 30-13 win over South Africa allows loose forward Matt Hodgson to return, after he was a late withdrawal from the Brisbane Test due to a groin strain.

Hodgson has been included in the place of the man who replaced him at Suncorp Stadium, Ben McCalman.

The night will be a special one for lock Nathan Sharpe as he ties the Australian record held by former skipper John Eales for the most caps earned by a Wallabies second rower.

Sharpe, who made his debut against France in Melbourne eight years ago, will be lining up in his 84th Test.



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The Qantas Wallabies team to play New Zealand in the Bundaberg Red Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup Test at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne on Saturday 31 July, 8.05pm kick off (AEST), is:

1. Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs)
2. Stephen Moore (Brumbies)
3. Salesi Ma’afu (Brumbies)
4. Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs)
5. Nathan Sharpe (Western Force)
6. Rocky Elsom (Brumbies, captain)
7. David Pocock (Western Force)
8. Richard Brown (Western Force)

9. Will Genia (Queensland Reds)
10. Matt Giteau (Brumbies)
11. Drew Mitchell (NSW Waratahs)
12. Berrick Barnes (NSW Waratahs)
13. Rob Horne (NSW Waratahs)
14. James O’Connor (Western Force)
15. Adam Ashley Cooper (Brumbies)


Run on reserves:
16. Saia Faingaa (Queensland Reds)
17. James Slipper (Queensland Reds)
18. Rob Simmons (Queensland Reds)
19. Matt Hodgson (Western Force)
20. Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs)
21. Anthony Faingaa (Queensland Reds)
22. Kurtley Beale (NSW Waratahs)


Australia v New Zealand – Historical Notes

• This is the 161st match of a trans-Tasman rivalry between teams representing Australia and New Zealand that dates back to 1903 when New Zealand won the inaugural meeting 22-3 in Sydney. These figures include 39 matches played between 1920 and 1928 when NSW represented Australia in matches that were granted official Test status by the Australian Rugby Union.
• Of the 160 games played between the two nations, New Zealand has won 110 and Australia 45, with five draws – the most recent of which occurred 20 years ago, 19-19 in 1988.
• This is the 87th match to be played between the teams on Australian soil. Australia has 27 of the previous contests and New Zealand 55, with four others being drawn.
• Australia and New Zealand have played three previous Bledisloe Cup and Tri Nations Tests in Melbourne, with all three played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The All Blacks won 33-18 in 1997, before Australia prevailed 24-16 a year later, and 20-15 on the most recent meeting in the city in 2007. Current Qantas Wallabies fullback Adam Ashley-Cooper scored the second Test try of his career in that match.
• The Bledisloe Cup was donated by the then Governor General of New Zealand, Lord Bledisloe, for competition between the two countries in 1931.
• Saturday night will be the 118th game in the Bledisloe Cup Series. The 100th was played in Auckland in 2003 when an All Black side co-coached by the current Qantas Wallabies mentor Robbie Deans beat Australia 21-17 to return the trophy to New Zealand hands for the first time in six years.
• Australia won the trophy for the first time in 1934, beating New Zealand 25-11 in Sydney.
• Saturday night will be the ninth Test played by Australia at the venue now known as Etihad Stadium since the indoor facility opened in 2000. The Wallabies have won eight of the previous matches, with the sole defeat coming against England in 2003.
• Australia beat Ireland 18-12 at the ground two years ago in what was the team’s first Test under coach Robbie Deans.
• What is now known as Etihad Stadium is the third venue that has been used to host Test matches in Melbourne, following on from Olympic Park and the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
• Matt Giteau needs just one conversion to set a new record for the most by any player against New Zealand. He currently has 16, tied with South African Percy Montgomery. Giteau has kicked the last 14 of his conversions against the All Blacks in succession. Giteau last year became just the fourth player in history (& the third Australian) to surpass a century of points against New Zealand.
• The Australian starting combination named today contains just eight players from the run on XV during Australia’s most recent game against New Zealand in Tokyo last year. These are Adam Ashley-Cooper, James O’Connor, Matt Giteau, Will Genia, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom, Stephen Moore and Benn Robinson.
• Two members of the starting XV: centre Rob Horne and prop Salesi Ma’afu, are facing the All Blacks for the first time. Six of the seven players named among the run on reserves are also on debut in Bledisloe Cup Tests, with reserve halfback Luke Burgess the only substitute named who has previous experience playing New Zealand.