Wallabies Named to Play Cardiff Blues
Australia Under-20 and Brumbies flyhalf Matt Toomua will make his senior debut for his country after being named today in the Qantas Wallabies side to tackle the Cardiff Blues tomorrow night.
The selection of Toomua, 19, is one of three personnel changes to the starting line-up from the Australian side which won its opening midweek match of the tour at Gloucester.
The others see Pekahou Cowan included to start at loosehead prop, in the place of Salesi Ma’afu, after coming off the bench as a hooker against Gloucester.
Ma’afu is relegated to the bench, after featuring on the tighthead side of the scrum at Gloucester, with Sekope Kepu switching from loosehead to tighthead to accommodate the inclusion of Cowan.
James O’Connor also starts at fullback with Kurtley Beale, who filled that role against Gloucester, switching to wing in the place of Drew Mitchell.
O’Connor is one of seven players in the starting XV who back up from last weekend’s Test match in Edinburgh, although centre Ryan Cross is the only player who starts at Cardiff who also featured in the run on list for the Test match.
Kepu, Hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau, No 8 Richard Brown, halfback Luke Burgess and lock Dean Mumm are the other starters playing their second match in four days.
Mumm again leads the midweek side, after making a successful fist of his first time in charge when Australia over-powered English Premiership side Gloucester 36-5 at Kingsholm earlier in the month.
Bench inclusions lock Mark Chisholm, flanker George Smith and inside centre Quade Cooper all started in the 8-9 loss to Scotland at the weekend.
The bench also sees the inclusion of squad newcomer Luke Morahan, who joined the team last week in Edinburgh as the replacement for Stirling Mortlock.
Morahan was denied the opportunity to join Toomua at the Under-20 World Cup in Japan earlier in the year due to injury, after having been included in the training squad.
The Queensland teenager has excelled for Australia on the IRB Sevens circuit, and now has the chance to represent his country at senior level.
His state colleague, halfback Richard Kingi, is also on the bench and is also poised to play for his country at senior level for the first time, albeit in a non-cap match.
Kingi, who has played for Australia in Sevens and was brought on this tour for development purposes, is the only member of the originally named touring group who has yet to have taken the field on the trip.
In facing Cardiff, the Qantas Wallabies are following in the footsteps of the 1984 Grand Slam side, which was defeated 12-16 by Cardiff in the Welsh capital.
Now known as the Cardiff Blues, the club is one of four Welsh representatives that feature in the Celtic League alongside teams from Ireland (4) and Scotland (2).
Based at the new Cardiff City Stadium, which is also the home to the 2007-08 FA Cup finalists, the Cardiff City football team; the Blues are led by ex-New Zealand Maori rep and Hurricanes lock Paul Tito.
The Cardiff squad also features former NSW Waratahs and 2007 Wallaby flyhalf Sam Norton-Knight, ex All Black and Blues No 8 Xavier Rush, and two former Crusader All Blacks in fullback Ben Blair and the recently arrived centre Casey Laulala, both of whom have previously worked with Qantas Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.
The Blues are currently ninth in the Celtic League, with two wins from seven games, but second in Pool Five of the Heineken Cup.
Cardiff shares that pool with glamour French club Toulouse and English teams, Sale and Harlequins.
The Qantas Wallabies team to play the Cardiff Blues at Cardiff City Stadium on 24 November, 7.35pm kick off (6.35am, 25 November, AEST), is:
1. Pekahou Cowan (Western Force)
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW Waratahs)
3. Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs)
4. Dave Dennis (NSW Waratahs)
5. Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs, captain)
6. Mitchell Chapman (Brumbies)
7. Matt Hodgson (Western Force)
8. Richard Brown (Western Force)
9. Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs)
10. Matt Toomua (Brumbies)
11. Kurtley Beale (NSW Waratahs)
12. Tyrone Smith (Brumbies)
13. Ryan Cross (Western Force)
14. Lachie Turner (NSW Waratahs)
15. James O’Connor (Western Force)
Run on reserves:
16. Salesi Ma’afu (Brumbies)
17. Matt Dunning (Western Force)
18. Mark Chisholm (Brumbies)
19. George Smith (Brumbies)
20. Richard Kingi (Queensland Reds)
21. Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds)
22. Luke Morahan (Queensland Reds)
