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Farrell to 10, Tuilagi to 12 in England quarter-final rejig
Today at 1:20 PM Rugby World Cup
by Beth Newman in Japan
England have sprung a host of selection surprises for their quarter-final against the Wallabies, headlined by a major backline reshuffle.
Captain Owen Farrell will start at 10 for the English in the Oita clash Manu Tuilagi will start at inside centre, combining with Henry Slade in the midfield, while George Ford drops to the bench.
In the forwards, Mako Vunipola replaces Joe Marler at loosehead prop and Courtney Lawes replaces George Kruis
Ball-crashing no. 8 Billy Vunipola has been cleared to play after recovering from an ankle injury.
England coach Eddie Jones said the psychological side of the game would take over as the knockout stages kick off.
“Once you get to the quarter-finals it’s about having the right mindset," he said.
"We know how well we can play, it’s about us playing to our strengths and trying to take away from what Australia want.
“Australia are a clever team, they will have some specific attacking strategies to play against us so we need to have a great situational awareness. We need to defend with brutality and when we have the ball we need play on top of them.”
Winger Jonny May will play his 50th Test in the match and Jones said it was a well-deserved milestone.
“It is a great achievement and an honour for him and his family," he said.
"Everyone in the team is really pleased for him. I think this World Cup has really shown how hard he has worked at his game.
"He has come back from a significant knee injury to be close to the fastest winger, if not the fastest winger in the world, and has the ability to score tries from any situation.”
The Wallabies play England in their Rugby World Cup quarter-final on Saturday October 19, kicking off at 4:15pm local, 6;15p mAEDT, LIVE on Foxtel, Network Ten and via RUGBY.com.au RADIO, Rugby Xplorer and Amazon Alexa.
ENGLAND TEAM
1. Mako Vunipola
2. Jamie George
3. Kyle Sinckler
4. Maro Itoje
5. Courtney Lawes
6. Tom Curry
7. Sam Underhill
8. Billy Vunipola
9. Ben Youngs
10. Owen Farrell
11. Jonny May
12. Manu Tuilagi
13. Henry Slade
14. Anthony Watson
15. Elliot Daly
Reserves
16. Luke Cowan-Dickie
17. Joe Marler
18. Dan Cole
19. George Kruis
20. Lewis Ludlam
21. Willi Heinz
22. George Ford
23. Jonathan Joseph
https://www.rugby.com.au/news/2019/1...ter-final-team
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Especially with the reports of Beale at fullback and DHP not in the 23. England will be more than happy to bombard him with high balls which he'll likely spill or get turned over on about half of the time.
It's a pretty mobile pack with Itoje & Courtney selected to start, rare lock start for Courtney & combining w/ Underhill & Curry will bulldoze through the wallaby pack. Route one game plan w/ Faz & 1D-Tuilagi in midfield … SLade being the only creative one outside.
Kruis & Ludlam to enter the fray later to close up the game, enforce the presence & let Fordy kick down town for the last 20 to seal a semi final spot.
btw - England Japan final is $51 …. Australia Japan final $201 !
"The whole point of rugby is that it is, first and foremost, a state of mind, a spirit." - Jean-Pierre Rives
"He will rise up to that challenge": Cheika puts faith in Petaia at 13 for quarter-final
Yesterday at 8:33 PM Rugby World Cup
by Beth Newman in Japan
UPDATE: Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has complete confidence that teenager Jordan Petaia will "rise up to the challenge" of starting at 13 against England on Saturday night while Will Genia and Samu Kerevi believe the teenager is on the verge of greatness.
Petaia will play 13 for the first time in Test rugby in one of a number of changes to Australia's lineup for Saturday's Rugby World Cup quarter-final against England.
The 19-year-old was confirmed as the team's starting 13 when the lineup for Saturday's quarter-final was officially announced on Thursday afternoon.
Cheika said he had seen enough from Petaia on and off the field to know he could handle the step up, regardless of his age.
"I wouldn’t be looking at the age of players at either end of the spectrum," he said.
"This is going to sound silly - you just go and play footy you know. Meet the challenges ahead of you, the obstacles.
"Yes, it’s going to be fast and aggressive and all that type of stuff and I know that lad will rise up to that challenge.
"I know it. I’ve seen it in him, so I know he will on Saturday."
Outside centre is nothing new for the 19-year-old - it's his preferred position and the spot from which he launched a stunning Super Rugby outing against the Highlanders in Queensland's opening 2019 match.
Petaia's composure on and off the field is often discussed and Cheika reiterated that on Thursday, discussing Petaia's readiness for the task at hand.
"He’s just a good young rugby player. He’s pretty relaxed but he’s very well prepared," he said.
"That’s the one thing I’ve noticed about him, he gives off a demeanour of talk pretty cool and chill but he’s very well prepared both off the field in getting ready tactically and physically.
"He has been preparing himself for a long time, getting himself ready."
Halfback Will Genia, who returns to the starting team this weekend for the first time since Australia's match against Wales, said his aim since Petaia came into the group was simply to help him feel at home.
"I rate Jordan very highly, he's a player who could be one of the best players in the world in the not too distant future so I think personally
I've just wanted to make him as comfortable as I can so that he can be himself genuinely," he said.
"Whether that's in training, off the field or, most important, on the field, I love seeing him express himself, and the more he does that, the more comfortable he is, the better he’s going to be for us as a team."
Petaia will be teaming up with the man he stood outside that night as well, with Samu Kerevi named at 12.
It was alongside Kerevi that Petaia played the match that had Australia's Super Rugby fans talking - a scintillating round 2 performance against the Highlanders.
A week later, Petaia suffered a lisfranc injury that ended his Super Rugby season, and seemingly put his Wallabies hopes on ice.
While it was that match that had fans' tongues wagging, Kerevi has been waiting for Petaia to truly be unleashed since the first day he saw the teen walk into Ballymore.
"I’ve had thoughts about Jordy since the first day he actually walked into our club at the Reds, the way he trained," he said.
"I think he just had that rare talent and now he's really refining that, becoming the player that he is.
"I think Cheik spoke about it a couple of weeks ago, he's still writing his own story, I'm really excited to see how he goes, not just for this weekend but the rest of his career.
"From the first time I seen him at training and the way he is, he's going to be one of the greats."
Kerevi said a move to 13 would give Petaia a chance to be more involved than he has so far in this World Cup.
"I think defensively he's pretty important, he's a really good defender," he said.
"I think for me just wanting to get the ball in his hands a bit earlier and just letting him go, letting him do his thing.
"That's what we want him to do from his first debut, give him ball with a lot of time and you saw that from the get go so I think more time with the ball in hand."
Henry Slade, the England centre who was himself something of a surprise selection at no.13, said he knew of Petaia but conceded his youth and Test inexperience could be a bonus for England.
“He has been picked in the squad because he is a bloody good player and I don’t know if that plays such a big part now because everyone in these squads are top players and don’t get affected by things like that, but if it is a thing then it will probably help us,” Slade said.
Petaia's shift to the centres comes with the return of Reece Hodge to the starting side, a timeline the Wallabies have been conscious of since Hodge was suspended for three matches after their Fiji game.
Cheika said, though, that Petaia's move to 13 was not marked down at the start of the tournament or even weeks ago, rather a decision that the selectors came to after seeing his development.
“We didn’t sit back and earmark this game for him to come and play at 13," he said.
"We just watched the games and made the assessments of each player as they went along and there were things that we liked and what we seen from Jordan both on the field in games and also at training and we felt that this would be a game that would suit him.
"The guy’s been in around the squad for a while now even though he’s young, he’s more than ready to do this.
"The way his demeanour is you wouldn’t think he was picked, he was just loping around as per normal so it’s going to be great.
"I trust him infinitely and that’s why he’s been chosen."
Petaia is among six changes to the Wallabies' starting XV for this weekend's clash, four of those coming in the backline.
It's a string of changes that follows a pattern of chopping and changing for the Wallabies this tournament, with four backline changes, and 12 and 11 starting XV changes, respectively in their three previous pool matches.
Petaia is among six changes to the Wallabies' starting XV for the clash, with four of those coming in the backline.
Genia will team up with Christian Lealiifano in the halves for the first time since July's Brisbane Test against the Pumas, pushing Nic White to the bench.
Reece Hodge will start on the wing in his first match back from suspension with Kurtley Beale cleared of concussion to play at fullback.
Dane Haylett-Petty is the unlucky man left out of the 23 despite producing solid performances on the wing and fullback in recent weeks.
Allan Alaalatoa and Michael Hooper come back into the starting side after missing the Georgia match while Adam Coleman returns to the pine for the England match.
Taniela Tupou has been given the nod over veteran Sekope Kepu as reserve tighthead.
Kerevi's threat is clearly felt by England with the team they named on Thursday overwhelmingly geared to quelling his attacking influence.
Australia takes on England in their Rugby World Cup quarter-final on Saturday October 19, kicking off at 4:15pm local, 6:15pm AEDT, LIVE on Foxtel, Network Ten and via RUGBY.conm.au RADIO, Rugby Xplorer and Amazon Alexa.
TEAM
1. Scott Sio (62 Tests)
2. Tolu Latu (18 Tests)
3. Allan Alaalatoa (36 Tests)
4. Izack Rodda (24 Tests)
5. Rory Arnold (25 Tests)
6. David Pocock (82 Tests)
7. Michael Hooper (c) (98 Tests)
8. Isi Naisarani (7 Tests)
9. Will Genia (109 Tests)
10. Christian Lealiifano (25 Tests)
11. Marika Koroibete (27 Tests)
12. Samu Kerevi (vc) (32 Tests)
13. Jordan Petaia (2 Tests)
14. Reece Hodge (38 Tests)
15. Kurtley Beale (91 Tests)
Reserves
16. Jordan Uelese (8 Tests)
17. James Slipper (95 Tests)
18. Taniela Tupou (18 Tests)
19. Adam Coleman (37 Tests)
20. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (20 Tests)
21. Nic White (30 Tests)
22. Matt To’omua (51 Tests)
23. James O’Connor (51 Tests)
https://www.rugby.com.au/news/2019/1...m-announcement
80 Minutes, 15 Positions, No Protection, Wanna Ruck?
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Seems to be going to plan for us then! Well at least I hope that’s it for Micheal Cheika!!
Well it’s official Micheal C. resigned! Sounds like no love between him and the board either!! Really I’d more happy if they were gone..
They all need to go and a total restructure is needed in Australian Rugby. One thing that needs to change badly is that every state and territory deserves a fair say at the table, not just QLD and NSW and Victoria and the time of the old boys club needs to come to an end as well. I don't think any of this will actually happen but one can dream.
It is no secret I have no relationship with the CEO and not much with the chairman," Cheika said.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-u...20-p532h2.html
Beale will be shitting himself now along with a few other Cheik golden children.
Any word from RA about the Force potentially returning to Super Rugby?
It's hard to tell if SR is in its death throws or only appears that way because I no longer follow the comp..?![]()
Cheika was only contracted until the end of the World Cup so the resignation of a coach that’s not contracted is a pretty meaningless gesture.
Edit: Just read he was contracted until December 31 - still strikes me as a pointless gesture.
He resigned & made it easy on everyone, a sacking could have been contentious given RA's track record.
Quade spoke for a number of people, a very large number that believed he needed to go a long time before now.
What I find hilarious is that an old Wallaby coach put him to the sword in his last game !!!
However, in agreement with so many, a fish rots from the head; Clyne, puppet Castle … can these people leave the roles to be then filled by elections as opposed to appointments?
"The whole point of rugby is that it is, first and foremost, a state of mind, a spirit." - Jean-Pierre Rives