0
Dean Mumm will lead his country for the first time, while six others could potentially play their maiden matches at senior level for Australia, after all being named in the Qantas Wallabies side to play English Premiership club Gloucester tomorrow night.
Mumm, 25, leads a run on combination which will see Brumbies inside centre Tyrone Smith, NSW Waratahs fullback Kurtley Beale, NSW Waratahs lock Dave Dennis and Brumbies tighthead prop Salesi Ma’afu all play their first matches for the Wallabies.
This quartet could be joined in the first timers club by Queensland Reds halfback Richard Kingi and Brumbies flyhalf Matt Toomua, if this year’s Australia Under-20 halfback and flyhalf pairing are both called on from the bench during the non-cap match.
Flankers Matt Hodgson, unsighted since being injured in June’s season opener against the Barbarians, and Mitchell Chapman, who appeared in then Australian A colours during the 2006 Spring Tour, are also notable inclusions.
The announcement of today’s line-up means that all 34 players in the Qantas Wallabies touring party will have received match involvement at the conclusion of the first two matches of the seven-match Spring tour.
And while the Gloucester fixture follows hard on the heels of last weekend’s final Bledisloe Cup Test match of the year in Tokyo, the Australian starting XV that will take the field for the midweek tour match still features nine players with Test experience and a combined total of 136 Test caps.
Centre Ryan Cross is the only players required to back up in the run on XV after having started against the All Blacks in Tokyo last weekend.
Qantas Wallabies coach Robbie Deans says this situation was necessitated by the injuries which disrupted the squad in the lead-up to last week’s Test match, forcing midfield backs Berrick Barnes and Rob Horne to return home.
“We had intended to avoid backing anyone up in the midweek fixture who had started against the All Blacks, but our injury circumstance in the midfield meant that Ryan was required to start,” Deans says.
“We did look at starting Matt Toomua, but as he only joined the squad on Sunday when we arrived in London, and would only have the benefit of one day of preparation with the team, we felt that backing up Ryan was the better option. He got through the game last Saturday well and indicated to me straight after the Test match that he was keen to play.”
Five members of the bench from last weekend’s Test are included among the run on group, while four of tomorrow night’s reserves were also involved in Tokyo.
Gloucester currently sits in the bottom third of the 12-team English Premiership, having beaten Bath and Leeds this term, while losing to London Irish, Northampton, Saracens, London Wasps; and most recently Sale last Friday night at Manchester.
The club is coached by the ex-Scottish international halfback Bryan Redpath, and boasts an impressive 24 current or former internationals on its playing roster.
These include former All Black flyhalf Carlos Spencer, and ex Crusaders and All Blacks prop Greg Somerville, who have both previously been coached by Qantas Wallabies boss Robbie Deans.
A near sell out crowd is expected to be on hand for the game at the Kingsholm Stadium, with the match to be controlled by England referee Andrew Small.
The Qantas Wallabies team to play Gloucester at the Kingsholm Ground, Gloucester, on 3 November, 7.45pm kick off (6.45am, 4 November, AEST), is:
15. Kurtley Beale (NSW Waratahs)
14. Lachie Turner (NSW Waratahs)
13. Ryan Cross (Western Force)
12. Tyrone Smith (Brumbies)
11. Drew Mitchell (NSW Waratahs)
10. Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds)
9. Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs)
8. Richard Brown (Western Force)
7. Matt Hodgson (Western Force)
6. Mitchell Chapman (Brumbies)
5. Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs, captain)
4. Dave Dennis (NSW Waratahs)
3. Salesi Ma’afu (Brumbies)
2. Tatafu Polota Nau (NSW Waratahs)
1. Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs)
Run on reserves:
16. Pek Cowan (Western Force)
17. Matt Dunning (Western Force)
18. Mark Chisholm (Brumbies)
19. Wycliff Palu (NSW Waratahs)
20. Richard Kingi (Queensland Reds)
21. Matt Toomua (Brumbies)
22. James O’Connor (Western Force)