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A second Test starting role for Anthony Fainga’a and starting line-up returns for Radike Samo and Dan Vickerman highlight the Qantas Wallabies run on XV which has been named for Saturday night’s Castrol Edge Tri Nations conclusion at Suncorp Stadium.
The inclusions of Fainga’a and Samo add to what already promises to be a special occasion for local fans, as the Queensland Reds title-winning skipper James Horwill leads his country for the first time in front of a sell out home crowd, becoming Australia’s 77th Test captain.
Horwill will be partnered in the second row by Vickerman, who has been handed a starting role after furthering his match fitness with the Sydney University club in the time since his 28 minutes from the bench in the opening Bledisloe Cup Test of the year, two-and-a-half weeks ago in Auckland.
Behind the pair, Samo starts his first Test since 2004, after coming from the bench for the final 21 minutes of Australia’s gritty 14-9 win over South Africa in Durban 10 days ago.
The big Fijian-born No 8 last started a match at the top level during the Queensland Reds’ 18-13 win over the Crusaders in the Super Rugby final at Suncorp Stadium last month, but has been active in club rugby since.
The Super Rugby finale was also the most recent starting appearance for Anthony Fainga’a, who took the field from the bench at the same time as Samo did in Durban.
Saturday night will be the seventh Test of the Fainga’a career, with both of his starts coming against New Zealand, after he appeared in the midfield during last year’s Test at Christchurch.
His twin brother Saia is again included on the bench, backing up the man of the match from Durban, Stephen Moore.
The promotion of the Queensland pair sees Scott Higginbotham take up a bench role this week. Anthony Fainga’a slots in between inside centre Pat McCabe and the versatile Adam Ashley-Cooper, who moves to the wing in place of the ineligible James O’Connor.
Nathan Sharpe, who has been replaced by Vickerman, instead will this week captain the Australian Barbarians in Friday night’s international against Canada at Skilled Stadium on the Gold Coast.
The final position among the run on reserves has been left vacant, with the 22nd player to be confirmed out of the Barbarians squad once that fixture has been concluded.
While the Bledisloe Cup is beyond Australia following the 14-30 loss in Auckland earlier in the month, a first Tri Nations title since 2001 remains within the Wallabies reach following New Zealand’s 5-18 loss to South Africa in Port Elizabeth last weekend.
That result has set up a winner take all match this weekend, replicating the 2008 tournament decider when the two teams last clashed in Brisbane, which the All Blacks took by four points, 28-24.
To achieve the title, the Wallabies must end a 19-year drought against the All Blacks in Queensland, having last beaten New Zealand in the Sunshine State in 1992, when just two points separated the sides.
Although the prospect of silverware adds further encouragement, Qantas Wallabies coach Robbie Deans says the backing of the capacity crowd, and the opportunity to make amends after a disappointing night in Auckland will ensure his men are fully focused on the job at hand, and not their imminent assignment in New Zealand.
“The group showed a lot of character to bounce back in South Africa but no one in our party is getting ahead of themselves,” Deans said.
“The All Blacks are not the bench mark in world rugby without good reason. They give you nothing and pounce on any opportunities that you give them. To beat them, we will need to be disciplined, accurate, composed but, most of all, deserving.”
Deans said the changes to the starting XV reflected the impact the three newcomers had made coming from the bench in their previous outings, as opposed to being of discredit to those who had previously occupied the positions.
“Dan offered go forward for us in the second half in Auckland, and has come on in his overall fitness since that night, while Anthony and Radike both made their presence felt in a big way in Durban. We felt in each instance that their previous contributions warranted further opportunity this week.”
The selectors have once again opted for a five-forward, two-back split, with Deans saying the versatility among Australia’s starting backline allowed that option.
“The contest in the contact zone will be critical, as it has been in each of the four Tests we’ve already had this year, so we’ve opted for a little more strength and depth in that area.”
Nor does Deans see Saturday night as anything other than a stand-alone contest.
“Obviously there is a lot of rugby coming up in New Zealand, and there will inevitably be expectations around the impact that this weekend might have on that but while a lot is going to happen beyond Saturday, we can’t afford to – and won’t – be looking beyond this game.”
The Test will be refereed by Wayne Barnes of England.
Australia has just twice previously won the Tri Nations in the competition’s 16-year history, going back-to-back in 2000 and 2001.
The Qantas Wallabies team to play New Zealand in the Castrol Edge Tri Nations Rugby Test at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday night is:
15. Kurtley Beale (NSW Waratahs)
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies)
13. Anthony Fainga’a (Queensland Reds)
12. Pat McCabe (Brumbies)
11. Digby Ioane (Queensland Reds)
10. Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds)
9. Will Genia (Queensland Reds)
8. Radike Samo (Queensland Reds)
7. David Pocock (Western Force)
6. Rocky Elsom (Brumbies)
5. James Horwill (Queensland Reds, captain)
4. Dan Vickerman (NSW Waratahs)
3. Ben Alexander (Brumbies)
2. Stephen Moore (Brumbies)
1. Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs)
Run on Reserves:
16. Saia Fainga’a (Queensland Reds)
17. Salesi Ma’afu (Brumbies)
18. Rob Simmons (Queensland Reds)
19. Ben McCalman (Western Force)
20. Scott Higginbotham (Queensland Reds)
21. Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs)
22. To be advised
Australia v New Zealand @ Brisbane – Historical Notes
• This is the 166th match of a trans-Tasman rivalry that dates back to 1903 when New Zealand won the inaugural meeting 22-3 in Sydney.
• This tally includes the 24 matches played between 1920 and 1928 when NSW represented Australia.
• Of the 165 games played between the two nations, New Zealand has won 114 and Australia 46, with five draws – the most recent of which occurred in Brisbane 23 years ago, when the two teams finished at 19-19 in the second match of the 1988 series. There have been 57 matches between the teams since the last drawn game.
• The Bledisloe Cup was donated by the then Governor General of New Zealand, Lord Bledisloe, for competition between the two countries in 1931.
• Australia won the trophy for the first time in 1934, beating New Zealand 25-11 in Sydney.
• Suncorp Stadium is one of four Test venues that have been used in Brisbane. The others are Ballymore, the Brisbane Exhibition Ground and the Woollongabba Ground, which is better known as the city’s venue for cricket.
• Ballymore, which has traditionally been the home of rugby in Queensland, last hosted a Test in 2000 when Australia beat Argentina 53-6.
• Lang Park, as it was formerly known, was the scene of Australia’s record-breaking 76-0 demolition of England in 1998.
• The ground is also the home venue for the Brisbane Bronco’s club in the National Rugby League and the Queensland Roar in football’s A-League competition.
• The site of the ground was originally a cemetery, and then later a rubbish dump before being re-zoned as a sporting precinct. Lang Park became the headquarters for Queensland rugby league in 1957. It was named for the late Reverend John Dunmore Lang who had established the original cemetery on the site in 1840.
• Lang Park hosted its first rugby league match in 1958.
• Its first rugby union international came seven years later in 1965, when Australia beat South Africa 12-8, although it did not become a regular union venue until 31 years later when Tri-Nations matches were held at the ground due to its greater capacity than Ballymore.
• Saturday night represents the 19th Test played by Australia at the ground. The Wallabies have won 15 of the previous matches played and lost three, with all three defeats being sustained against the All Blacks.
• New Zealand has won the previous trans-Tasman Tests at Lang Park/Suncorp Stadium by margins of seven, four and four points respectively.
• Australia did lose the first Test of the 2001 British & Irish Lions series in Brisbane, but the 13-29 defeat was sustained at the ‘Gabba.
• There have been 18 previous trans-Tasman Test matches in Queensland, the most recent being three years ago when the All Blacks shaded the Wallabies 28-24 in what was effectively the 2008 Tri Nations final at Suncorp Stadium.
• Overall, New Zealand has won 14 of the previous 18 matches in Queensland and Australia two, while two further matches (1974 & 1988) were drawn.
• Australia’s wins were achieved in 1929 (17-9) and 1992 (19-17).
Three Changes for Australian Barbarians
Meanwhile there are three changes to the Australian Barbarians side that will face Canada at Skilled Park on the Gold Coast from the line-up announced on Sunday. Mark Gerrard, Matt Giteau and Ben Daley are all unavailable. Their places in the match night squad have been taken by Bernard Foley, Ben Lucas and Greg Holmes.
The revised Australian Barbarians team to play Canada at Skilled Park on Friday night, (please note, kick-off is at 7.30pm AEST, not 8.05pm as previously advised) is:
15. Lachie Turner (NSW Waratahs)
14. Rod Davies (Queensland Reds)
13. Rob Horne (NSW Waratahs)
12. Ben Tapuai (Queensland Reds)
11. Drew Mitchell (NSW Waratahs)
10. Berrick Barnes (NSW Waratahs)
9. Nick Phipps (Melbourne Rebels)
8. Pat McCutcheon (NSW Waratahs)
7. Matt Hodgson (Western Force)
6. Dave Dennis (NSW Waratahs)
5. Nathan Sharpe (Western Force, captain)
4. Sitaleki Timani (NSW Waratahs)
3. James Slipper (Queensland Reds)
2. Tatafu Polota Nau (NSW Waratahs)
1. Pekahou Cowan (Western Force)
Run on Reserves:
16. James Hanson (Queensland Reds)
17. Greg Holmes (Queensland Reds)
18. Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs)
19. Beau Robinson (Queensland Reds)
20. Ben Lucas (Queensland Reds)
21. Luke Morahan (Queensland Reds)
22. Bernard Foley (NSW Waratahs)
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Originally Posted by Coach
