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Four new faces in Wallabies team to play Samoa
Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom has been named to make his return to rugby alongside four newcomers in Australia’s team to face Samoa in their season-opening Test in Sydney on Sunday.
Elsom has played just one match since the Wallabies’ 2010 spring tour finale against France last November due to hamstring and ankle injuries.
But the blindside flanker will lead Australia into battle against the Pacific Islanders at ANZ Stadium after coach Robbie Deans today announced his first Test line-up of 2011.
Melbourne Rebels halfback Nick Phipps and NSW Waratahs lock Sitaleki Timani have both won selection in the starting XV, while the Queensland Reds pair of hooker James Hanson and flanker Beau Robinson were picked on the bench.
One front row position on the bench is still to be named after prop Benn Robinson tweaked his knee at training yesterday. Western Force prop Pek Cowan and NSW Waratahs prop Al Baxter were set to join the team at training on Wednesday afternoon.
Other features of the playing roster include a first Test start for Pat McCabe, who has been named at inside centre after finishing the Super Rugby season strongly in that position for the Brumbies.
McCabe has long been viewed as a midfield option by coach Deans and has been given his chance to work in tandem with fellow Brumbies Matt Giteau and Adam Ashley-Cooper on either side of him.
Giteau has been given first shot at securing the five-eighth jersey while Ashley-Cooper returns to outside centre for the first time this year, having been largely employed on the wing at his Super Rugby franchise.
At halfback, Phipps has been handed his maiden Test start after first wearing the Wallabies jersey during the spring tour match against Irish province Munster.
He and returning fullback Mark Gerrard will become the first two players to represent the Rebels in the Australian Test side, with Gerrard to feature in his 24th Test but his first since the Wallabies’ win over Japan at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Dan Vickerman is also back. The NSW second rower, who has 55 Test caps to his name, has been named on the bench and will complete a remarkable comeback to international rugby after having taken three years out to finalise his studies in England.
In the second row, Timani will become the second member of his family to play Test rugby this year: his elder brother Sione has already represented Tonga in the Pacific Nations Cup tournament.
While several stars are being rested, including Queensland captain James Horwill and five-eighth Quade Cooper, Deans says the decision was in no way disrespectful to Samoa, with a strong line-up being fielded.
‘‘Given the high most of those blokes had last weekend, it’s my experience that it does take a little while to come down from that,’’ he said.
‘‘They’ve refocused quickly on the task at hand representing their country, which is why we’ve included a good group of those players in the match-day 22.
‘‘They’ll get their opportunity.’’
Australia: Mark Gerrard, James O'Connor, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Pat McCabe, Digby Ioane, Matt Giteau, Nick Phipps, Ben McCalman, Matt Hodgson, Rocky Elsom (capt), Nathan Sharpe, Sitaleki Timani, Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore, Sekope Kepu. Reserves: James Hanson, TBA, Dan Vickerman, Scott Higginbotham, Beau Robinson, Will Genia, Kurtley Beale.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/un...713-1hd3b.html
Great news for Pek, not sure he will get a run but at least he is in RD's sights.
Seems JOC is destined for wing in the upcoming series, as MCCabe is just getting a run till Cooper moves Gits to 12.
Great to see the Force boys getting a run
Simon Cron: “People talk about winning and losing all the time and they are critical, but there’s a process to get into and it’s the ability to stay present, do your job and execute skills under pressure.”
Is there something wrong with David Pocock and Quade Cooper?
Yeah Cooper cant tackle and doesn't want to be a Samoan's speed hump to the 120kg wingers.
But please can someone snap Rocky in half so i dont need to see him as captain @ the RWC.
I'd like to see McCabe at full back and Rob Davies in the centres for this "trial match"
Samoa will be about building depth this year. No disrespect intended, but the first test of a World Cup year never sees the full squad named.
Interesting to see Hodgeo getting a run over Beau Robinson. I would have thought Beau would get looked over in this match to see if he can make the step up.
Not so sure about Hanson either. He doesn't strike me as any better than Faingaa...which means he's a reasonably good super rugby player
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First Test of a long season against a second rate opponant so it's not really a surprise to see a few names omitted especially with the Super 14 final on the weekend eg Cooper, Genia etc
Bet Giteau will be given instructions something like......"This is your last chance to see if you can get the attack straight. If we see you turning a shoulder to the defense or crabbing across field you can forget even being a utility bench player for the rest of 2011. We've got options these days."
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
Do you really bet that? I have seen precious little evidence of m ever having been told that! Either nobody's game to criticize him, or he doesn't listen......either way, we'll see the same one-man, sideways-oriented, forward-frustrating crapola that Matt has produced for something like seven years now!
Quade to regain the 10 as soon as the important games start, McCabe could well be being groomed to push Gits out of the 12!
Genia, Cooper, McCabe and ,Ashley-Cooper, it could be worse!!!
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