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Connolly looks to speed men for Brisbane decider
May 30, 2007 - 9:49am
Story by: ARU
Western Force speedster Digby Ioane will make his Test debut in Brisbane
Qantas Wallabies Coach John Connolly today announced his team for Saturday’s second Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series clash with Wales at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
Connolly has made four changes to his starting lineup following a dramatic last gasp 29-23 victory at Telstra Stadium last Saturday night.
Lock Dan Vickerman returns to the starting team after playing a fifteen minute cameo form the reserves bench in his return from a shoulder reconstruction last Saturday night.
George Smith replaces Phil Waugh at openside flanker, with the Wallabies co-captain named on a reserves bench that again features five forwards and two backs.
In another change to the pack, 22 year old Benn Robinson replaces his Waratahs counterpart Matt Dunning at loosehead prop, with Dunning reverting to the bench.
Connolly also made two changes to his backline, but opted to retain the centre pairing of Adam Ashley-Cooper and Stirling Mortlock and will continue to experiment with Matt Giteau at scrumhalf.
Mortlock will Captain the team for the second Test against Wales, while the youngest member of the Wallabies 30-man winter squad, Digby Ioane, will make his Test debut on the right wing.
21 year old Ioane burst onto the scene as a bolter for the Wallabies’ 2005 Spring Tour of France and the UK and has forced his way into the Test team on the back of a strong Super 14 campaign for the Western Force.
The partnership of Ioane and Drew Mitchell on the wings provides the Wallabies with speed to burn out wide, while the team will be bolstered by the return of flyhalf Stephen Larkham.
The 95-Test veteranhas reclaimed the Number 10 jersey from Sam Norton-Knight after missing the Wallabies’ season-opening victory with a hamstring injury.
Connolly said he is looking for a more polished performance from his team on Saturday.
“There’s no doubt we have to improve on last week’s performance and we want to move on from that and produce a much more disciplined performance this Saturday,” said Connolly.
“We’ve made a couple of changes in the forwards and backs which we need to do to look at improving our depth and assessing different players prior to the World Cup, but we’re also hoping to build on some of the combinations we used in the first Test,” he said.
The winner of Saturday night’s Test will be awarded the James Bevan Trophy, while the Wallabies will look to extend its proud record at Suncorp Stadium, having lost just one match at the venue since its redevelopment in 2001.
Qantas Wallabies for Wales 2:
1. Benn Robinson
2. Stephen Moore
3. Guy Shepherdson
4. Nathan Sharpe
5. Dan Vickerman
6. Rocky Elsom
7. George Smith (vc)
8. Wycliff Palu
9. Matt Giteau
10. Stephen Larkham
11. Drew Mitchell
12. Adam Ashley-Cooper
13. Stirling Mortlock (c)
14. Digby Ioane #D
15. Julian Huxley
16. Adam Freier
17. Matt Dunning
18. Mark Chisholm
19. Stephen Hoiles
20. Phil Waugh (vc)
21. George Gregan
22. Mark Gerrard
#D = Test debut