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The return of hooker Stephen Moore is the only change to the Qantas Wallabies’ squad to contest Saturday’s Cook Cup Test against England in London.
The Australian rake was a last-minute withdrawal from last weekend’s 25-16 win over Wales in Cardiff, succumbing to a back complaint during the side’s warm-up.
Moore’s naming reunites the front row that represented the Qantas Wallabies in the corresponding Test in 2009, with Moore (broken jaw), Ben Alexander (knee) and Benn Robinson (broken arm) ruled out of June’s two-Test series against England through injury.
Huia Edmonds, who was a late inclusion into last week’s squad to face the Dragons, retains his place on the bench, with Saia Faingaa dropping out of the match day squad.
Deans says Moore, who claimed man-of-the-match honours against England at Twickenham in 2008, will provide significant leadership within the squad for the Twickenham encounter.
“Steve’s a 50 Test-plus player, so he brings with him a wealth of experience,” he said. “He’s played at Twickenham on a number of occasions – including last year, as has our starting front row.
“We have 10 players returning from the corresponding fixture last year and that experience is invaluable. Twickenham’s a great venue to play; it’s the bastion of English rugby and they love to get behind their team and use the facility to their advantage, so the more guys that have played there the better.”
In addition to their front row, the Qantas Wallabies feature another nine players who were involved in the 18-9 win over England at Twickenham last year including Adam Ashley-Cooper, Mark Chisholm, Quade Cooper, Rocky Elsom, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Dean Mumm, David Pocock and Will Genia, who not only crossed for a try in that fixture but was also named man of the match.
Ashley-Cooper, who will move to within one cap of his 50th Test on Saturday, will again form a midfield partnership with Giteau, who scored all 20 of Australia’s points during the two sides’ last encounter in June, which England won 21-20 in Sydney.
Having starred for the Qantas Wallabies against Wales, man of the match and fullback Kurtley Beale will combine with wingers Drew Mitchell and James O’Connor in the Australian back three.
The retention of Edmonds leaves the Qantas Wallabies’ bench untouched from the one that fronted Wales at Millennium Stadium, including reserve forwards James Slipper, Dean Mumm and Richard Brown, and backs Luke Burgess, Berrick Barnes and Lachie Turner. The seven-man run-on reserves list – along with Giteau – make up the eight player contingent who will back up from the Qantas Wallabies’ 26-15 win over the Leicester Tigers at Welford Road on Tuesday night (Wednesday morning AEDT).
Deans says last weekend’s match against Wales provided a strong foundation for his side to build upon.
“We’ll be better off on a number of fronts,” he said. “Not only will several elements within our game have benefited, but we won’t have to travel halfway around the globe at the front end of the week and we’ll be better for that as well.
“We’re under no illusions about what we’re up against this weekend. England played very well against New Zealand. They would have been hopeful for more out of that encounter in terms of the result, but they played some good rugby.
“We believe this will be a step up for us based on what we witnessed in the English performance [against the All Blacks] last week, and it’s important that we make that step.”
The Qantas Wallabies will endeavour to reach their 100-try milestone against England this weekend, having registered 99 touchdowns in 39 Tests between the two countries.
Qantas Wallabies v England
Cook Cup Test
Saturday, 13 November, 2010
Twickenham Stadium, London
Time: 2.30pm (local)/1.30am (AEDT) (Sunday, 14 November)
Referee: Craig Joubert (RSA)
1. Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs)
2. Stephen Moore (Brumbies)
3. Ben Alexander (Brumbies)
4. Mark Chisholm (Brumbies)
5. Nathan Sharpe (Western Force)
6. Rocky Elsom (c) (Brumbies)
7. David Pocock (Western Force)
8. Ben McCalman (Western Force)
9. Will Genia (Queensland Reds)
10. Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds)
11. Drew Mitchell (NSW Waratahs)
12. Matt Giteau (Brumbies)
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies)
14. James O’Connor (Western Force)
15. Kurtley Beale (NSW Waratahs)
Reserves:
16. Huia Edmonds (Brumbies)
17. James Slipper (Queensland Reds)
18. Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs)
19. Richard Brown (Western Force)
20. Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs)
21. Berrick Barnes (NSW Waratahs)
22. Lachie Turner (NSW Waratahs)