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Ma'a Nonu will face Stirling Mortlock in Saturday night's Bledisloe Cup test at Suncorp Stadium after Robbie Deans opted against risking the injured Berrick Barnes in the No.12 jersey.
Mortlock's move to the unfamiliar second five-eighths spot is among the six positional changes made to the Wallabies side that was humiliated 53-8 by the Springboks in Johannesburg late last month.
As expected Timana Tahu has been dumped after being exposed in Jo'burg and although there was speculation Deans would move Adam Ashley Cooper into the midfield to cover Barnes, who injured his shoulder against the All Blacks in Auckland in late July, he instead opted for the vastly experienced Mortlock alongside rugby league convert Ryan Cross in the midfield.
"Berrick obviously isn't right, as much as he would dearly love to be," Deans said. "The good news for him is that it will not be long term."
Barnes, who played a leading part in the Wallabies 34-19 win over the All Blacks in Sydney on July 26, had an MRI scan yesterday which allayed fears his season was over.
"In terms of the immediate challenge we have gone for the experienced blokes, I guess, who have spent a bit of time playing together this year."
Although Cross will start at centre to cover for skipper Mortlock moving in one spot, the serious panelbeating by Deans has been carried out on the forward pack.
George Smith replaces Phil Waugh at openside flanker while Nathan Sharpe slots in for Hugh McMeniman in the second row. Sharpe returns after being dumped from the side after the All Blacks thumped them 39-10 in Auckland.
Al Baxter ousts Matt Dunning from tighthead prop and hooker Stephen Moore predictably will start ahead of Tatafu Polota-Nau who had a nightmare with his throwing against the South Africans at Ellis Park.
"It has been pretty much just been about going back to our basic things which has served us well in the past," Moore said when asked how the Aussies will cope against the All Blacks lineout that created havoc on their set piece at Eden Park.
It is clear Deans expects the test to be fast and furious, having opted for a five-two split on the bench.
By loading the pine with five forwards, the former Crusaders coach has signalled the match will be played at pace and utilise the kick-and-chase game that has been employed since the Experimental Law Variations were introduced.
Deans has included two loose forwards on bench with Waugh and Richard Brown expected to add mobility as the game wears on.
There is plenty of pressure on the Wallabies who have not held the Bledisloe Cup since they lost it to an All Blacks side in 2003 that had Robbie Deans as its assistant coach.
They must win on Saturday night or the remaining test of the four-match series in Hong Kong on November 1 will be a dead rubber.
Thirteen of the players named in the starting lineup today started when Australia won the opening match of this year's Bledisloe Cup series, 34-19, at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on July 26.
AUSTRALIA: 15 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14 Peter Hynes, 13 Ryan Cross, 12 Stirling Mortlock, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Sam Cordingley; 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 George Smith, 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 James Horwill, 3 Al Baxter, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson. Reserves: 16 Adam Freier, 17 Matt Dunning, 18 Hugh McMenamin, 19 Phil Waugh, 20 Richard Brown, 21 Brett Sheehan, 22 Adam Ashley-Cooper.
If continuity is the foundation of success, then Graham Henry is halfway there for Saturday night's sold-out Brisbane Tri-Nations decider.
Richie McCaw, Brad Thorn and Sitiveni Sivivatu have all been cleared to take their places in a starting lineup that's unchanged for the the third test on the trot.
Henry's starting XV has now not altered since he sent out that impressive XV to lay the foundations for the superb Bledisloe response against the Wallabies at Eden Park, where they prevailed 39-10 to well and truly get the campaign back on track.
The same XV then ran out in Cape Town to put the squeeze on the Springboks 19-0, a result that moved the All Blacks into the box seat in the tri-Nations title race.
The Wallabies briefly threatened to usurp that advantage when they also rolled the Boks, in Durban, to close to within a point of the All Blacks with still two matches remaining.
But then the Australians' 53-8 demolition at the hands of the Boks in Jo'burg stopped that momentum in its tracks and left Brisbane this Saturday night as a strictly winner-take-all occasion.
Certainly, there were no major decisions for Henry to make after McCaw, Thorn and Sivivau all proved their fitness in the early training runs of the week in the Queensland capital.
All three had been left out of last week's hitout against Samoa to protect slight niggles, with McCaw nuursing tender ribs, Thorn having a slight hamstring worry and Sivivatu an ankle problem.
With the All Blacks humming in their last two outings and his troops well and truly rested the Samoan jaunt has been their only outing as a team since the Cape Town test on August 17 it was a no-brainer for Henry this week. One last call to arms to decide the silverware.
If the All Blacks win in Brisbane,a nd secure their fourth victory of the campaign, they will retain both the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe trophies.
But if the Wallabies upset Henry's side they will secure just the Tri-Nations silverware, with another victory needed in Hong Kong on November 1 to return the giant trophy to Australia for the first time since 2003.
The All Blacks have a great record against the Wallabies in Brisbane, having won 13 of the 17 tests played there. The last Wallabies victory was back in 1992 when they got up 19-17.
NEW ZEALAND: 15 Mils Muliania, 14 Richard Kahui, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Jimmy Cowan; 8 Rodney So'oialo, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock. Reserves: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 John Afoa, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Adam Thomson, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Isaia Toeava.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4686793a1823.html
man, i'm looking forward to this game.
Mortlock's move to the unfamiliar second five-eighths spot is among the six positional changes made to the Wallabies side that was humiliated 53-8 by the Springboks in Johannesburg late last month.
As expected Timana Tahu has been dumped after being exposed in Jo'burg and although there was speculation Deans would move Adam Ashley Cooper into the midfield to cover Barnes, who injured his shoulder against the All Blacks in Auckland in late July, he instead opted for the vastly experienced Mortlock alongside rugby league convert Ryan Cross in the midfield.
"Berrick obviously isn't right, as much as he would dearly love to be," Deans said. "The good news for him is that it will not be long term."
Barnes, who played a leading part in the Wallabies 34-19 win over the All Blacks in Sydney on July 26, had an MRI scan yesterday which allayed fears his season was over.
"In terms of the immediate challenge we have gone for the experienced blokes, I guess, who have spent a bit of time playing together this year."
Although Cross will start at centre to cover for skipper Mortlock moving in one spot, the serious panelbeating by Deans has been carried out on the forward pack.
George Smith replaces Phil Waugh at openside flanker while Nathan Sharpe slots in for Hugh McMeniman in the second row. Sharpe returns after being dumped from the side after the All Blacks thumped them 39-10 in Auckland.
Al Baxter ousts Matt Dunning from tighthead prop and hooker Stephen Moore predictably will start ahead of Tatafu Polota-Nau who had a nightmare with his throwing against the South Africans at Ellis Park.
"It has been pretty much just been about going back to our basic things which has served us well in the past," Moore said when asked how the Aussies will cope against the All Blacks lineout that created havoc on their set piece at Eden Park.
It is clear Deans expects the test to be fast and furious, having opted for a five-two split on the bench.
By loading the pine with five forwards, the former Crusaders coach has signalled the match will be played at pace and utilise the kick-and-chase game that has been employed since the Experimental Law Variations were introduced.
Deans has included two loose forwards on bench with Waugh and Richard Brown expected to add mobility as the game wears on.
There is plenty of pressure on the Wallabies who have not held the Bledisloe Cup since they lost it to an All Blacks side in 2003 that had Robbie Deans as its assistant coach.
They must win on Saturday night or the remaining test of the four-match series in Hong Kong on November 1 will be a dead rubber.
Thirteen of the players named in the starting lineup today started when Australia won the opening match of this year's Bledisloe Cup series, 34-19, at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on July 26.
AUSTRALIA: 15 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14 Peter Hynes, 13 Ryan Cross, 12 Stirling Mortlock, 11 Lote Tuqiri, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Sam Cordingley; 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 George Smith, 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 James Horwill, 3 Al Baxter, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson. Reserves: 16 Adam Freier, 17 Matt Dunning, 18 Hugh McMenamin, 19 Phil Waugh, 20 Richard Brown, 21 Brett Sheehan, 22 Adam Ashley-Cooper.
If continuity is the foundation of success, then Graham Henry is halfway there for Saturday night's sold-out Brisbane Tri-Nations decider.
Richie McCaw, Brad Thorn and Sitiveni Sivivatu have all been cleared to take their places in a starting lineup that's unchanged for the the third test on the trot.
Henry's starting XV has now not altered since he sent out that impressive XV to lay the foundations for the superb Bledisloe response against the Wallabies at Eden Park, where they prevailed 39-10 to well and truly get the campaign back on track.
The same XV then ran out in Cape Town to put the squeeze on the Springboks 19-0, a result that moved the All Blacks into the box seat in the tri-Nations title race.
The Wallabies briefly threatened to usurp that advantage when they also rolled the Boks, in Durban, to close to within a point of the All Blacks with still two matches remaining.
But then the Australians' 53-8 demolition at the hands of the Boks in Jo'burg stopped that momentum in its tracks and left Brisbane this Saturday night as a strictly winner-take-all occasion.
Certainly, there were no major decisions for Henry to make after McCaw, Thorn and Sivivau all proved their fitness in the early training runs of the week in the Queensland capital.
All three had been left out of last week's hitout against Samoa to protect slight niggles, with McCaw nuursing tender ribs, Thorn having a slight hamstring worry and Sivivatu an ankle problem.
With the All Blacks humming in their last two outings and his troops well and truly rested the Samoan jaunt has been their only outing as a team since the Cape Town test on August 17 it was a no-brainer for Henry this week. One last call to arms to decide the silverware.
If the All Blacks win in Brisbane,a nd secure their fourth victory of the campaign, they will retain both the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe trophies.
But if the Wallabies upset Henry's side they will secure just the Tri-Nations silverware, with another victory needed in Hong Kong on November 1 to return the giant trophy to Australia for the first time since 2003.
The All Blacks have a great record against the Wallabies in Brisbane, having won 13 of the 17 tests played there. The last Wallabies victory was back in 1992 when they got up 19-17.
NEW ZEALAND: 15 Mils Muliania, 14 Richard Kahui, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Dan Carter, 9 Jimmy Cowan; 8 Rodney So'oialo, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Jerome Kaino, 5 Ali Williams, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Greg Somerville, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 Tony Woodcock. Reserves: 16 Keven Mealamu, 17 John Afoa, 18 Anthony Boric, 19 Adam Thomson, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Stephen Donald, 22 Isaia Toeava.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4686793a1823.html
man, i'm looking forward to this game.
