Saturday 16 June 2012

Australia v Wales - Preview


Caretaker coach Rob Howley insists there is all to play for Wales attempt to bounce back from their 27-19 first Test defeat.

Howley has made four changes for the second Test in Melbourne, bringing in Ryan Jones and Matthew Rees to bolster the pack, while Alun Wyn Jones comes into the second row and centre Ashley Beck has also been called-up.

The quartet replace injured Toby Faletau, who has returned home, Luke Charteris and Scott Williams, who drop to the bench, and Ken Owens, who has been omitted from the match-day squad.

Howley said: "After the first Test Australia are obviously in the ascendancy, but the tour is not over by any means and we have all to play for on Saturday.

"We are bringing three very experienced players into the pack, all three made an impact from the bench during the first Test which has justified their selection in the starting line-up this weekend.

"Having played two matches now on Australian soil we have acclimatised and are ready for another huge challenge this Saturday in Melbourne."
Come back

Australia coach Robbie Deans expects the RBS Six Nations champions to come back at the Wallabies and try and level the three-match series.

"That belief won't have been altered by last Saturday night," Deans says.

"If anything, that game - and more particularly the opportunities that they were able to create within in it - will only have hardened their resolve."

The Wallabies are poised to name an unchanged XV, although prop Sekope Kepu, who picked up a "minor knock" in the first Test, faces a late fitness test before Saturday's rematch.

Australia: 15 Adam Ashley Cooper, 14 Cooper Vuna, 13 Rob Horne, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Berrick Barnes, 9 Will Genia, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 David Pocock (captain), 6 Scott Higginbotham, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Tatafu Polota Nau, 1 Benn Robinson
Replacements: 16 Stephen Moore, 17 Ben Alexander, 18 Dave Dennis, 19 Michael Hooper, 20 Nic White, 21 Anthony Fainga'a, 22 Mike Harris

Wales: 15 Leigh Halfpenny, 14 Alex Cuthbert, 13 Jonathan Davies, 12 Ashley Beck, 11 George North, 10 Rhys Priestland, 9 Mike Phillips; 8 Ryan Jones, 7 Sam Warburton (captain), 6 Dan Lydiate, 5 Alun Wyn Jones, 4 Bradley Davies, 3 Adam Jones, 2 Matthew Rees, 1 Gethin Jenkins
Replacements: 16 Richard Hibbard, 17 Paul James, 18 Luke Charteris, 19 Justin Tipuric, 20 Rhys Webb, 21 James Hook, 22 Scott Williams


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