Queensland Reds halfback Will Genia will captain Australia for the second time after the Qantas Wallabies team for the second Test of The Castrol EDGE Rugby Championship against the All Blacks was named today.
The elevation of Genia, and the inclusion of the promising Brumbies flanker Michael Hooper in the starting line-up, are both a consequence of the knee cartilage injury which has ruled out the previous Wallabies stand in skipper, David Pocock.
Genia, who led the Qantas Wallabies for the first time against the United States at last year’s Rugby World Cup, becomes Australia’s third skipper for the year, after the initial incumbent James Horwill was injured on the eve of the June Test window.
He will team for the first time this Test season with flyhalf Quade Cooper, who makes his long-awaited return following a serious knee injury at last year’s Rugby World Cup.
Cooper last featured for the Wallabies in the Bronze Final which was played at Saturday night’s Test venue: Auckland’s Eden Park.
The return of Cooper shifts Berrick Barnes out one place in the backline to inside centre. Barnes retains the goal-kicking duties after an impressive run of form which has seen him kick 19 of 23 attempts in Test matches this year, including five from five in the year’s first clash with the All Blacks.
Another backline change sees the versatile Adam Ashley-Cooper switch from wing to fullback. The experienced NSW Waratahs winger Drew Mitchell takes up the position vacated by his former house-mate, Ashley-Cooper, on the right wing.
Mitchell, who last appeared for Australia against Russia at the Rugby World Cup, was an un-used substitute on the bench last week.
The selectors have opted to hold off finalising the bench due to an injury concern and will finalise the make-up of the run on reserves once the side arrives in Auckland tonight. 25 players will travel in the Qantas Wallabies party which leaves Sydney this afternoon.
The two changes to the starting forward pack from last week’s opening Bledisloe Cup Test have both been forced by injury, with Brumbies front-ranker Ben Alexander slotting in at tighthead for Sekope Kepu, while Hooper runs from Pocock’s spot on the openside flank.
Hooper will oppose All Black skipper Richard McCaw for the first time as the Brumbies didn’t face the Crusaders during Fx Pro Super Rugby this year. It will also be the first time at Eden Park for last year’s Australian Under-20 Player of the Year, who will be figuring in his fourth Test after making his debut at Newcastle earlier in June.
This weekend’s assignment represents his first starting role in Tests.
After coming off the bench last weekend, Stephen Moore, who will be on the bench again, is poised to achieve a notable milestone in Auckland, where he will make his 72nd Test appearance if he is again required to enter the game as a substitute.
Moore’s next appearance would tie Jeremy Paul as the most capped hooker in the history of Australian Rugby. He made his 100th appearance in Fx Pro Super Rugby earlier in the year during the final qualifying round of that competition.
The Qantas Wallabies team to play New Zealand in the second Test of The Castrol EDGE Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday (kick-off: 7.35pm NZ time, 5.35pm AEST) is:
Starting XV
15. Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW Waratahs)
14. Drew Mitchell (NSW Waratahs)
13. Rob Horne (NSW Waratahs)
12. Berrick Barnes (NSW Waratahs)
11. Digby Ioane (Queensland Reds)
10. Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds)
9. Will Genia (Queensland Reds, captain)
8. Scott Higginbotham (Queensland Reds)
7. Michael Hooper (Brumbies)
6. Dave Dennis (NSW Waratahs)
5. Nathan Sharpe (Western Force)
4. Sitaleki Timani (NSW Waratahs)
3. Ben Alexander (Brumbies)
2. Stephen Moore (Brumbies)
1. Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs)
Replacements
To be advised
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