Twins Anthony and Saia Faingaa have crowned their meteoric rise to international rugby with selection in the Wallabies’ starting side for Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup and Tri Nations Test against New Zealand in Christchurch.
The 23-year-old Faingaa brothers will become the first twins to play a Test together for the Wallabies since Mark and Glen Ella helped Australia to a 29-7 victory over Italy in Rovigo in 1983.
Anthony Faingaa replaces Berrick Barnes at inside centre, while Saia will start at hooker instead of Stephen Moore.
Barnes and Moore have both been relegated to the bench as the Wallabies try to break an eight-match losing streak against the All Blacks with a first Test triumph in New Zealand since 2001.
All up, coach Robbie Deans has made three personnel changes and one positional switch to his side which lost 49-28 to the All Blacks last Saturday in Melbourne.
Kurtley Beale will start at fullback, with Adam Ashley-Cooper moving to outside centre to replace Rob Horne, who suffered a season-ending elbow fracture at Etihad Stadium.
Winger Cameron Shepherd, who makes his return to the Test arena after last appearing against France at Brisbane in 2008, was also named on the bench on Thursday.
Drew Mitchell has retained his place on the wing despite last Saturday becoming the first Australian in 33 years to be sent off in a Test match, a decision which the IRB on Wednesday all but conceded should not have been made.
The versatile Ashley-Cooper, set for his 43rd Test, has featured at outside centre on four occasions for the Wallabies during Deans’s two-year tenure, including three times in 2009.
His most recent outing in the No.13 jumper came during last year’s Test against the All Blacks in Wellington.
The Faingaa twins last weekend came off the bench to become the 40th set of brothers and the third twins to appear in Test matches for Australia.
Australia must win on Saturday to prevent New Zealand from retaining the Bledisloe Cup for an eighth straight year with a record ninth successive victory over the Wallabies.
The All Blacks can also win back the Tri Nations trophy from South Africa with victory at AMI Stadium.
Wallabies team to play the All Blacks in Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup and Tri-Nations Test against New Zealand in AMI Stadium in Christchurch: Kurtley Beale, James O’Connor, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Anthony Faingaa, Drew Mitchell, Matt Giteau, Will Genia, Richard Brown, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom (capt), Nathan Sharpe, Dean Mumm, Salesi Ma’afu, Saia Faingaa, Benn Robinson. Reserves: Stephen Moore, James Slipper, Rob Simmons, Matt Hodgson, Luke Burgess, Berrick Barnes, Cameron Shepherd.
Buddha
Guest
I'm not 100% shure if Anthony Faingaa should be on. I would put him on the bench. SaiaFaingaa is great but I don't think he should be on. I think Polota-Nau should be on. He might be injured. Berrick Barnes would be an inch away from even BEING in my squad. He is hopeless. The same with Moore. He wouldn't be on my bench but he would be in my squad. I'm glad Rob Hoorne got injured. His HOPELESS for a Wallabies player. But then Kurtley Beale comes in. His not that good either. If I were the coach, he wouldn't play one match. I don't think Adam Ashley-Cooper should be on. Maybe on the bench. I thought it would be obviouse that Drew Mitchell would be still playing. Because the first hit was nothing. Which means he shouldn't have got a red card. My age is 9
sixo_clock
Roar Guru
You saw him lots of times 'cos he turned up to play, he had at least 4 good territory grabs, assisted in a snaffle, was energetic all round the park, all he needs is more speed off the mark because the attitude is spot on.
Justin
Roar Pro
"Offers nothing in attack" yet people want Barnes. God help us!
Justin
Roar Pro
So you are judging him from 2 years ago? He was the best 12 in AUS this year by a mile.
allblackfan
Guest
Maybe Deans's selections were based on his local knowledge of the conditions. Deans must be anticipating a lot of ball movement in the air and picked a running team. The danger is that the ABs may change their approach and include more forward power, especially mauls
Rockin Rod
Guest
I never thought these twins would be one day playing for the wallabies, great stuff to them but says alot about the state of Australian Rugby. Good luck lads
Ben S
Roar Guru
Good grief, that's excellent. Many thanks.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
http://www.mathesonsports.co.nz/otheritem.asp?id=12&Action=Next+%3E&PS=4
Ben S
Roar Guru
Really? Do you have a link, OJ?
ohtani's jacket
Guest
Fair enough. The entire Lions series is out there on DVD, though. I just checked.
Ben S
Roar Guru
I'm a sucker for high production values.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
There's plenty of bootleg DVDs out there.
Ben S
Roar Guru
No worries, TW. I do indeed have that VHS (Amazon again), I just think that it's a shame that so many historical Tests haven't found their way to DVD yet. Goodnight.
ThelmaWrites
Guest
Okay, I'll buy your explanation! Sorry to be such a sceptic, comes with age. You mean the 1993 Lions tour of New Zealand? There is a compendium sort of VHS of the three tests. The Lions were impressive in the first test. The off-loads were awesome. But of course the All Blacks won the next two. First time to see Sean Fitz sea-gulling. Cheers again and good-night!
Spence
Guest
Agree with regard Houston, it is a gamble but at this point why not. He never looked as fit as he has this year and he does have some talent. Not a fan of Fiangaa, he is too small and slow with tittle specialist skills. He is one of the few Reds I do not rate. Deans has made a huge mistake picking him. This defense may do okay at best but he offers nothing in attack. Mumm and Brown is also a complete mystery to me, same with Ma'afu.
Ben S
Roar Guru
1984 was a vintage year, TW. :-) I've caught fleeting glimpses of Gavin on various VHS's accrued over Amazon, and I recall how well he was thought of by various England players from that era. (Why has nobody put the 1987 or 1993 Lions tour or the 1987 World Cup etc onto DVD yet?) I grew up with Scott Quinnell really. I started taking rugby seriously around 1997 which is when Quinnell returned from rugby league. He was an excellent player, and I watched him play countless game for Llanelli (now the Scarlets), where he had some awesome duels with Martin Johnson, and Wales. His performances v Australia during the 2001 Lions tour were inspirational and still linger in my memory.
Ben
Guest
I think the strategy will be to have Faingaa bend the line on first phase and then 2-3 phases later put Beale and JOC into space running at angles....for the Reds he put on some wonderful inside balls outwide to Rocket Rod, Hynes and ioene. I also think the mongrel both he and his brother have if something we very much need....i think you have to have the AB backs wondering about getting teed up on and Anthony definately does that. Mortlock showed a couple of times that if you hit Nonu HARD and early he tends to go missing....smith is another storey as he just gets up and keeps on playing. Now i am also at a complete loss for Brown and Mumm.....i really dont understand. I thought it may be time to move Rocky into 4 give Higgers 6 and Hodgson 8 ( I secretly would like to see Houston given a run there as Link suggested) this way you have some height and size across the forwards. Then we can kick it to the corners and force the AB's into line outs....the only area of their game that maybe lacking, as we havent seen it much.
ThelmaWrites
Guest
Hi Ben S! Scott Quenelle and now Tim Gavin! You have to be much older to have watched these guys play?!! Yeah, I agree, Tim Gavin was special. Pity he missed the 1991 RWC. Cheers!
Spence
Guest
I actually did watch allot of Reds games this season and am still mystified why Deans picked A.Fiangaa over Barnes. He is not big, no offense to the reds fans but hardly a world class hard runner (for clarification Nonu is a hard runner and has roughly 20kg on him). He is not a tactical kicker, not know for his foot work and no better defender than Barnes. What exactly does he bring to the table at all of 88kg? And again, don't say hard runner he is simply not big enough at international level.
Ben S
Roar Guru
Scott Fava Mk. II. I recall Brown being pretty terrible versus NZ last season, or was it the season before? I had flashbacks of Vickermann shoving Fava into the right place at the lineout. Tim Gavin must be sobbing into his beer every time he trots on to the field.