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The beaten Wallabies have called prop Salesi Ma’afu and No.8 Radike Samo into their 26-man Tri-Nations squad travelling to South Africa on Sunday.
Brumbies tight-head Ma’afu was expected to make his return from a broken arm against the Springboks in Durban next Saturday but Queensland back-rower Samo’s promotion is a mild surprise.
The pair, plus veteran lock Nathan Sharpe, will join the Wallabies when they land in Sydney the morning after their 30-14 loss to the All Blacks in Auckland.
Coach Robbie Deans has released second-rower Dan Vickerman from the 22-man team which fell to a 12th straight loss at Eden Park, a run stretching back 25 years.
Deans had Thursday said Sharpe would be a straight swap for Vickerman who will play a full match of Sydney club rugby next weekend to improve his game conditioning before Australia’s World Cup squad is selected on August 18.
Samo’s promotion suggests incumbent No.8 Ben McCalman may be under pressure to retain his starting place against the South Africans.
Back-rower Scott Higginbotham was a stand-out in the second half against New Zealand after replacing McCalman and may be rewarded with a first run-on Test start.
Ma’afu’s return would likely come on the bench against the Springboks, replacing Pek Cowan who was not used on Saturday night.
Winger Digby Ioane was the Wallabies best as the All Blacks, led by playmaker Dan Carter, kept the Bledisloe Cup for a ninth straight year.
Ioane scored a scintillating 51st-minute try and was a menace each time he touched the ball.
Australia (five points) will need to beat winless South Africa to remain a realistic chance of staying in Tri-Nations contention as unbeaten New Zealand (nine points) hold a four-point advantage.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.