Wallabies flyhalf Quade Cooper returns to the starting XV for Australia, while Israel Folau has shifted to fullback for Saturday night’s Rugby Championship clash against the Springboks at Suncorp Stadium.
In four changes to the starting XV which was defeated by New Zealand home and away, Sekope Kepu comes into tighthead prop for Ben Alexander, while Nick Cummins moves to the wing, with Jesse Mogg dropping to the bench.
Queensland Reds back rower Jake Schatz comes in for Reds’ team mate Liam Gill, and will make his debut should he emerge from the bench.
Saturday’s contest is the first time Cooper has worn the number 10 jersey for Australia since the Qantas Wallabies defeated South Africa and Argentina in back-to-back Tests in September last year.
Cooper also holds a surprisingly strong record against South African opposition having won seven of his nine total matches against the Springboks, including his past five.
“We have very specific thoughts about how we want to play this game and feel Quade is best suited to carrying that out,” said Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie.
“He’s been part of our matchday squad in both games so far but his role now changes from being a finisher to starting the game. We feel that role will suit how we want to play.
“He is also an experienced and successful Test player, which is handy to have against a hardened Springboks outfit.
“It has been almost 12 months since he last started a Test match and I’m sure there were times where he wondered if he would wear the number 10 jersey again. He’s worked really hard both on and off the field to now get that chance.
“He’s carried himself extremely well all year and during the last fortnight in the role we’ve asked him to complete. Now, he gets a chance to make an impact from the start of the game.
“That also means we’re asking Matt to fulfil a new role this week. He has had a great season so far and his form was reflected in our decision to choose him for the opening two Test matches.
“He’s still in our Test squad and will have a part to play in our success this week and moving forward.”
McKenzie said he expected all of the changes to positively influence the game.
“Israel has played more fullback than on the wing so he will undoubtedly feel comfortable playing the position. He has looked impressive at training and we think he will add value with how we want to approach the game,” he said.
“Once we made the decision to move Israel it opened the door for another player on the wing. The Springboks are an abrasive and physical team and we feel Nick’s style of play will suit that.
“Up front Keps has been on the fringes but he is a very good technician of the game, which is important as everyone continues to work out the new scrum laws. We’ve got a lot of good players in this space and for this week Keps deserves an opportunity to start.
“Jake has been a continuously improving player for as long as I have known him and that was reflected in his Pilecki Medal honour. Winning that award is the ultimate recognition of consistency over a period of time.
“He will bring a bunch of attributes to the game and can cover all three backrow positions, along with being a very good lineout jumper.”
The Springboks opened their Rugby Championship campaign with successive wins over Argentina.
The Wallabies side to play South Africa in the opening Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate and Rugby Championship match at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday 7 September is: (kickoff 8pm AEST)
1. James Slipper (Queensland Reds)
2. Stephen Moore (ACT Brumbies)
3. Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs)
4. Rob Simmons (Queensland Reds)
5. James Horwill (c – Queensland Reds)
6. Scott Fardy (ACT Brumbies)
7. Michael Hooper (NSW Waratahs)
8. Ben Mowen (ACT Brumbies)
9. Will Genia (vc – Queensland Reds)
10. Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds)
11. James O’Connor (Melbourne Rebels)
12. Christian Leali’ifano (ACT Brumbies)
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW Waratahs)
14. Nick Cummins (Western Force)
15. Israel Folau (NSW Waratahs)
Bench:
16. Saia Fainga’a (Queensland Reds)
17. Scott Sio (ACT Brumbies)
18. Ben Alexander (ACT Brumbies)
19. Kane Douglas (NSW Waratahs)
20. Jake Schatz (Queensland Reds)
21. Nic White (ACT Brumbies)
22. Matt Toomua (ACT Brumbies)
23. Jesse Mogg (ACT Brumbies)
Firstxv
Guest
Toomua might be a solid defender but the Ozzie backline were terrible last week on defence. Lilo was shooting up before the others and they were continuously running through toomuas channel. How adding Cooper will fix that this week I have no idea because the Boks will have picked that up and will be sure to target that channel more so. The backline is in complete disarray and I cant see how that isnt obvious. Its not been this bad defensively for some time now. The Boks arent too proficient at exposing the inside channel but with go forward ball and a slight change of tack their 'upset Cooper' plan just might work.
Mike
Guest
"tap dancing" in this context means changing your position as soon as a weakness is pointed out in it. I am not referring to what my granddaughter does.
Cattledog
Roar Guru
Really don't know why I bother but go on, tell me how I 'tap dance in usual fashion'?
Mike
Guest
I didn't assume you polled anyone Cattledog. I did anticipate that you would tap dance in usual fashion, the only question was, how. Now let's see, you're still trying to deflect attention from the original point, alright, whatever. But you want to assure me that the "majority" of Roarers "appear pretty satisfied with the team selected". No, I stil don't think you know what you are talking about. And even if it were correct, my question remains the same: who cares what the majority of Roarers may think at any particular time about any particular issue? This is an opinion site, not a voting site.
Cattledog
Roar Guru
Funny that Mike. This is the Roar site. Are you assuming I polled the Australian population. I can see this going the same as other posts with you involved...nowhere. Your analysis continues to be a little troubled Mike. Needless to say from my reading of the posts the majority appear pretty satisfied with the team selected. This was not the case under Deans.
CJ
Guest
To be fair, he's not alone. I think the Beast is an average international loosehead who bores in on the hit all the time and I look forward with interest in seeing if he can cope under the new rules that stop him cheating so blatantly. Though he has the right build to prosper under the new rules. His colour is irrelevant to this, watching him play is the basis for all his criticism
Mike
Guest
Ah so now we have moved from "the vast majority" to "the vast majority of Roarers". Even if that were correct, who cares? And what is the relevance of this anyway? I queried the basis on which another poster compared McKenzie's selection of Cooper at 10 and Folau at 15 with selections by Robbie Deans. You obviously don't like me criticising that methodology but so far you haven't been able to articulate why.
kelefua
Guest
Really looking forward to Wallaby v Boks game its gonna be a ripper! Would've like to see this lineup against ABs. It seems like the strongest Wallaby team available. Just not sure Folau is ready for FB against the top teams maybe a swap with OConnor would've been safer. But EM knows what he's doing so hope the young fella has top game at the back. Toomua is a solid defender/attacker with pace & ball skills. After consecutive games against the world champs he'll be confident to get more involved. Coming off the bench this guy wouldn't look out of place anywhere in the backline. QC needs a solid game & good to see him start rather than 'miracle 20'
Cattledog
Roar Guru
No Mike, your arguing semantics. Most people get an idea how the majority on the Roar are leaning by way of their posts. It's my opinion that Link seems to be making moderate changes in line with the comments made by what I consider a majority of Roarers. It's also my opinion that the initial selection and changes Deans made left the majority of Roarers scratching their heads...even the NSW supporters. So, you're welcome to disagree but that's my opinion and nothing I have seen in the last 12 months of posts would lead me to change that opinion. Whether we are right or not as a majority is yet to be determined.
Frank O'Keeffe
Guest
Yeah the backline is about right, I think, Bruce. Mogg maybe has a bit of Glen Ella syndrome in that they pulled the trigger on him so early. I'm sure he'll get another chance another time. Izzy's a fun one to watch. On the one hand it's obvious he possesses a unique talent no one else in the backline possesses. But then there are instances. Yes the team had problems getting the ball out to him, but he also has to look for work. He doesn't quite have the sixth sense of where to be and when, yet! Hopefully that develops. I just hope Australia has a fullback who has the courage to run the ball back. I loved it in 2010 how anytime the Boks kicked for touch, Beale threw it back in and ran. It nullified Steyn beautifully, who couldn't play territory with this menace just running it back all the time. It's a shame Beale never reached the heights he should have. The way Quade came back into the side is interesting. I think Toomua deserved his spot in the first Test, but in the back of my mind I thought McKenzie might slowly transition Quade back into the side. I can't prove it, but it's interesting McKenzie played Quade on the bench against NZ, and as soon as that was over, he was back in the side. If the Aussie forwards front up, I can see us winning this one. The Wallabies desperately need to win.
sesenta y cuatro
Roar Pro
When Pocock, Hooper and Gill are all available, will the Wallabies play with 3 openside flankers? Just kidding, sometimes it is too easy to criticize the poor results the Wallabies are getting and perhaps it's not so easy to remember that David Pocock is not playing. I still think the man the Wallabies miss the most is Elsom, but the good Elsom, the one who departed toward Ireland.
Cattledog
Roar Guru
Jiggles and Astro, you won't win this one, trust me! Take the analysis for what it was intended. At no time has Mick's analysis led to a conclusion. However, it gives Roarers an insight into the last 17-20 games played by either side. It doesn't account for the players and selections compared to other games. It hasn't accounted for the games played at Suncorp by the two sides. As has been mentioned, the statistics are really meaningless without certain measures applied. I also know Mick will be hoping for a Wallaby win...unless of course he's put his house on the opposition...again... ;)
Cattledog
Roar Guru
Ha ha. Most of the Aust bookies get their odds from other betting sites. They just hope the site that did the analysis got it right. ;)
Ben.S
Roar Guru
I guess we have different expectations of what a good performance should entail then. Fair enough.
Cattledog
Roar Guru
Link's a moderate when it comes to changes. Certainly at Suncorp, that would be the appropriate place to introduce Gill for a run on. However, as I have said, he's a moderate and has to deal with more of the lunatic fringe than we have to on the Roar.
Mike
Guest
Your "vast majority" is a myth. Those who disagreed with Deans did so for contradictory reasons - one didn't like him because he selected Coopet, another because he didn't immediately drop Giteau, another because he did drop Giteau, etc etc. It was just a chaotic, unthinking mass. The smart people saw that the incompetence of many of the critics outweighed that of Deans and just made him look good. And now? The vast majority aren't expressing an opinion at all. just watching to see what happens. But yes there are a few mental ones trying to blame Deans for a decision made by McKenzie. Just living up to their potential I guess.
Cattledog
Roar Guru
You left out 'poor' J3 :)
Cattledog
Roar Guru
Now you're even starting to worry me, Mick. I thought he had apologised to you? :)
Cattledog
Roar Guru
'Wannabe Kiwi'...Ha! Nice one Tane. Only for those with a frontal lobotomy ;)
Cattledog
Roar Guru
Mike, I'm pretty confident the point being made is that with Link, you seem to get changes that the vast majority agree with. In Deans' case, the changes would generally make little sense and have the majority scratching there heads. Of course, this may prove a disaster, time will tell. However, I seem to think that with the majority thinking along similar lines to the coach, would indicate that he's not only on the same planet, but perhaps in the same grid square as the rest of us, unlike Dingo Bingo...sorry, delete Bingo, I just thought it an apt name which resembled his selections. Incidentally, Link needs to make better use of his bench this week. I thought a pretty poor effort 2 weeks ago.