Wallabies squad announcement: Full team to play the Springboks in Perth

The Wallabies have announced a revamped backline for in an effort to recover some lost pride on Saturday night when they face a hungry Springboks side at Patersons Stadium in Perth.

Australia have had just over a week since their 51-20 hiding at Eden Park to lick their wounds, and will surely be out to prove their worth.

A hard-fought draw again the All Blacks at ANZ stadium in the opening round promised steely performances from the Australian side, a backbone that was bent and ultimately broken by a rampant display of running rugby and breakdown bullying in Auckland.

As such, Ewen McKenzie has announced a revamped match-day 23 to play South Africa on Saturday.

Wallabies squad to face the Springboks at Perth
1. James Slipper
2. James Hanson
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Sam Carter
5. Rob Simmons
6. Scott Fardy
7. Michael Hooper
8. Wycliff Palu
9. Nick Phipps
10. Bernard Foley
11. Rob Horne
12. Matt Toomua
13. Tevita Kuridrani
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper
15. Israel Folau

Replacements
Saia Fainga’a, Pek Cowan, Ben Alexander, James Horwill, Scott Higginbotham, Matt Hodgson, Nic White, Kurtley Beale

The result against the All Blacks prompted much speculation as to the wisdom of the backline selection and the ability of the Wallabies’ forward pack to match it with the big boys of world rugby.

As such we see a number of changes from the seven that took to Eden Park. Adam Ashley-Cooper shuffles to the wing, replaced by the man he took over from, Tevita Kuridrani. McKenzie will be looking for the hard-running Brumby to add some go-forward to the Wallabies’ attack.

The halves have been shaken up, with Bernard Foley reinstated at fly-half, taking over from Kurtley Beale. Nick Phipps earns an opportunity at the base of the scrum to partner his Super Rugby teammate.

The forward pack remains largely the same, with James Hanson selected at hooker and Reds teammate Saia Fainga’a on the bench as the Wallabies’ hooking crisis deepens.

On the bench, Matt Hodgson earns a recall to Wallaby gold after over three years out of the 23. James Horwill will be looking to press his claim, and Scott Higginbotham remains there after his impressive showing against the All Blacks.

Nic White and Kurtley Beale remain in the match-day 23, dropping to the bench.

Criticism over the last week will surely fuel the desire of the players in the squad, especially the forwards considering McKenzie has largely chosen to remain loyal.

The Springboks are coming off the back of a particularly trying encounter with an impressive Argentina side, with each team scoring three tries. The Boks scraped through with the incredibly accurate boot of fly-half Handre Pollard and help from Morne Steyn.

It was Steyn who kept his nerve to slot the match winning penalty.

The Pumas pushed the Springboks to their limit, and the Wallabies will have taken notes from the Argentine display in the hope of exploiting any perceived weaknesses in the South African squad.

McKenzie said the physicality the Springboks promised presents a tough challenge for the forwards and halves, and goes a long way to explaining the 6-2 forwards-backs split on the bench.

“While the size of the challenge isn’t any easier this week, the South Africans do play a unique brand of Rugby which we will need to adjust to,” McKenzie said.

“That’s reflected in our selections somewhat, where we feel the partnership of Nick and Bernard will best suit the style of game we’ll be trying to play.

“They’ve got a proven combination at a Super Rugby level and we look forward to seeing how that translates into the Test environment.

“It’s naturally disappointing for the two guys who missed out on the starting team in Nic and Kurtley, but the reality is we have a lot of good players in those playmaking positions.

“We expect them to respond in a positive manner and to make an impact playing an important role in how we close out the match.”

“We’ve been really impressed with the variety South Africa has brought to their game in recent times, but traditionally they are a forward-orientated side which uses their size, power and set-piece to put pressure on the opposition,” he said.

“You have to confront that head-on and match fire with fire. The addition of an extra forward also offers us greater flexibility in how we approach our substitutions.

“James has been working really hard to push his way back into the matchday squad, and I’ve been really impressed with how he has gone about his work. He will also bring the added benefit of giving us an additional lineout jumping option when he’s on the field.

“Matt Hodgson also deserves a special mention. He’s been doing everything he can on and off the field to get an opportunity, and has been the ultimate team man in the process. We look forward to seeing what he’ll bring to the match.”

What do you think Roarers? Is this the team to beat the ‘Boks?