Having to win the second Test against England in Melbourne on Saturday night to keep the series alive, Wallaby coach Michael Cheika has promoted James Slipper, Sekope Kepu, Sean McMahon and Sam Carter to the pack.
David Pocock (eye socket), and Rob Simmons (back) were ruled out through injury, and replaced by McMahon and Carter, while Greg Holmes has been demoted to the bench, replaced by Kepu, and Scott Sio demoted to the grandstand for Slipper.
The first Test backline remains intact.
Importantly, the referees for the last two Tests will be South African Craig Joubert who controlled the 2011 Rugby World Cup final between the All Blacks and France and Welshman Nigel Owens who refereed last year’s decider between the All Blacks and Wallabies.
Thankfully, rugby fans have seen the last of French show-pony Romain Poite who blew the pea out of his whistle in the first Test, caning the Wallabies 9-2 in first half penalties,and 15-8 overall.
England’s champion goal-kicker Owen Farrell landed six penalties from six, Bernard Foley replied with two from two – more than the 39-28 difference which sealed the match for the visitors.
Another difference were the six Tests England had played to win the Six Nations Grand Slam since the Rugby World Cup and won them well, while the Wallabies hadn’t played a Test in six months.
Now the Wallaby rust has been shed, Saturday night will be on a more even playing field.
For starters, the Wallaby front row will be far more experienced in Melbourne.
In Brisbane, the Wallaby front row of Sio, Moore, and Holmes boasted 142 caps, but Slipper, Moore, and Kepu will raise that bar to 242 caps.
And that’s where the Wallabies struck trouble with Poite – Melbourne will be different with Joubert.
Many rugby fans will think Cheika has gambled with the selection of McMahon to replace Pocock.
But there’s a method in Cheika’s madness, with McMahon a live-wire who plays well above his weight. Just as well, McMahon’s 26kgs lighter than opposite number Billy Vunipola.
I rate the Cheika decision as brilliant as playing Pocock at number 8, and while McMahon is no Pocock yet, he sure plays like him.
Carter’s selection brings the Brumbies lock pairing together with Arnold which must be another plus.
The coach’s biggest problem will be dropping three tomorrow from the selected 11-man bench.
It’s Cheika’s intention to have a 5-3 forwards-backs bench, as against the 6-2 of the past.
That being the case, with only three bench backs selected, the three to be dropped will all be forwards.
Tatafa Polota-Nau is the only hooker selected, and there are only two props Toby Smith and Greg Holmes, so those three are safe, leaving three to go from Dean Mumm, James Horwill, Ben McCalman, Liam Gill,and Wycliff Palu.
Mumm, Gill, and Palu loom as the unlucky trio.
The squad
1 – James Slipper (75 caps)
2 – Stephen Moore capt (103)
3 – Sekope Kepu (64)
4 – Rory Arnold (1)
5 – Sam Carter (12)
6 – Scott Fardy (31)
7 – Michael Hooper (52)
8 – Sean McMahon (7)
9 – Nick Phipps (40)
10 – Bernard Foley (28)
11 – Rob Horne (30)
12 – Samu Kerevi (1)
13 – Tevita Kuridrani (32)
14 – Dane Haylett-Petty (1)
15 – Israel Folau (39)
Bench
Tatafu Polota-Nau (62)
Toby Smith (3)
Greg Holmes (25)
Dean Mumm (45)
James Horwill (62)
Ben McCalman (47)
Liam Gill (15)
Wycliff Palu (57)
Nick Frisby (1)
Christian Lealiifano (17)
Luke Morahan (1)
soapit
Guest
i do sometimes get the feeling that hooper models his decision making on the ab's but unfortunately he just doesnt have the same players to back it up.
Timbo (L)
Guest
If you are playing 2 #7's and no #8 it doesn't really matter where you bind in a scrum. The attack isn't going to come from there anyway. In general attacking play, Hooper and Fardy are on the Wings, McMahon will join a pod with Carter and Arnold.
Timbo (L)
Guest
Bruce, I make no excuses for Hoopers Defence. I want Liam Gill in at #7 and McCalman @ #8 with McMahon Cleaning up the Scraps from the Bench. Hooper will need to man up and visit some defensive rucks on Saturday night or it will all be over very quickly.
Timbo (L)
Guest
Shirley, Agree with McMahon being a great player but he isn't actually playing number 8. He is 7.5 I think Australia had 3 Scrum feeds in total last weekend, none of them ended with the ball at the back., So those skills aren't so critical and I think he can hold that fort. The lineout and defense on the other hand are key #8 traits and these will be tested by fire
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Couldn't agree me. If it took 5 minutes to score a try it was game over. This way they still had 5 minutes to score a try to win.
Jerry
Guest
They could have scored a try in 1 minute and had 2 minute to press for a penalty - BUT it was by no means guaranteed that they would score a try in 2 minutes or at all. The penalty was essentially a gimme, so taking the penalty all but guarantees them a chance to win with a try. Going for the try was a bigger risk and even if it comes off, might leave them almost no time to work with.
Hayden
Guest
Yep. They were pressing, if they score a try in the next few minutes they draw the game and get to receive a kick off. They could then attempt to keep it tight and recycle the ball or put in an up and under and try and trap the English not rolling away or some other bloody infringement - and hence get another crack at 3 points and a win. If they are in possession there is not really 4 minutes to go anyway, its not AFL. Sometimes teams play on for 6 minutes or so after the hooter as long as the ball has not been killed.
Timbo (L)
Guest
TWAS, again with the stats, One Eye presented some stats, in difference, they are contextually relevant.. 5 Visits to 28 rucks, These are exceptionally poor numbers for a back rower, But then again I have never asserted that Hooper is actually playing in the #7 defensive role. One of his tackle stats was earned after letting Haskell get away,gaining >10m before cleaning up his own mess with a chase down, A try was scored on the next phase because of the great field position. This is not a quality stat! and if Fardy, MacMahon, McCalman, Gill or Pocock had done the same thing they would have been ridiculed.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Defensive holes Hooper leaves behind? He topped the tackle count. If anything he was plugging holes.
bruce bridges
Roar Rookie
In essence I get your point, but to allow your 7 to moonlight at 11 when he should all hands to the pump in his main job is a risky business. More so when the opposition 668 firstly came to grips with and eventually were able to control the pace of the game.
Timbo (L)
Guest
Shane D's Article link illustrates Hooper's strength in attack, I don't think we can question that. I would like to see the defensive version of this review as well. Keep in mind, Mr Fardy is doing exactly the same thing but on Hooper's opposite wing. There was a blown try because they didn't pass to him out there. The difference is that yes, Fardy looks great in the sequined gown accepting the awards but he he also catches a lot of Moore's Bouquets and shows up after the party to scrub the vomit off the floor. He is not wandering around breathless, stockings around his ankles, combing his facial hair. [Apologies if my metaphor is a bit fruity]. Are Hooper's supreme attacking skills worth the defensive holes he leaves behind? Haskell and Itoge will answer that for us in 2 days time
Timbo (L)
Guest
Shane, Fantastic Article Link. Thanks
pick & go..!!
Guest
Shane, as Old One Eye mentioned above Hooper is our starting Openside. Running wide is fine as long as you are hitting rucks & contesting the breakdown first & foremost. But if what Old One Eye's analysis of Hooper's game is correct, that after 28 breakdowns Hooper had been to 5 of them, secured our own ball once, no turnovers and didn’t shift a single opposition player. I would think that with those Stats & Hopper scoring two trys on the wing, that he was one fine winger. But his not his our starting 7.
Timbo (L)
Guest
I vote for the Penalty, You need a converted try to draw, and Foley's boot was in at the dealers for a 40,000km service. The penalty meant that you only need to cross the line once to win, no conversion required. If they had scored in the dying minutes (and they got close) it would have been heralded as a masterful decision.
Timbo (L)
Guest
Jack, I am sure Chiek didn't instruct Hooper to stand idly by and watch Haskell run past him off the side of a mall.
Timbo (L)
Guest
CUW I like your contrasting assessment of the English back row- 668 I climb back on my soap box and would like to assert that Australia are (were) playing a 6,7,11 back row, With McMahon it is closer to 6,6,11 which may prove to be a better balance as 6's tend to be more like 8's than 7's.
factcheika
Guest
We're playing England TWAS. Selections for the scrum should always outweigh 'around the ground' performance for props in this instance. We had a decade of picking props based on their 'around the ground' performance, we need to start consistently picking the best scrummagers first.
bruce bridges
Roar Rookie
No I think that EJ knows that his forwards have to win game for England and he wants as many as possible on the bench to keep squeezing the Aussie forwards. The Aussies on the other hand will not want the ball to stay still for very long because if it does the English will suffocate them and use the penalties to build points and field position. True clash of rugby styles this match coming up and all the more fascinating for it.
Boomeranga
Guest
Whenever we go 6:2 I see it more as a sign the coach thinks the forwards are going to need reinforcing rather than,as you say, a way to drive home an advantage. That may well be based on the Australian game of often having backs who will manage but forwards who often struggle, and could be different for England.
Homer Gain
Guest
That would be Bordelais (not Bordeauxan).