The Wallabies have confirmed their bench to play Scotland on Saturday at Allianz Stadium, with Scott Sio named to make his return from a knee injury in the only change from their opening win over Fiji.
After coach Michael Cheika made the decision to hand Eto Nabuli a debut on the wing over Henry Speight when the team was announced on Thursday, it’s been confirmed Speight will be missing entirely from the team.
Sio, who hasn’t played a game in two months as he got over the injury, is joined by experienced veterans Stephen Moore and Sekope Kepu on the bench, who will be playing in their 119th and 79th Test matches respectively.
The man who has made way for Sio is Toby Smith.
Quade Cooper is also on the bench for the second time in a row, after a solid performance against Fiji. He is in line to play his 69th Test for the Wallabies.
Richard Hardwick and Joe Powell, both of whom made their Wallabies debuts in the first match against Fiji, which the Wallabies won to the tune of 34-17, have been retained to continue building experience ahead of the Rugby Championship later in the year.
The bench is rounded out by Rory Arnold, with coach Cheika once again deciding to go with a five-three split on the interchange bench.
Full team to play Scotland
1. Tom Robertson
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau
3. Allan Alaalatoa
4. Sam Carter
5. Adam Coleman
6. Ned Hanigan
7. Michael Hooper (c)
8. Scott Higginbotham
9. Will Genia
10. Bernard Foley
11. Eto Nabuli
12. Karmichael Hunt
13. Tevita Kuridrani
14. Dane Haylett-Petty
15. Israel FolauReserves
16. Stephen Moore
17. Scott Sio
18. Sekope Kepu
19. Rory Arnold
20. Richard Hardwick
21. Joe Powell
22. Quade Cooper
23. Reece Hodge
Daveski
Guest
Sometimes it is like that...this entire thread is almost cut n paste from the same "Wallabies team announced" thread from last week.
MitchO
Guest
Tim tricks don't work against brains and technique and a feel for it. Scrum is wrestling not weightlifting. Wrestling is not straight athleticism just like boxing isn't.
MitchO
Guest
What are the work ons for Philip and rhp the coz they are all young guys like haninigan. Why is hanigan the star? Agree that you can almost always spot the physical. Pocock hooper McMahon Coleman Hardwick.
Zero Gain
Guest
Robertson is a good club player, that's all. I agree, a ridiculous selection.
Reverse Wheel
Guest
The roar rugby is just the same 6 people making the same unsubstantiated claims time and time again, isn't it?
Reverse Wheel
Guest
Oy vey
Fionn
Guest
V. impressed!
Charlie Turner
Guest
I can only imagine Cheika is giving Sio a chance to avenge his RWC humiliation at the hands of WP Nell. Robertson though is a mystery! Smiths work rate and scrummaging should see him figure highly in Cheika ranking, obviously Ladesma doesn't rate him. I would love to know why!
Fionn
Guest
He will have to scrum against Nell coming on though - starting may have been an easier proposition I would have thought.
Bakkies
Guest
Yes they are TWAS. Barclay started his career as a 7. He was left out of the squad for a while under previous coaches despite performing for his club.
Bakkies
Guest
The Scots are playing two fetchers and a tight five to play a continuity game as Townsend's teams offload a lot. The Wallabies have struggled against teams that play two fetchers without Pocock in the squad.
Bakkies
Guest
Fagerson has been around a while now despite his age. He has been scrummaging against wiley looseheads like Healy, Jenkins, McGrath, Kilcoyne in the Pro 12 and this is before you get to the English and French props he faces in the not the Heineken Cup sponsored by Heineken.
Bakkies
Guest
Sio hasn't played Rugby for a while and that includes a match on his way back from injury so I can understand having him on the bench
PeterK
Roar Guru
twas - You are correct it is only a perception. I wnet and checked super rugby stats. Per minutes played they have the same number of tackles.What surprised me even more though timani has twice as many ball carries per min. I don't see Hanigan hitting more rucks to make the difference. So he doesn't have a better work rate than Timani. So all he has is mobility. I am assuming Timani is match fit, perhaps he isn't.
Bakkies
Guest
It's to counter Barclay and Watson later on in the match
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
Marto, Quade over Bernard? I don't think I could get on board with that. I like my players balanced and with Quade there is a real chance that he will be sitting in the naughty chair right next to Folau after another dodgy tackle. There are precedents. Sure, Foley doesn't have the attacking flair of Cooper or Barrett nor the Boot of Cruden but on balance I would rather have him on deck. Failing that, Mack Mason would be next in line. Hodge at Fullback is not a bad choice, Not sure if you have DHP or Izzy on the bench. In my view, DHP must start or not play at all. Reece can play 12-15 and can kick like a mule. He is a great bench utility and an ideal reserve. Like to see him start but he has got some big names in front of him. Hardwick isn't renowned as a jumper, the line out might suffer. But then again, Ned hasn't been called on to do anything up there either. I would put Rosco or Dempsey (if fit) in there before Dicky. Fards would be even better. . I would start Hardwick at 7 but we all know that this is verboten. Smith or Alcock would be the smart choice. As per the article (telegraph I think) they are just going to run heavies at Hoops to neutralize him, and it will work. I predict an early appearance for Hardwick as Hoops takes some time off getting his head bandaged up.
Timbo (L)
Roar Guru
My observation is that true Scrum mechanics evolve over time. At 21 Farguson probably won't have developed a bag of dirty tricks and an invisibility cloak yet. Sio is pretty good against honest Props and great everywhere else. WP Nell on the other hand has an old head on a Dutch body. His trick bag is full and his cloak is thick and wide. My prediction is that if Barnes doesn't keep a keen eye on the scrum's legalities, Sio will get badly injured, ..again.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
So you think he's shown an ability to be a physical dominant player? I'm not sure what Schatz has to do with anything. I doubt I ever said a single positive thing about him during his time at the Reds and definitely said there were better options when he got his couple of Wallaby caps.
MitchO
Guest
Fionn. I think Coleman is only half Tongan. That makes him half safe to run at.
MitchO
Guest
Hi Thugby not safe to refer to mine as a great brain. In any event it is in worse shape than it used to be. I was really smart when I was about 12 years old. That was a long time ago. I don't have Fox so I don't watch enough of these guys see how they are travelling.