The Wallabies have made two changes to their bench for the Rugby World Cup clash with Georgia, with Michael Hooper among the two players omitted at the 11th hour.
Regular captain Hooper will be deprived his 99th cap after being withdrawn because of “general soreness” while Adam Coleman is missing Friday’s game in Shizuoka for the same reason.
Their places are taken by flanker Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Rob Simmons, with the latter poised to play his 100th Test.
Wallabies side to face Georgia (15-1)
Kurtley Beale, Jordan Petaia, James O’Connor, Samu Kerevi, Marika Koroibete, Matt To’omua, Nic White, Isi Naisarani, David Pocock (capt), Jack Dempsey, Rory Arnold, Izack Rodda, Sekope Kepu, Tolu Latu, Scott Sio.
Reserves: Jordan Uelese, James Slipper, Taniela Tupou, Rob Simmons, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Will Genia, Christian Lealiifano, Dane Haylett-Petty.
SD
Guest
John R Fake News. If Simmons was still a Red he wouldn't have played 100 + tests .That is fair dinkum. :thumbup:
Wombat
Guest
Can’t wait to see how people on this thread commentate on the new wallabies coach after Cheika goes. It’s the cattle, not the farmer!
MitchO
Guest
A very big congrats to Rob Simmons. 100 test matches for my country. That is a huge achievement. I'd have him where Cheika has him. In a queue behind Arnold, Rodda and Coleman but Simmons is a test quality lock and has been since a very young age. Monumental stuff up for Qld to have to let him go because they signed Douglas. Simmons' is still only 30 give or take. Has some really good years left in him.
MitchO
Guest
It is a good opportunity to see if Toomua can start a game at 10. No problem with that. CLL can steer a ship round the park okay and has the head to close out a game. Maybe Toomua at 10 fixes the slow starts because White can run or pop to Toomua who can run or pop to Kerevi who can run. Similarly if you think the 10 is going to get smashed in the first 20 minutes then Toomua is better for that job than CLL. Not easy to smash Toomua. CLL stood up to Fiji okay but he got bashed.
MitchO
Guest
I think Coleman has been good this season. His job is to come of the bench and inject some physicality and I think he's done that. He's had injury problems the last season or two. He probably needs an ice bath. You'd only drop him if you were going have LSL as the reserve lock and Dempsey/Pocock as the reserve 6/8. Dempsey's been doing okay this tournament but for mine Dempsey and LSL are competing. Coleman's added plenty of good grunt with more to come.
BRADDLES
Guest
Hooper needs a permanent rest.
SD
Guest
Being on the bench means you are still capped.????????????
John R
Roar Guru
Rob Simmons debuted for the Wallabies in 2010, up until he was cut from the Reds at the end of 2017, he played 82 games for the Wallabies. An average of 10.25 games per year. Since signing with the Tahs for the 2018 season, he has played 17 times, 18 if you include tonight's game. An average of 9 a year so far, with more games yet to be played. So not that fair dinkum really sorry mate.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Normally the reason you carry a bench openside is not to cover openside, but because they tend to be your best loosie outside the starting team. But also Dempsey is really capable of playing 7. Similar profile to most 7s running around at test level. LSL is included as a reserve 6, which is where he has been playing every game.
Derpington
Guest
Haha stop letting facts into the comments section.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Wasn't when he missed the Argentina test last year...
terrykidd
Roar Pro
Agree Coleman is a worry ..... maybe Simmons and LSL are both auditioning for Coleman's bench spot ??
terrykidd
Roar Pro
Ok, a lock for a lock and a lock for a open side flanker ..... not a big issue playing Georgia ..... the backrow can look forward to playing 80 minutes each.
Jamie
Guest
So the team is stronger without Hooper now. Good.
Bobby
Roar Rookie
Understand why Hooper needs a rest. No problem and well deserved I say. But Coleman, seriously. He has underperformed at RWC, played few minutes and doesn't NEED a rest. More to his story IMO.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
We've had 4 years to do that.
Oblonsky‘s Other Pun
Roar Guru
It could be that Toomua is now seen as the first choice 10. In which case, the halves are first choice. Beale at fullback boggles the mind, however. Who would seriously take Kurtley over Banks? DHP is the form fullback.
Jack
Guest
Here a thought with the finals coming up. Why not play your best team and few games in a row, particularly the halves where instinctive understanding of each other's game is so important. The Wallabes have to be slick and precise under pressure in the back line. More so with rush defences and weak policing of the office rule. They have rarely been so this year and last. Every other coach in every other team sport dreams of an unchanged side leading into the finals. We've chopped and changed the halves for way too long. Why do the favourites get 4 years of opportunities and others two or three games. Banks got a game and half and dropped from the squad.
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
Now chaps as the resident military liaison on this here website I'll have you know that Michael Chieka has no need for fancy tactics and so called strategy He'll probably just give a pep talk and buy the boys some golf clubs or something and .. they know how to play footy and .. and they've been training well and it's all about building...
ols
Roar Pro
Sure it's not Major Disappointment? :silly: