Robbie Deans announces his match-day players for upcoming encounter against All Blacks – Rugby News
Wallabies head coach, Robbie Deans, has announced his match-day squad for the 2011 Tri Nations’ last match against the All Blacks. Deans made the list of players public on Tuesday, August 23.
Wallabies will host the All Blacks at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane on Saturday, August 27.
Deans has expressed his confidence that his side has the capability to defeat the All Blacks. Wallabies entered the match knowing the fact that if they can manage to defeat the All Blacks, they will lift the 2011 Tri Nations title.
Wallabies so far have played three games in this year’s Tri Nations tournament and won two of their matches against the Springboks. All Blacks handed over an impressive 30 -14 defeat to the Wallabies at the Eden Park, on Saturday, August 06.
Wallabies match preparations suffered a major blow as their utility backs player James O’Connor became unavailable for Saturday’s encounter.
Yesterday, Australian Rugby Union (ARU) has handed over a one-match ban to O’Connor following his absence from the two official team’s events. This means that the player will not be available to play in the last match of the Tri Nations.
Anthony Fainga'a has replaced the suspended O’Connor in the squad. In other changes, the experienced duo of the Dan Vickerman and Radike Samo will take the field in the starting xv. The duo of Vickerman and Samo will start the match at second row and number eight positions respectively.
James Horwill will lead his side on the field on Saturday. Earlier in the week, Deans appointed Horwill as the captain of the Wallabies in place of Rocky Elsom.
Deans is yet to announce his 22nd member of the team. He is waiting on the performance of some of the international players who will represent the Australian Barbarians in their Friday, August 26 encounter against the Canadian national Rugby Union team.
The Wallabies squad announced for the Saturday encounter against the All Blacks consists of:
Starting XV: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13 Anthony Fainga'a, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Radike Samo, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 James Horwill (c), 4 Dan Vickerman, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Sekope Kepu.
Replacements: 16 Saia Fainga'a, 17 Salesi Ma'afu, 18 Rob Simmons, 19 Ben McCalman, 20 Scott Higginbotham, 21 Luke Burgess, 22 To Be Announced.
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