WALES V AUSTRALIA:AUSTRALIA HAVE kept faith with the side that beat New Zealand last weekend for tomorrow's Test against Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff (2.30pm). It is the first time the Wallabies have been able to duplicate their side in back-to-back Tests since their final 2009 Tri-Nations match against the All Blacks.
“Continuity’s good but it’s only good if you make it work,” coach Robbie Deans said yesterday.
“By having consistent faces you are able to push on rather than continually revisiting elements that need to be covered because of a lack of history.”
Australia Wing James O’Connor will take over the goalkicking duties after inside centre Matt Giteau decided this week to relinquish them. It was O’Connor’s last-minute try and conversion that gave Australia their 26-24 win over New Zealand last Saturday, ending a 10-match losing streak against the All Blacks.
Wales have named flanker Sam Warburton in their young starting line-up that includes just three players over 30. The 22-year-old replaces veteran Martyn Williams in the side and will be joined in an injury-hit backrow by Dan Lydiate and Jonathan Thomas.
“There was debate in the backrow and we decided we wanted to have another look at Sam who hasn’t played for us since South Africa in the summer, when he did very well,” coach Warren Gatland said.
Dragons wing Will Harries comes into the side in place of the injured Leigh Halfpenny for his first start while James Hook has been moved to fullback from centre.
Winger Shane Williams, centre Tom Shanklin and outhalf Stephen Jones, the three over-30s in the team, form an experienced backline which retains only scrumhalf Mike Phillips from that which last faced New Zealand in June.
WALES: J Hook (Ospreys); W Harries (Newport Gwent Dragons), T Shanklin (Cardiff Blues), A Bishop (Ospreys), S Williams (Ospreys); S Jones (Scarlets), M Phillips (Ospreys); G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), M Rees (Scarlets, capt), A Jones (Ospreys), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), A-W Jones (Ospreys), D Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues), J Thomas (Ospreys). Replacements: H Bennett (Ospreys), P James (Ospreys), D Jones (Cardiff Blues), M Williams (Cardiff Blues), R Rees (Cardiff Blues), D Biggar (Ospreys), C Czekaj (Cardiff Blues).
AUSTRALIA: K Beale; J O'Connor, A Ashley-Cooper, M Giteau, D Mitchell; Q Cooper, W Genia; B Robinson, S Moore, B Alexander, M Chisholm, N Sharpe, R Elsom (capt), D Pococok, B McCalman. Replacements: S Faingaa, J Slipper, D Mumm, R Brown, L Burgess, B Barnes, L Turner.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England).
Assistant referees: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Peter Allan (Scotland).