Australia head coach Michael Cheika has named his Wallabies team for the Rugby Championship Bledisloe Cup opener in Sydney this weekend.
Cheika has brought back his European based stars from the Rugby World Cup which have added 315 Test caps of experience.
Adam Ashley-Cooper, Matt Giteau, Will Genia and Kane Douglas have returned to the Wallabies fold after sitting out the June series against England.
Ben McCalman joins Michael Hooper and David Pocock in a new-look backrow, while old combinations will be reunited in the backline with Will Genia and Bernard Foley forming the halves alongside Giteau and Tevita Kuridrani in the centres.
Brumbies prop Allan Ala’alatoa is in line to make his debut and become the 896th player to represent the Wallabies, after being named on the bench alongside veterans Tatafu Polota-Nau and James Slipper.
Australia
1. Scott Sio , 2. Stephen Moore (c), 3. Sekope Kepu , 4. Kane Douglas , 5. Rob Simmons , 6. Ben McCalman , 7. Michael Hooper, 8. David Pocock , 9. Will Genia , 10. Bernard Foley 11. Dane Haylett-Petty 12. Matt Giteau 13. Tevita Kuridrani 14. Adam Ashley-Cooper 15. Israel Folau
Replacements : 16. Tatafu Polota-Nau 17. James Slipper 18. Allan Ala’alatoa* 19. Dean Mumm, 20. Scott Fardy, 21. Nick Phipps , 22. Matt Toomua , 23. Rob Horne
1 Comment