Greg Growden Chief Correspondent | August 26, 2009 – www.rugbyheaven.com.au

EVEN though the Wallabies are toiling under a lengthy injury list and a worrying form slump, they still believe an enforced second-row change can bamboozle the Springboks in the Tri Nations Test in Perth on Saturday.

Team officials were forced to delay the naming of the Test line-up until tomorrow, due to a catalogue of complaints that yesterday led to two key players – second-rower Nathan Sharpe (shoulder) and inside-centre Berrick Barnes (concussion and neck) – withdrawing.

Selectors were scheduled to announce a Test line-up with bracketed players yesterday, but opted against it due to concerns over the fitness of blindside breakaway Rocky Elsom (ankle) and fullback James O’Connor (corked calf).

The team will not be confirmed until after tomorrow’s training session, when Elsom and O’Connor will be assessed on their readiness for a Test the Wallabies must win, and win well, to remain in the Tri Nations race.

Sharpe is expected to be replaced by either the Brumbies’ Mark Chisholm or NSW’s Dean Mumm, with Chisholm’s experience possibly giving him the edge. There are a number of alternatives for Barnes at inside-centre, but the best option is outside-centre Adam Ashley-Cooper reverting to No.12 and Ryan Cross promoted to the starting XV at No 13.

While Wallabies coach Robbie Deans last night said the unavailability of Sharpe and Barnes was a loss, he added: ”We’ve got blokes who have been working with us for a while, so it shouldn’t be that significant.”

The hope is that a new second-row combination may even affect the world’s premier lock, Victor Matfield, as he would not be as familiar with Mumm or Chisholm as he is with Sharpe.

”Nathan has been an integral part of the lineout for a long time, but all the other blokes are well versed and have a background in calling lineouts,” Deans said. ”It might be an advantage in that Victor is a great reader of body language and he analyses lineouts. He’ll have less to work off.”

The back-line formation will depend on whether O’Connor can prove his fitness. O’Connor is an option at No.12, where he played with the Western Force this season but, though it would allow the Wallabies to continue fielding playmakers at both five-eighth and inside-centre, it would be a dangerous move considering the devastating power of the Springboks midfield.

This is a time to play safe and use two solid defensive centres in Ashley-Cooper and Cross.

If Ashley-Cooper starts at inside-centre, it will continue a bizarre Test season in which he has played with aplomb on the wing, fullback and outside-centre. He also played the second half of the Sydney Bledisloe Cup loss at inside-centre in place of Barnes.

”There are not too many who can specialise in those four different roles,” Deans said of Ashley-Cooper. ”He can. If that’s the way we opt to go, I have no qualms about it because he has already shown he is up for that.”

If O’Connor is unavailable, Drew Mitchell could move from wing to fullback. But if O’Connor stays, Mitchell and fellow winger Lachie Turner are under serious threat of losing their spot to Peter Hynes. The other anticipated change is Ben Alexander starting at tight-head prop for Al Baxter.

Deans said morale among the players was increasing, but that they had been affected by losing three Tri Nations Tests in a row.

”They’ve got up pretty well and got back into the work. But having said that, the mood is probably different than if the penalty [goal] had missed [on Saturday],” Deans said.

The Springboks, likely to be at almost full strength, will not wear protest armbands again in a hurry. The International Rugby Board yesterday found the South African Rugby Union, the Springboks and team officials guilty of bringing the game into disrepute after wearing armbands to protest a two-week ban handed to second-rower Bakkies Botha.