Rocky Elsom is back in the Wallaby jersey for the first time in 2009, the rugged blindside flanker adding a harder edge to the Australian pack for Saturday night’s Bledisloe test against the All Blacks in Sydney.
Elsom is one of three changes to the Wallabies lineup well beaten by the Boks in Cape Town a fortnight ago, with his fellow flanker George Smith also assuming the captaincy mantle vacated by Stirling Mortlock’s long-term injury.
Adam Ashley-Cooper moves from fullback to centre, which allows 19-year-old Western Force sensation James O’Connor to make his first start in a Bledisloe Cup test, after excelling at fullback when he came off the bench for the last 50 minutes in South Africa.
Elsom, who was a Heineken Cup winner with Leinster earlier this year, makes his comeback to Australian colours aftere finally overcoming the knee injury he brought back on his return to Australia.
Elsom’s reintroduction necessitates the third change, with Richard Brown being shifted from the side to the back of the scrum in place of the dropped Wycliff Palu.
Brown played his first eight tests as a No 8, before being switched to the side of the scrum for the opening two matches of the Tri-Nations to accommodate the return from injury of Palu.
Elsom returned to Australia with the Barbarians at the end of May, but was unable to play due to bruising in his knee which has kept the 26-year-old on the sideline since. He was player of the final in Leinster’s historic European Cup win over Leicester at the end of the northern winter
Saturday night will be his 41st test, but his first since the deciding game of last year’s Tri -ations in Brisbane.
“While he hasn’t been able to get a game in, Rocky has done the work to get back up to speed. We are satisfied that he is good to go,” Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said.
“It is a big ask of him to make his comeback in a Bledisloe Cup and Tri-Nations test, but that’s the reality of our schedule, and is the sort of challenge he thrives on.”
Deans said the decisions to relocate Brown to No 8, while moving Ashley-Cooper to centre, with O’Connor starting at fullback, were form-related choices.
The decision to start O’Connor was not considered a risk, said Deans, based on the way the Force tyro had performed in South Africa.
“He showed in Cape Town that he was quite capable of handling himself at this level,” said Deans.
“The pressure there, given the circumstance in which James entered the game [Australia was 10-20 down and had just lost skipper Mortlock to injury], was as great then as it could be, and he acquitted himself well.
Australia beat New Zealand 34-19 in the corresponding Bledisloe Cup clash last year in Sydney. Eleven of the starting XV from that night have been selected again although the team has an entirely new three-quarter line, as well as a different No 8.
Deans was confident Smith would have no problems assuming the captaincy, as he had three times previously under the New Zealand coach.
“George has filled the role before in similar circumstances and is not fazed by it,” he said.
“He’s been there before, and been successful. That level of experience is going to be crucial on Saturday night, especially when you look at the depth of experience [in the All Blacks] that will be coming back at us the other way.”
While Australia conceded just two tries during its away defeats to New Zealand (16-22) and South Africa (17-29) to open the competition, Deans said his men would have to “raise the bar” to square up this year’s Bledisloe series.
“We’ve come up short twice now, and we need to work harder and be more precise in what we do, both collectively and as individuals,” he said.
“Obviously discipline has been an area of concern. It is something we have addressed, but it is not the only aspect of our play that we have looked at. We need to be diligent in all aspects of our performance to give ourselves the best opportunity to get home.”
While the wallabies sit bottom of the Tri-Nations standings, they are the final team to have had a home game.
That changes in a big way over coming weeks, with Australia backing up on Bledisloe II with back-to-back home clashes against the ominous Springboks.
WALLABIES: 15 James O’Connor, 14 Lachie Turner, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Richard Brown, 7 George Smith, 6 Rocky Elsom, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 James Horwill, 3 Al Baxter, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson. Reserves: 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17 Ben Alexander, 18 Dean Mumm, 19 David Pocock, 20 Will Genia, 21 Ryan Cross, 22 Peter Hynes.
Sheepshagging Janne!
The Wobblies have a very potent backline but one HUGE problem and that is their #9. Everything breaks down there and the rest don’t stand a chance. Not sure Genia is the answer either…
Oh and Al Baxter must have done well in the face pulling practise this week, he gets another go!
AB, wat de hel maak jy so vroeg wakker, is dit daai cast iron twak wat roep ?
Not surprised with Elsom’s selection. He really played all last season in Europe. Was key to Leinster win of the HC.
Al Baxter continues to hang on. He must have pics on the coach 🙂
@Manlybok – More more, nee ek gaan bietjie plaas toe vandag, so eks vroegop om al die dingetjies uit te sort anders kan ek nie ry vandag nie!
@AB –
Morning Abes, how’s that e-fags working, ok?
I am waiting on my asssignment of Lexington from SA.
Need to get some good ol’ SA miners’ tobacco through the lungs for a change, just to clean things up a bit….
@Pietman – Howzit my friend, these e-ciggies are working bud.
Do they still sell Lexingtons? I havent seen them around?
OK see you guys now now, just taking the girl to school!
So AB, have you been back to the Marlboros ?
@AB –
Yes, Lexington still, at Spar in Swellendam.
But maybe I should start on e-fags as well…
It is just so hard to support the Aussies.
@AB – Daai E-Cigs werk baie goed, ek rook dit nou al vir 6 weke en het nog nie weer gewone cig gerook nie
Good morning all.
IMO Wallas are gonna get klapped. But it’s going to be for us as well to beat them in Walla-Walla-land…
Elsom is a big improvement but not so sure about Cooper on centre (not impressed from 11 to 15)…. o and the kid at 15????…expect some moeilikheid for him. Will watch this game with interest.
sorry – spelling… meant to say we will struggle in Walla-Walla-land.
Dink die AB’s gaan hierdie een vat…..DC terug gaan groot verskil maak.
@Staal – Maybe but I think mentally at this stage the Boks are the strongest team, and we know how devastating they van be when mentally strong.
van=can 😳
This thread GBS?
Think the AB’s are going to rain on the convicts parade!!!!
Barra Bing Ting Ting…
I declare this THREAD “Kakpraat” Thread !!
wel as mens van die Convicts praat praat ons mos kak 😆
Haha n kakpraat draad net die plek vir my.
8. PISSANT :
August 18th, 2009 at 8:21 am
Bernie is busy destroying Habs’ career here.
Toulon, Toulouse and Bayonne all said they are no longer interested in Habana’s services as he (read his dad) wants too much money – and this from French clubs???
Bernie is simply trying to up the stakes to go back to the Bulls to make them offer more – unlucky for him the Bulls communications manager already said they will not offer him ludicrous amounts, and will only operate within their financial structures which applies to all players.
So Habs might end up moving to a province he does not want to just because his dad is greedy, or go back to the BUlls with his tail between his legs.
Interestingly, Wynand stayed at the Bulls for much less than what WP offered him – apparently R2.8mil was on the table from WP – Habs offer is said to be more.
And of course, after the Bakkies debacle, Wynand and Bakkies left Bernie and got themselves new agents…
Bryan might be well advised to do the same.
As they say in Afrikaans, hy maak sy naam gat in die industrie (of eerder sy pa) as French clubs se hy is te duur of overpriced.
19@Tripples – Etzakkerly !!
@Tripples – Oppas vir die T & C Tripples!!!! Sê liewer dubbel K middel A 🙂
20@Tripples –
thank tripples
gaan beslis daai “bring bier, wees kaal” raad vir my vrou wys!!
hehehe
@SA Barbarians – silly me, ek het geforgeet!!!!O v*k!!!!! hehehe
@ashley – Dit werk nie meer op jou vrou nie hoor, dis net nogin die begin dae as ons julle wil vang :wink:… daarna kom ons agter dis nie net maanskyn en rose nie 😆
@ashley – Hoe lank is jy al getroud? Dit werk net die eerste 3 maande van ‘n huwelik – vra my, ek is single vandag………… 🙂
23@SA Barbarians – Ons hettie probleme met vloekerasie as sulks nie, demmit ons is volwassenes, solank dit net nie heeltemal hand uitruk nie.
@Tripples – In fact, dink my man sal skrik en weghardloop as ek nou met my potsuurlike lyfie kaal moet rondloop hehehehehe
GLOBAL FACTS AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT
FACT: 79,000,000 people are engaged in s*x right now.
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You hang in there sunshine!!
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