Wallabies named to face All Blacks

Published 18 August 2009 | By Swanie
stuff.co.nz 

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.

 “As did Adam, when he moved into centre after Stirling was injured. Saturday is another good opportunity for him in the midfield.”

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.

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