Australia have named a 30-man sqaud for the end of year tour to Europe without Scott Higginbotham and captained by Nathan Sharpe.
rugbyweek
Flanker Higginbotham was suspended for foul play on Richie McCaw in last week’s Bledisloe Cup draw and would not be available for half of the tour matches – France and England
With No 8 Wycliff Palu having only recently returned from injury, and Pocock also in that state, Deans says the Wallabies couldn’t afford to carry a loose forward who wouldn’t be available for the first two weeks of the trip.
Higginbotham will be on stand-by to join the tour, if any injuries crop up, once he is available to play again. “We’ve taken the same approach as we have around the hookers,” Deans says.
Sharpe, who took over as skipper midway through the inaugural Rugby Championship, leads a side which features just one uncapped player in the NSW Waratahs prop Paddy Ryan.
Seven first-year Wallabies have been included in the touring group, which has been bolstered by the returns of flanker David Pocock and hooker Stephen Moore from injury.
Queensland Reds hooker James Hanson, who made his Test debut during last weekend’s 18-18 draw against New Zealand in Brisbane, has won the third hooking berth ahead of his injured team-mate Saia Fainga’a, who broke a bone in his hand at training in the lead-up to that match.
While Fainga’a was expected to recover in time to participate on the tour, Wallabies coach Robbie Deans says that Hanson’s recent game-time, which includes both his Test debut and significant game-time at club level for Queensland University helped to win him the nod.
The fact that Moore is returning after an injury break, having not played since the Bledisloe Cup Test in Auckland on August 25, also played a part in this decision.
“We had to have absolute certainty around at least two of our hookers,” Deans says.
“With Stephen also coming off a period out of the game, we couldn’t afford to head away having potential concerns around two of our three hookers.”
Although neither Pocock (knee) or Moore (hamstring) have recent match fitness behind them, Deans says both have proved their readiness to tour.
“As well as being proven Test performers with valuable experience in the conditions that we will face on this tour, both also provide a significant leadership element which will add to what is still a relatively young group.”
Berrick Barnes returns to duty, after recovering from the lung injury he suffered against South Africa at Pretoria last month, while Sekope Kepu and Sitaleki Timani are also included after the injuries they sustained last weekend in Brisbane proved less significant than was initially feared.
The squad features an 18-forward, 12-back split, with five props selected to cater for the new arrangements regarding front-row substitutes which requires two props to be included on an eight-man Test reserves bench.
Australia’s opening match is against France on December the 10th in Paris.
After the France match, the Wallabies play England on Nov. 17 in London, Italy in Florence on Nov. 24 and Wales in Cardiff on Dec. 1.
Australia:
Backs: Nick Phipps, Brett Sheehan, Kurtley Beale, Berrick Barnes, Pat McCabe, Anthony Fainga’a, Ben Tapuai, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Digby Ioane, Nick Cummins, Drew Mitchell, Mike Harris.
Forwards: Benn Robinson, James Slipper, Sekope Kepu, Ben Alexander, Paddy Ryan, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Stephen Moore, James Hanson, Nathan Sharpe (c), Sitaleki Timani, Kane Douglas, Rob Simmons, Dave Dennis, David Pocock, Michael Hooper, Liam Gill, Wycliff Palu, Radike Samo.