Ewen McKenzie is set to give Bernard Foley a shot in the Wallabies No 10 jumper.
Australian vice captain James Slipper says the Wallabies’ pack must shoulder some of the responsibility for Kurtley Beale’s underwhelming performance at five-eighth in Auckland 10 days ago.
After a two-Test experiment with Beale and Brumbies halfback Nic White at the helm of the Wallabies’ back line, Ewen McKenzie is set to debut the Super Rugby title-winning combination of Bernard Foley and Nick Phipps on Tuesday when he names the side to take on South Africa at Paterson’s Stadium.
But in a week in which the entire Australian line-up will be out to repair the Wallabies’ badly bruised reputation, Slipper leapt to Beale’s defence and said the pack had to give their back line generals something to work with.
“He’s a class player. We all know what he can do,” the Wallabies prop and Stan Pilecki medallist said.
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“The night wasn’t his night. A part of that has got to do with the forward pack and the players around him. We didn’t stick up for him and give him really good ball. “Our decision making across the game could have been handled a different way. We’ve learned from that. It was definitely a reality check. “We take full responsibility for what happened that night. It’s in our hands to change that this weekend.”
McKenzie has kept his plans for the halves tightly under wraps but at training on Monday afternoon ran the Waratahs’ title-winning combination of Phipps at halfback and Foley at No 10.
Tevita Kuridrani ran in the midfield outside Matt Toomua and Adam Ashley-Cooper shifted out to the wing, where he started this Test season against France. Incumbent winger Rob Horne retained his spot, as did Israel Folau at fullback.
The Wallabies languish at the bottom of the Rugby Championship ladder a third of the way through the four-nation competition. Although they have a draw and a loss on the ledger to Argentina’s two losses, the Pumas netted a defending bonus point in each Test against the Springboks.
The Australian pack is under pressure to deliver against South Africa, who arrived in Perth with an eight-game winning streak intact, fresh memories of last year’s clean-sweep of a Wallabies in transition, but a point to prove up front.
Neither Beale nor Foley can be expected to fire if the Wallabies’ forwards don’t assert their dominance early on.
McKenzie was scathing of his forwards’ failure to defuse two driving mauls that sent New Zealand captain Richie McCaw over the try line within six minutes of each other in Auckland.
But even with redemption on their minds, Slipper said it would be “childish” of Australia to think South Africa – with veteran lineout wizard Victor Matfield declared fit – would be easy targets.
“It would be childish of us to go in there thinking we are going to physically bash the Springboks up,” Slipper said. “With their performance against the Argentines in the set piece, I’m expecting them to improve out of sight and really come at us there. “They’re always the biggest team running around. You always know it’s going to be a hard battle. “They’ll be keen to get out there and assert their dominance on us, and we’ll be trying to do the same.”
James Hanson is expected to be named at hooker on Tuesday in place of an injured Nathan Charles as the Wallabies plumb the depths of their hooking stocks.
McKenzie is expected to persevere with his preferred second row pairing of Rob Simmons with Sam Carter, despite the lure of rookie Will Skelton’s x-factor and bulk. Former captain James Horwill is also pressing for a return via the bench after playing 40 minutes in the National Rugby Championship on Sunday.
In the back row, the Wallabies coach is expected to stick with the combination of Scott Fardy and Michael Hooper at No 6 and No 7 respectively, but could bring Matt Hodgson into the 23 for the Western Force veteran’s skill at the breakdown.
No 8 Wycliff Palu also appeared to have done enough to keep his spot despite the loss in Auckland, leaving Scott Higginbotham and Ben McCalman options off the bench.