Australian coach Michael Cheika has jumped at the opportunity to include overseas based Matt Giteau for the first match of the Rugby Championship. Two overseas based Australians made the match day 23 after the rules were coincidentally changed earlier this year.
Giteau returns after an absence of four years and joins Drew Mitchell as the two foreign based players to face South Africa this weekend, in what is set to be the first real match for both these teams as they build up to the World Cup. Giteau is part of a formidable 9-10-12 axis with Will Genia and Quade Cooper inside him, a trio which can be devastating when they are all in top form.
Stephen Moore captains from the front row while the enormous Will Skelton is sure to make an impact in the second row. The loose trio looks very dangerous with Michael Hooper coming off an amazing Super Rugby season.
Australia: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 Rob Horne, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia, 8 Scott Higginbotham, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Scott Fardy, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Will Skelton, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Stephen Moore (captain), 1 James Slipper
Substitutes: 16 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17 Scott Sio, 18 Greg Holmes, 19 James Horwill, 20 David Pocock, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Matt Toomua, 23 Drew Mitchell
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That looks like a good side! Tough game ahead…
That 9-10 axis didn’t set the world alight in the SR tournament.
@JarsonX (Comment 2) : I hope they don’t ignite this weekend… 🙂
“back in Gold”…pffft – you mean Yellow 😈
@FireTheLooser (Comment 5) : 🙂 lol!
@FireTheLooser (Comment 5) :
Yellowish Gold?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 7) : I’ll settle for mustard yellow 😉
@FireTheLooser (Comment 8) :
Now, Giteau does not alliterate with Mustard Yellow, so you see my dilemma..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 9) : A weak headline serves them right for playing in Yellow and green. 😆
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 9) : “Matt back in Mustard (Yellow)” could work? 🙂
Starve that backline of quality ball and we’re in the money.
@vanmartin (Comment 12) : I’m worried about that final 20 when Pocock comes on…they’ll be getting far cleaner backline ball than us.
@FireTheLooser (Comment 13) : In Marcell Coetzee we trust (yeah, I’m a little worried too 😀 )
This Aus side will be a good test for the Boks. Australia at Suncorp are very tough to beat. Dont write the Aussies off in a world cup year…they seemed to wake up every so often in those years
@SheldonK (Comment 15) : They also seem to win the thing every time they win the cricket world cup 😐
@FireTheLooser (Comment 16) : Maybe we could do the same if we played in the cricket world cup…oh wait we do but only like at the start then decide to watch the rest 😉 Aussies seem to have got themselves some pretty decent depth…how they will fare on the heavier and slower fields in the UK im not too sure though.
Pollard is getting is gat kicked. Lambo is the better bet.
Bokke will beat this mustard team!!!! 😈
@coolfusion (Comment 18) : Best you get used to Pollard at 10 for the boys. It’s not going to change real soon. Most pundits on SA Rugbymag and Butch feel that Pollard should be persisted with. Lamb being preferred to le Roux at FB, but I don’t see that happening.
@KingCheetah (Comment 20) : You said SA Rugbymag…
@pastorshark (Comment 21) : Yes, they asked a few ex Boks who should be the FH for the WC, Butch’s interview was in News 24