The Rugby Championship continues this weekend when the Wallabies take on Argentina on the Gold Coast on Saturday night.
With a few injury problems for Robbie Deans to consider — namely the long-term knee injury to scrum half Will Genia and hamstring concerns for lock Sitaleki Timani — Deans has come up with a new team to face Los Pumas.
The obvious change sees Nick Phipps coming in for Genia at scrum-half. Timani’s injury means Waratahs lock Kane Douglas gets his chance to partner newly named captain Nathan Sharpe in the second row. In the centres, Pat McCabe returns at the inside spot after a successful a 30-minute stint in Canberra club rugby on the weekend.
But the most interesting change sees Berrick Barnes move to fullback to replace Kurtley Beale, who will start on the bench. Also on the bench is Brett Sheehan who will be Phipps’s backup, with Nic White being unavailable after undergoing shoulder surgery.
UPDATE: Reserve hooker Stephen Moore is still battling his hamstring injury from last week and has been ruled out, which means Saia Fainga’a will take his place on the bench.
15. Berrick Barnes
14. Dominic Shipperley
13. Adam Ashley-Cooper
12. Pat McCabe
11. Digby Ioane
10. Quade Cooper
9. Nick Phipps
8. Radike Samo
7. Michael Hooper
6. Dave Dennis
5. Nathan Sharpe (c)
4. Kane Douglas
3. Ben Alexander
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau
1. Benn Robinson
Reserves:
16. Saia Fainga’a
17. James Slipper
18. Scott Higginbotham
19. Liam Gill
20. Brett Sheehan
21. Anthony Fainga’a
22. Kurtley Beale
