Bonjour Madames et Monsieurs,
The Wallabies have landed in Paris ahead of their clash with les bleus this Sunday morning at 7am (AEDT). After shaking off some jet lag and getting stuck into training in conditions vastly different to Sydney last week, coach Robbie Deans has named his team.
In the first game of Captain Nathan Sharpe’s final, final farewell tour, Deans has gone with an all-Waratah front row of Benn Robinson, Tatafu Polota-Nau and Sekope Kepu. Ben Alexander didn’t make the 23 after struggling with the wrist injury that kept him out of the Bledisloe clash in Brisbane.
Sharpe will be joined by Kane Douglas in the second row with Dave Dennis, Michael Hooper and Wycliff Palu making up the back row.
In the backline, the Rebels halves pairing of Nick Phipps and Kurtley Beale is retained and that should give the side some stability. The rest of the backline is made up of centres Pat McCabe and Ben Tapuai with Nick Cummins included on the right wing and Mr Fix-it Adam Ashley-Cooper on the left.
Mike Harris stays at fullback and his goal kicking could prove vital in this match.
The match day squad will now consist of 23 players under the new trial laws undertaken by the IRB that allow for a second prop to be amongst the reserves. This could mean Waratah prop Paddy Ryan could make his long-awaited debut from the bench.
The reserves split is 6/2 with only one specialist lock in Rob Simmons. The Queensland back row pairing of Liam Gill and Radike Samo is joined by teammate James Slipper amongst the forwards, with Stephen Moore named as reserve hooker.
The two reserve backs are scrum half Brett Sheehan and Berrick Barnes, who is returning from the punctured lung he suffered in Pretoria.
15. Mike Harris
14. Nick Cummins
13. Ben Tapuai
12. Pat McCabe
11. Adam Ashley-Cooper
10. Kurtley Beale
9. Nick Phipps
8. Wycliff Palu
7. Michael Hooper
6. Dave Dennis
5. Nathan Sharpe (c)
4. Kane Douglas
3. Sekope Kepu
2. Tatafu Polota-Nau
1. Benn Robinson
Reserves:
16. Stephen Moore
17. James Slipper
18. Paddy Ryan
19. Rob Simmons
20. Radike Samo
21. Liam Gill
22. Brett Sheehan
23. Berrick Barnes
