O'CONNOR SET FOR WALLABIES DEBUT AGAINST ITALY
Thursday, 6 November 2008 5:36pm
RugbyWA/ARU
After a record-breaking night in Hong Kong where for the final six minutes of the match there were six Emirates Western Force players on the field for Australia, only Richard Brown retains his place in the starting lineup with Coach Robbie Deans opting to test the depth of his squad.
18 year old back James O’Connor has been named on the reserves bench and will look to emulate his Emirates Western Force teammate David Pocock in becoming a Wallaby debutante on his first international tour.
O’Connor has been named on the reserves bench alongside Pocock and Matt Giteau, who has been under an injury cloud throughout the week. Lock Nathan Sharpe and winger Drew Mitchell have both been rested.
The return of Timana Tahu at inside centre is one of eight personnel changes that highlight the Wallabies side named today for Saturday’s Test against Italy in Padova.
Tahu, who has not featured for the Wallabies since making his run on debut against South Africa at Johannesburg in August, has been paired in the midfield alongside tour skipper Stirling Mortlock, who returns to centre after appearing at inside centre against the All Blacks in Hong Kong last week.
The selection of wingers Lachie Turner and Digby Ioane are among the other changes to the formation from last week, with Berrick Barnes also appearing for the first time in 2008 at flyhalf. He had previously played all of his internationals for the season from inside centre.
Barnes made a successful return after an injury enforced layoff in the second half against the All Blacks last week.
Brown, lock Mark Chisholm, hooker Stephen Moore and utility Dean Mumm are the only players to retain their starting positions from last week among the forwards.
Phil Waugh starts on the openside flank in place of George Smith, props Matt Dunning and Ben Alexander come in for Al Baxter and Benn Robinson respectively, while a change in the second row sees Hugh McMeniman make his return from an ankle injury in the place of Nathan Sharpe.
No 8 Wycliff Palu returns from injury, after straining the medial ligament of his knee in the Tri-Nations decider against the All Blacks at Brisbane in early September, while O'Connor's fellow first-time tourists, prop Sekope Kepu and flyhalf Quade Cooper, have all been selected.
The trio will follow in the footsteps of this year’s Australia Under-20 captain Pocock, who last weekend became the 829th Wallaby, should they be called on to take the field against the Azzurri.
At 18 years and 126 days, O’Connor would become the second youngest player ever to play for Australia if he takes the field on Saturday. The youngest ever Wallaby was Queensland winger Brian Ford, who was 18 years and 90 days when he appeared against New Zealand at Brisbane in 1957.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans says his side is not underestimating the Italians, indicating that the changes reflected both a desire to manage resources, as well as injecting fresh enthusiasm.
“We’ve got a demanding schedule ahead of us on this tour so sharing the work load is essential. We selected the touring party with that in mind,” Deans says.
“It’s not a case of under-estimating the Italians – they will present arguably the strongest forward pack we face on this trip, but the guys we have selected have worked hard, and we’re confident they can do the job.”
Deans says the Wallabies are not dwelling on last weekend’s narrow loss to the All Blacks in Hong Kong.
“We’ve taken what value we can out of that experience and moved on,” he says.
The Wallabies arrived in northern Italy on Sunday night after an arduous 24-hour journey from Hong Kong, via London.
Saturday’s Test is the first of five European matches for the Wallabies, with Tests against England, France, Wales and the Barbarians to follow. Coverage of the Italy Test commences at 11pm WSDT on Fox Sports 1 this Saturday night (9 November).
The Wallabies team to play Italy at Stade Euganeo, Padova:
15. Adam Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies)
14. Lachie Turner (NSW Waratahs)
13. Stirling Mortlock (Brumbies) captain
12. Timana Tahu (NSW Waratahs)
11. Digby Ioane (Queensland Reds)
10. Berrick Barnes (Queensland Reds)
9. Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs)
8. Richard Brown (Western Force)
7. Phil Waugh (NSW Waratahs)
6. Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs)
5. Hugh McMeniman (Queensland Reds)
4. Mark Chisholm (Brumbies)
3. Matt Dunning (NSW Waratahs)
2. Stephen Moore (Queensland Reds)
1. Ben Alexander (Brumbies)
Reserves:
16. Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW Waratahs)
17. Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs)
18. Wycliff Palu (NSW Waratahs)
19. David Pocock (Western Force)
20. Matt Giteau (Western Force)
21. Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds)
22. James O’Connor (Western Force)
Historical Notes
- This is the 10th official Test between Australia and Italy dating back to the inaugural match at Rovigo in 1983. Australia won that game 29-7 and has prevailed in every contest since.
- Five of the previous meetings have been in Italy including the most recent contest two years ago in Rome where Australia over-turned a 13-15 halftime deficit to prevail 25-18.
- Just three members of the Australian starting XV – skipper Stirling Mortlock, lock Mark Chisholm and hooker Stephen Moore (who appeared as a replacement) – remain from the side that won in Rome in 2006. Run on reserves Matt Giteau (halfback) and Wycliff Palu (No 8) also featured in the starting XV on that occasion.
- This is the second Test between Australia and Italy at Padova, although the previous contest, 12 years ago, was played at the Stadio Del Plebiscito, where the Qantas Wallabies have trained this week. The Test in 1996 holds a special place in Australian Test history as the 100th international played by David Campese.
- Italy’s highest score against Australia in a Test match on home soil is 18, which it has achieved twice. No Italian player has scored more than one Test try against Australia.
