Australia v England 3am Sunday 4 OCT 2015
KEY WALLABIES RETURN FOR RUGBY WORLD CUP SHOWDOWN AGAINST ENGLAND AT TWICKENHAM
10/1/2015
Michael Cheika has named his side to face England.
Michael Cheika has named an unchanged starting line up from the Wallabies’ opening match against Fiji to face England at Twickenham, London on Saturday (6:00am Sunday AEDT).
The fourteen changes to the starting XV from the team's most recent Pool A clash with Uruguay includes the return of Wallabies Captain Stephen Moore for his 98th Test appearance, while Adam Ashley-Cooper and Michael Hooper will once again share the vice-captaincy.
Starting the tournament with a double against Fiji, David Pocock will start his third match at number 8 this season, in what is now familiar surroundings for the 27-year-old.
The Wallabies go into the match against the home nation still looking to build on the first two performance of the tournament.
"We've been working hard each day this week to improve our game before we play England on Saturday” said Cheika.
“I believe that this selection, the same starting team that ran out v Fiji, has been really clear on where we must improve and the level we must be at to compete with England and we know that it's going to be a very tough challenge."
“The group is really committed to making all Australian's truly proud of how we represent them at this Rugby World Cup and Saturday night will be another opportunity for us to do that"
Cheika will name his eight-man bench following the Wallabies training session at Dulwich College in London later today.
Australia’s third Pool A match at Rugby World Cup 2015 will be screened LIVE in Australia on FOX SPORTS 502 from 5:00am, and GEM from 5:45am AEDT on Sunday.
Rugby World Cup 2015 Match 26: Wallabies starting XV to play England at Twickenham, London, Saturday, October 3, 8:00pm local time (6:00am Sunday AEDT)
1. Scott Sio (12 Tests)
2. Stephen Moore (c) (97 Tests)
3. Sekope Kepu (58 Tests)
4. Kane Douglas (18 Tests)
5. Rob Simmons (55 Tests)
6. Scott Fardy (25 Tests)
7. Michael Hooper (vc) (47 Tests)
8. David Pocock (51 Tests)
9. Will Genia (61 Tests)
10. Bernard Foley (22 Tests)
11. Rob Horne (28 Tests)
12. Matt Giteau (97 Tests)
13. Tevita Kuridrani (25 Tests)
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper (vc) (109 Tests)
15. Israel Folau (34 Tests)
*Reserves to be confirmed
We aim to blow Wallabies away in first 20 minutes, warns pumped-up Ben Youngs
Scrum-half Ben Youngs says England intend to give the Wallabies "a reason to quit" in do-or-die clash at Twickenham on Saturday
England intend to “blow Australia away” with a ferocious opening quarter to the do-or-die World Cup match at Twickenham, with scrum-half Ben Youngs warning they intend to give the Wallabies “a reason to quit”.
Youngs insists that England will not be daunted by the immense pressure on Stuart Lancaster’s side as they attempt to avoid the ignominy of becoming the first World Cup hosts to crash out of the tournament at the pool stages.
Instead the Leicester scrum-half vowed that it would be Australia, not England, who would feel the heat as the home side draw confidence from back-to-back victories over the Wallabies.
A defeat would not necessarily end Australia’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals as they still have to play Wales at Twickenham next Saturday. For England, in contrast, it is win or bust, and Youngs believes that will give Lancaster’s side the mental edge.
“Australia have potentially got a reason to quit,” said Youngs, who has won all three games he has started against Australia at scrum-half, including the 26-17 victory at Twickenham last November.
“They can go to Wales and get a result. They can afford to lose a game. We can’t and we’ve got to make sure we give them a reason to quit. We’ve got to make sure we come out for the game and, in that first 20 minutes, we blow them away. We’ve got come out with a real intensity and edge to our game, physicality. Don’t match what they bring. We’ve got to above that: above and beyond.”
Full story here
We can outpace them in the first 20 - bring it on..