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Elsom to start after appeal victory
From staff reporters
August 28, 2008
ROCKY Elsom is set to start for Australia against South Africa in the Tri-Nations rugby Test in Johannesburg on Saturday night after winning his appeal against the suspension handed to him in the aftermath of last weekend's victory in Durban.
Elsom was suspended for one week by a SANZAR judiciary for tackling South Africa captain Victor Matfield in the air during a lineout at Shark Park, but that decision was overturned in a specially convened telephone conference.
The conference featured a judicial representative from each of the three SANZAR countries, who opted to overturn the original sentence handed down to Elsom by SANZAR judicial officer Nick Davidson, QC, of New Zealand.
Dual international Timana Tahu, meanwhile, will start a rugby Test for the first time after being named at inside centre to replace injured Berrick Barnes.
Tahu's selection represents one of five changes to the starting XV from that which won in Durban to claim Australia’s first win on South African soil in eight years.
Adam Ashley-Cooper replaces Drew Mitchell at full-back after missing the tour opener due to a broken hand, while Hugh McMeniman replaced injured second-row forward Daniel Vickerman, and Phil Waugh and Tatafu Polota-Nau come in respectively for openside flanker George Smith and hooker Stephen Moore.
Mitchell, Smith and Moore have all been included on the bench as the coaching staff look to spread the work load among the players.
Wallabies head coach Robbie Deans denied the changes refelected a lack of respect towards the beaten Springboks.
"If anything, in fact it’s the opposite,” Deans said.
"It’s because of the respect we have for them, and the enormity of the challenge we have in front of us, trying to win back-to-back South African Test matches, and in Johannesburg for the first time in so long, that we feel we need to bring in some fresh legs.
“Last weekend (in Durban) took a lot out of our guys as it did some of theirs. We will need the impetus that the fresh legs we’ve included today will bring."
Australia have won consecutive Tests in Africa only once before - 45 years ago, when the second victory was achieved 11-9 at the ground formerly known as Ellis Park. That success in 1963 remains Australia’s only win from nine attempts in Johannesburg.
Deans acknowledges the Wallabies’ poor history at Ellis Park and the likely South African response having lost three successive Tri-Nations Test.
“(South Africa) have got one more shot at it in this year’s Tri-Nations,” Deans said.
“If they can take it, they can park the rest of the tournament and move forward a lot more positively towards their end-of-season tour preparations. Ask yourself how you’d feel in their position? There’s no doubt they’ll be up for it.”
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...-23217,00.html
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