0
Bret Harris | June 17, 2009
Article from: The Australian
WALLABIES coach Robbie Deans has denied underestimating Italy or being displeased with his players after making wholesale changes to the team for the second Test against Italy in Melbourne on Saturday night.
Deans has made eight personnel and three positional changes to the team that started in the 31-8 win against Italy in Canberra last Saturday.
He has rested captain and outside centre Stirling Mortlock, prop Al Baxter, hooker Stephen Moore and number eight Richard Brown, while star five-eighth Matt Giteau is on the reserves bench.
Mortlock sustained a slight groin strain in Canberra and while he could have played in Melbourne, it was not worth risking him.
Veteran openside flanker Phil Waugh has been recalled to the 22-man squad, but there is still no room for rugby league converts Lote Tuqiri and Timana Tahu, the only fit members of the 30-man squad yet to be involved in a game this year.
George Smith, who has been switched from openside flanker to number eight, will lead the team in Mortlock's absence, while Ryan Cross will start at outside centre.
Cross, who was recovering from a shoulder injury, was not involved in the Wallabies' first two matches with the Barbarians and Italy.
Berrick Barnes will move from inside centre to five-eighth to replace Giteau, with his Queensland teammate Quade Cooper starting in the No12 jersey in his run-on debut.
Peter Hynes will make his first appearance in the gold jersey this year after recovering from a knee injury, replacing Drew Mitchell on the left wing. Mitchell has been omitted from the 22-man squad altogether.
Hynes, who was the Wallabies' rookie of the year last season, was always going to reclaim his starting spot once fit.
With Benn Robinson on the bench, Pek Cowan will make his Test debut at loosehead prop in an inexperienced front row alongside hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau and Ben Alexander, who will start at tighthead for the first time in his sixth Test. Deans expected Cowan to play "out of his skin" in his Test debut.
"The biggest danger is that he may take time to settle," Deans said. "He'll chase everything and he'll do everything until he gets into the game.
"Test rugby is faster. There is less time to think and act. This is Pek's third week with us and he is well versed. We expect him to do really well.
"He is willing in the physical exchanges. He likes to use his shoulders in his carries and defence.
"Anyone who is timid in the Test arena won't survive."
Openside flanker David Pocock and blindside flanker Peter Kimlin will make their run-on Test debuts, while Dean Mumm has moved into the second row in place of Nathan Sharpe, who is on the bench.
Deans said the changes to the line-up reflected his desire to spread the workload while giving more players an opportunity.
"We believe in the whole group. That's why we selected them," Deans said.
"The guys coming in this week are good to go. Most of them showed what they could do last weekend in Canberra, when they added to our performance after coming on from the bench.
"The changes should not be seen as a slight on the blokes who have missed out after last weekend. It's quite the opposite. We were happy with the way the guys played."
Despite the lopsided scoreline in the first Test, Deans said Italy provided fierce competition in Canberra and he expected the same in Melbourne.
"They will have got a lot out of that performance," he said. "They have shown in their last two Test matches against us that they are not too far off taking out a major nation.
"Nick (Mallett) is quite clearly adding to their game all the time. I've no doubt they will be a major challenge again."
The Wallabies' win in Canberra was based on the tactical kicking of Giteau and Barnes, but Deans wants to see the team do more with the ball in hand in Melbourne.
While Deans was happy with individual performances in Canberra, he was disappointed with the collective effort at the breakdown. The Wallabies' lack of physicality at the contact zone and inability to "shift bodies" allowed the Italians to slow down the ball and prevent Australia from playing an expansive game.
"We need to be more accurate at the breakdown," Deans said. "We would like to play more expansively.
"We were forced to play more directly because of a combination of the conditions and the physicality of the Italians."
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...015651,00.html
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by travelling_gerry
