Wallabies Squad for Gloucester Match Announced

[Darren]

Dean Mumm will lead his country for the first time, while six others could potentially play their maiden matches at senior level for Australia, after all being named in the Qantas Wallabies side to play English Premiership club Gloucester tomorrow night.

Mumm, 25, leads a run on combination which will see Brumbies inside centre Tyrone Smith, NSW Waratahs fullback Kurtley Beale, NSW Waratahs lock Dave Dennis and Brumbies tighthead prop Salesi Ma’afu all play their first matches for the Wallabies.

This quartet could be joined in the first timers club by Queensland Reds halfback Richard Kingi and Brumbies flyhalf Matt Toomua, if this year’s Australia Under-20 halfback and flyhalf pairing are both called on from the bench during the non-cap match.

Flankers Matt Hodgson, unsighted since being injured in June’s season opener against the Barbarians, and Mitchell Chapman, who appeared in then Australian A colours during the 2006 Spring Tour, are also notable inclusions.

The announcement of today’s line-up means that all 34 players in the Qantas Wallabies touring party will have received match involvement at the conclusion of the first two matches of the seven-match Spring tour.

And while the Gloucester fixture follows hard on the heels of last weekend’s final Bledisloe Cup Test match of the year in Tokyo, the Australian starting XV that will take the field for the midweek tour match still features nine players with Test experience and a combined total of 136 Test caps.

Centre Ryan Cross is the only players required to back up in the run on XV after having started against the All Blacks in Tokyo last weekend.

Qantas Wallabies coach Robbie Deans says this situation was necessitated by the injuries which disrupted the squad in the lead-up to last week’s Test match, forcing midfield backs Berrick Barnes and Rob Horne to return home.

“We had intended to avoid backing anyone up in the midweek fixture who had started against the All Blacks, but our injury circumstance in the midfield meant that Ryan was required to start,” Deans says.

“We did look at starting Matt Toomua, but as he only joined the squad on Sunday when we arrived in London, and would only have the benefit of one day of preparation with the team, we felt that backing up Ryan was the better option. He got through the game last Saturday well and indicated to me straight after the Test match that he was keen to play.”

Five members of the bench from last weekend’s Test are included among the run on group, while four of tomorrow night’s reserves were also involved in Tokyo.

Gloucester currently sits in the bottom third of the 12-team English Premiership, having beaten Bath and Leeds this term, while losing to London Irish, Northampton, Saracens, London Wasps; and most recently Sale last Friday night at Manchester.

The club is coached by the ex-Scottish international halfback Bryan Redpath, and boasts an impressive 24 current or former internationals on its playing roster.

These include former All Black flyhalf Carlos Spencer, and ex Crusaders and All Blacks prop Greg Somerville, who have both previously been coached by Qantas Wallabies boss Robbie Deans.

A near sell out crowd is expected to be on hand for the game at the Kingsholm Stadium, with the match to be controlled by England referee Andrew Small.

The Qantas Wallabies team to play Gloucester at the Kingsholm Ground, Gloucester, on 3 November, 7.45pm kick off (6.45am, 4 November, AEST), is:

15. Kurtley Beale (NSW Waratahs)
14. Lachie Turner (NSW Waratahs)
13. Ryan Cross (Western Force)
12. Tyrone Smith (Brumbies)
11. Drew Mitchell (NSW Waratahs)
10. Quade Cooper (Queensland Reds)
9. Luke Burgess (NSW Waratahs)

8. Richard Brown (Western Force)
7. Matt Hodgson (Western Force)
6. Mitchell Chapman (Brumbies)
5. Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs, captain)
4. Dave Dennis (NSW Waratahs)
3. Salesi Ma’afu (Brumbies)
2. Tatafu Polota Nau (NSW Waratahs)
1. Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs)

Run on reserves:
16. Pek Cowan (Western Force)
17. Matt Dunning (Western Force)
18. Mark Chisholm (Brumbies)
19. Wycliff Palu (NSW Waratahs)
20. Richard Kingi (Queensland Reds)
21. Matt Toomua (Brumbies)
22. James O’Connor (Western Force)

[Burgs]

Goodo, the man who gave away a couple of absolutely stupid penalties at a critical time gets rewarded by captaining the team

Good job they are playing this one, the Tahs may not have had a preseason fixture otherwise...

[Arnie]

Is this going to be televised anywhere?

[AndyS]

So Cross is starting straight off the plane - he's not playing against England then! It'll be interesting to see if O'Connor and Palu get game time, or are just emergency cover.

[Sheikh]

From the match reports Cross didn't have the best game against the ABs, so maybe he wants the Gloucester match to cement his place in the side. Tough ask, though - three games in a week.

And the Tah's only have 8 of the starting 15. What are you worried about? They played great rugby this season. Eh? Oh!

[mudskipper]

Cross needs a good run against Gloucester... he's up for it... He'll make the Twickenham 22... he'll have plenty in the tank after Tokyo as he didn't get much of a run...

Deans wants to motivate a Lock, Captain Mumm gets the flag, good luck to him. Looks like Pek is second hooker then. Watch Tyrone have the match of his life... O'Connor has to be boarder line start for twickers, Palu also both likely will only play if required...

View the Gloucester squad with below link: watch out for King Carlos the Jackal...

http://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/rugby/squad.php

[jono]

i hope brownie had a good game. after his last few games in gold he needs one to remain there

---------- Post added at 18:30 ---------- Previous post was at 18:30 ----------

and for god's sake he better not get carded!

[pieter blackie]

If you look at all the internationals players that is in the lineup and look at the 398 test caps between the 40 guys in the Gloucester squad then it could be a strong Barbarian team
It ain't going to be no roll over!!

[Thequeerone]

Bang goes the theory of a try fest before the English Game then

[James]

Gloucester are probably the best team in the GP (or were last year anyway). They may not have won the premiership recently but thats due to choking in the finals.

[welshrugbyfan]

Gloucester are probably the best team in the GP (or were last year anyway). They may not have won the premiership recently but thats due to choking in the finals.

Thats a funny comment there James seeming though Gloucester are third from the bottom so far this season, finished 6th last year and didn't make the finals.

Might be a few Leicester, London Wasps, London Irish and Saracens fans disagreeing with you as well.

Yeah I have to agree they choke in most finals campaigns when they are at the top. 06/07 and 07/08 was the last time they were League Champions but it's all about winning the final. They haven't managed that since the 2001/2002 season.

[James]

Thats a funny comment there James seeming though Gloucester are third from the bottom so far this season, finished 6th last year and didn't make the finals.

Might be a few Leicester, London Wasps, London Irish and Saracens fans disagreeing with you as well.

Yeah I have to agree they choke in most finals campaigns when they are at the top. 06/07 and 07/08 was the last time they were League Champions but it's all about winning the final. They haven't managed that since the 2001/2002 season.

Haha. Sorry. Time flies huh? They were doing great (finals aside) when I was living in England. I wonder what the story is there? Looking at the squad I'd say Ryan Lamb would be the big loss. But I imagine they will probably rise up the standings a bit between these tests and the six nations. They don't exactly contribute much to the England squad and the likes of Leicester, Wasps and London Irish make up a fair chunk of it.