Brumbies provide Aust muscle

BY JOHN-PAUL MOLONEY RUGBY UNION
28/08/2009 12:00:00 AM

ACT Brumbies players have seized control of the Wallabies forward pack which will try to redeem itself against its South African tormentors tomorrow night.
Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has responded to injuries and form concerns from last week's loss to New Zealand by promoting lock Mark Chisholm and prop Ben Alexander to the starting eight to face the Springboks in Perth.

They will join George Smith, Stephen Moore and inbound Brumbies flanker Rocky Elsom in a five-strong capital forward contingent. Current Brumby Adam Ashley-Cooper and star recruit for next season Matt Giteau will play at inside centre and flyhalf respectively.

Chisholm has been rushed into the squad to replace the injured Nathan Sharpe, leapfrogging Dean Mumm to earn his place in the second row alongside James Horwill.

Predictably enough after his early injection into last week's Test, Alexander has replaced veteran Al Baxter at tighthead prop, signalling a possible changing of the guard two years out from the World Cup.

In other changes to the squad, winger Peter Hynes has replaced Drew Mitchell in the starting team, Ashley-Cooper has been shifted in a position to inside centre as injured Berrick Barnes's replacement, while Ryan Cross will take the vacant outside centre jersey.

Chisholm's return to win his 41st cap and to call Australia's lineouts has crowned an otherwise forgettable year, blighted by a serious wrist injury suffered on the Brumbies' tour of South Africa.

Until his call-up to the extended squad two weeks ago, Chisholm's main hope for the year had been earning a spot on the spring tour of Europe.

''The last few months have been quite tough, a lot of training in Canberra. The harder times were when the [Brumbies] boys were over in France and it was pretty much just me running on the field through the frost most mornings. They were really difficult times, but I'm all the better for it now, obviously.''

The 26-year-old's return to the Test arena for the first time since last year's European tour, in which he started every match, will be one of his toughest challenges.

The Springboks spearheaded by champion lock Victor Matfield dominated the Wallabies at the lineout in their 29-17 win three weeks ago and enter tomorrow's game confident they can master Australia again.

But Chisholm who admitted he slept through the Cape Town encounter back home in Australia said the Wallabies pack was ready to redeem itself.

''I actually wasn't up in the wee hours, but I've certainly done a lot of reviewing and analysing since that game. We've learnt from our mistakes in Newlands and we've taken steps to rectify it ... we're definitely up for it.''

Flyhalf Giteau has vowed he's up to the task of fixing his errant kicking game, especially important given the absence of playmaking partner Barnes.

Giteau had his low skidding kicks charged down several times by the All Blacks, with one leading to the only try of the match at ANZ Stadium.

Deans said his No10, who started 2009 on fire for the Western Force, had already shown on the training paddock he'll be back to his best against the unbeaten Springboks.

''He started the season very accurately and some of his [current] performance elements are unusual for him,'' Deans said.

''It's out of the ordinary for him but they are imminently fixable.''

But former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones believes it's Australia's style of play under Deans which has affected Giteau's all-round game.

''He [Giteau] enjoys that flat game taking on defenders,'' Jones told South African website keo.co.za.

''Now they're playing a New Zealand style where it's deep and wide and he's struggling to impose himself in Tests.''

In five meetings between the sides in Perth, the ledger is even with two wins each and a draw. with AAP

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