BACK TO BERNARD FOR MUST-WIN PUMAS TEST
BERNARD Foley has been handed the job of trying to reignite Australia’s stuttering attack after being recalled to the starting line-up for this weekend’s crunch Rugby Championship showdown with the Pumas.
Ditched from his playmaking role after the second Bledisloe Cup loss in Auckland in August, the “Iceman” was given the nod over Matt Toomua to start at five-eighth after Michael Cheika, whose own future could rest on the result, wisely decided to abort his experiment of playing Kurtley Beale at 10.
Beale will now return to his customary role at inside centre, which is a much better fit for his natural running lines.
Because of his commitments to his English club Leicester, Toomua won’t be able to play in the Wallabies’ next game against the All Blacks in Japan so having Foley start against Argentina will add some stability to a backline which hasn’t clicked this season.
With the Wallabies needing to beat Argentina to move off the bottom of the championship standings, Cheika resisted the temptation to make any other changes to the line-up that started in last weekend’s loss to South Africa.
There was some doubt over Marika Koroiebete after the winger failed a head injury assessment when he copped a knock against the Springboks but he was cleared to resume playing.
Cheika made two additions to his bench, which still has to be trimmed after naming an extra reserve.
Hooker Tolu Latu was recalled at the expense of Brandon Paenga-Amosa, while utility back Tom Banks was rewarded with a third Test cap for Jack Maddocks, who has an injured hand.