SOUTH AFRICA WARY OF ITALIANS IN DO-OR-DIE CLASH
TOKYO (Reuters) - Christian Lealiifano is back at flyhalf and teenager Jordan Petaia will make his Wallabies debut on the wing after coach Michael Cheika overhauled his team for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup Pool D match against Uruguay.
The Wallabies will be looking to get back to winning ways against the South Americans in Oita after their agonising 29-25 loss to Wales in Tokyo last weekend.
Cheika used the pool game against Uruguay at the last World Cup as a chance to give his squad players a run out and so the 13 changes were to be expected after he fielded his strongest side against the Welsh.
Lealiifano returns at flyhalf with Nic White at scrumhalf, reuniting the halfback pairing that started Australia’s opening match against Fiji, where they came from behind to win.
It means Bernard Foley, who started at 10 against Wales, misses out completely in the 23-man squad.
“Bernard — I think he struggled a little bit on the weekend. No doubt about that,” said Cheika.
“So, Bernard is working hard on getting himself back into the team. He has been training hard.”
“He did some good things at the weekend, something he would want to improve on.”
Teenaged Queensland Reds centre Petaia was a surprise inclusion in the World Cup squad but would have made his test debut last year against Italy had he not suffered an injury in the run-up to the match. Another hamstring injury in the pre-tournament training camp dashed his hopes of a debut in the warm-up match against Samoa, but he is now set to become Australia’s youngest World Cup player and first test player born this century.
“I think he has got a lot of talent, Jordan, and we will see it for the first time,” said Cheika.
“He is just starting out, so we will let him get into the flow and see how he feels.” “He has a couple of very experienced campaigners next to him in Dane (HaylettPetty) and Kurtley (Beale) so he will have plenty of experience around him to talk him through.”
I think he has got a lot of talent, Jordan, and we will see it for the first time, – Michael Cheika