Cheika keeps faith with Wallabies
Coleman cuts mustard at lock as Arnold forced out of Eden Park showdown with hand injury but no place for veteran flanker Pocock
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has made just one change to his starting XV that destroyed the All Blacks at Optus Stadium in Perth last weekend.
Adam Coleman comes in at lock for Rory Arnold, who has a hand injury.
Coleman came off the bench during last week’s historic 47-26 win to replace Arnold, who had been one of
Australia’s best before suffering his injury.
Cheika has resisted the temptation to recall veteran flanker David Pocock for the crucial Eden Park Bledisloe Cup decider tomorrow. Pocock has been recovering well from a calf injury that has ruled him out most of the season but the Australians have decided not to gamble on him, instead calling Liam Wright on to the bench.
It’s a meteoric rise for Wright, who made his Super Rugby debut only last year but played all but 12 minutes of the Reds’ season, his on-ball work rate leading him to finish runner-up to Samu Kerevi for the Stan Pilecki Medal as Queensland’s best player.
Wright he will be a member of a vastly experienced bench with Rob Simmons named after Coleman’s elevation and Adam Ashley-Cooper in line to make his 118th test appearance, reports rugby.co.au.
The 35-year-old will become the 16th most capped player of all time — alongside All Blacks legend Tony Woodcock and France veteran Fabien Pelous — if he plays tomorrow night.
Ashley-Cooper is among 474 caps of test experience on the bench which almost matches the total caps of the starting XV combined (531).
Tomorrow night’s bench is the second most-capped reserve list the Wallabies have named for a test match and the first time Australia have boasted two 100-cap players as replacements, with Will Genia again named in the reserves with Nic White to start his second successive Bledisloe match at No 9.
If they are to win the Bledisloe Cup for the first time since 2002, Australia will need to break a 33-year drought at Eden Park, a fortress for the All Blacks, who are on a 42-match unbeaten streak at the venue, dating back to 1994.
Australia have lost their last 22 games in New Zealand, with their last victory coming in 2001 in Dunedin.
Cheika has played down the Perth result, saying it merely earned the Wallabies a ticket to Auckland.