WAYWARD WARATAHS HOOKER BENCHED
HOOKER Damien Fitzpatrick has been axed from the NSW starting line-up for the first time this season after selectors gambled on Tolu Latu for tomorrow night’s Super Rugby semi-final against the Lions in Johannesburg.
Fitzpatrick has had a mortgage on the No.2 jersey this year, chalking up his 50th cap for NSW in last week’s quarter-final win against the Highlanders at Allianz Stadium, but he has been under increasing pressure to keep his spot.
His lineout throws, a strength during the regular season, have recently been inaccurate.
Meanwhile, a fit-again Latu has been making a huge impact off the bench.
With the lineouts and scrums likely to play a pivotal role at high-altitude Ellis Park, Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson said Latu’s game was suited to tame the Lions.
“This match will be a very physical encounter, particularly with the breakdown and scrum being key battlegrounds and these are areas where Tolu excels,” Gibson said.
“We are expecting a real set-piece battle so we need to be good in this area to compete with the Lions’ scrum and lineout.”
Fitzpatrick will start on the bench in the only change to the squad that overturned a 17-point halftime deficit to overrun the Highlanders and advance to the semi-finals.
The Waratahs have never won a Super Rugby playoff match on the road.