Midfield defence could decide Test
WALES will field the most experienced active centre pairing in world rugby this weekend, and Australia will oppose them with two men who have never started together.
But Wallabies centre Tevita Kuridrani believes he and rookie Reece Hodge have developed enough understanding on the training pitch to contain Jamie Roberts and Jonathan Davies, who play their 49th Test together at Millennium Stadium.
“We’ve been working really hard this week, just getting our defence right, communication with the midfield,” Kuridrani said.
“It’s the first time for us to play in the midfield together and excited for the challenge and everything’s going well.
“I think Reece is a good defender as well and it’s been automatic. We’ve clicked really well in the defence so it’s pretty good.
“In the Rugby Championship, I just had a little bit of time with him, coming off the bench and stuff, but just looking forward to this weekend, playing the full 80 minutes with him.
“I think Reece is a really talented player and I didn’t really have to take care of him or anything but I’ll try and help him as much as I can during the game.
“We know it’ll be a full, crowded stadium and I’ll just try and guide him during the game.”
Kuridrani was dropped from the starting side after the Wallabies were hammered by the All Blacks in Sydney in August, but returns in place of the injured Samu Kerevi and plans to make a statement.
“I think this spring tour is probably a point to prove and I think for me just taking my opportunity this weekend,” Kuridrani said.
The midfield battle between Roberts-Davies and HodgeKuridrani will be a defining factor in the result.
Wallabies backrower David Pocock, Kuridrani’s teammate at the Brumbies, is expecting a big performance from the 102kg flyer.
“It’s a really big area for us, they send a lot of traffic through there, their backs are always pushing up on the outside of their forwards, trying to get that seam between the last forward and the start of the backline so it’s big and it’s something that we’ve looked at and we’ve talked about,” Pocock said.