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In the third fixture for Australia and Uruguay the teams square-off in a must-win battle in Oita on Saturday. The fixture is a rematch from RWC 2015 where they played for the first time in international competition.
For the match Wallabies Head Coach Michael Cheika has gone for twelve changes from the side which fell to a 29-25 loss against Wales. Retained are flanker and captain Michael Hooper; tight head prop Allan Alaalatoa; and outside back Dane Haylett-Petty.
The versatile Haylett-Petty joins debuting teenager Jordan Petaia and Kurtley Beale in the back-three. The dangerous combination will be fed by a halves combination of Nic White, and Christian Leali’ifano, as well as a id-field of Matt To’omua, and Tevita Kuridrani.
In the forwards Hooper joins Jack Dempsey and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto in the back-row. Dempsey will earn his first start of the competition while the outstanding David Pocock is to feature from the bench.
At hooker Folau Fainga’a will play his first RWC 2019 match, joining James Slipperand Allan Alaalatoa in the front-row. Locking the scrum will be Adam Coleman and Rob Simmons, the latter of whom will earn his 99th cap.
Uruguayan Head Coach Esteban Meneses has also named a much changed line-up. Of the side that started against Georgia six will also start against the Wallabies. With Juan Manuel Gaminara among those rotated the captaincy has gone to center Andrés Vilaseca.
Vilaseca will partner Tomás Inciarte in the mid-field with Juan Manuel Cat rested. In addition to Vilaseca Meneses has retained hooker German Kessler; second-rower Manuel Leindekar; fly half Felipe Berchesi; right winger Nicolás Freita; and left winger Rodrigo Silva who moved to fullback. All of them started against both Fiji and Georgia.
Four years ago Franco Lamanna was playing flanker at RWC 2015. On Saturday he will play in the second-row. His selection comes with Ignacio Dotti named on the bench and Diego Magno left out of the 23.
In the halves childhood friends Agustín Ormaechea and Felipe Berchesi will reunite with the former replacing Santiago Arata. The same combination started the corresponding fixture four years ago.
Australia’s 65-3 win over Uruguay in Birmingham was the first match between the countries. Their second match is expected to be closer though the Wallabies remain firm favorites to win by a margin of 40 points. Prior to the RWC Uruguay declared that their goal for this match is to lose by no more than 30 points.
TEAMS
AUSTRALIA
1 James Slipper, 2 Folau Fainga’a, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 4 Rob Simmons, 5 Adam Coleman, 6 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 7 Michael Hooper (capt.), 8 Jack Dempsey, 9 Nic White, 10 Christian Leali’ifano, 11 Jordan Petaia, 12 Matt To’omua, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 14 Dane Haylett-Petty, 15 Kurtley Beale
Replacements: 16 Jordan Uelese, 17 Sekope Kepu, 18 Taniela Tupou, 19 Rory Arnold, 20 David Pocock, 21 Will Genia, 22 James O’Connor, 23 Adam Ashley-Cooper
URUGUAY
1 Juan Echeverria, 2 German Kessler, 3 Diego Arbelo, 4 Franco Lamanna, 5 Manuel Leindekar, 6 Manuel Ardao, 7 Juan Diego Ormaechea, 8 Manuel Diana, 9 Agustín Ormaechea, 10 Felipe Berchesi, 11 Nicolás Freitas, 12 Andrés Vilaseca (capt.), 13 Tomás Inciarte, 14 Federico Favaro, 15 Rodrigo Silva
Replacements: 16 Guillermo Pujadas, 17 Joaquin Jaunsolo, 18 Juan Pedro Rombys, 19 Ignacio Dotti, 20 Juan Manuel Gaminara, 21 Santiago Arata, 22 Felipe Etcheverry, 23 Agustín Della Corte
Date: Saturday, October 05
Kick-Off: 14:15 local (Wednesday 22:15 Pacific, 01:15 Eastern, 02:15 Rio de la Plata)
Venue: Oita Stadium, Oita
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistants: Jerome Garces (France), Karl Dickson (England)
TMO: Ben Sheen (New Zealand)
