Eddie Jones, who told Australia on Thursday to ‘roll up his sleeves’, made five changes to his starting squad to face Argentina in the Rugby Championship after being heavily beaten in South Africa for his return to the head of the Wallabies.
Among the absentees for Saturday’s match in Sydney, the injured co-captain Michael Hooper is replaced by Fraser McReight at the third line position.
Mark Nawaqanitawase will replace Suliasi Vunivalu on the wing after the poor performance of the defector from rugby league during the heavy defeat (43-12) against the Springboks, however diminished in Pretoria.
Looking ahead to the World Cup in France (September 8-October 28), Jones is expecting a reaction to an Argentina side that conceded seven tries to New Zealand in their 41-12 defeat in Mendoza on Last weekend.
“We have a new opportunity to find our rhythm”, indicated the one who had already managed the Wallabies between 2001 and 2005. “We are obviously a new coaching team, so we are in the process of discovering where we are”, he pointed out.
Another change in the back line: Samu Kerevi, recovered from a hamstring injury, replaces Reece Hodge in the center.
Experienced fly-half Quade Cooper and scrum-half Nic White will once again form the backbone.
Third line wing Jed Holloway will wear the Wallabies jersey for the first time in 2023 after injured Tom Hooper is out. Richie Arnold will be tenured for the first time in the second line in place of Nick Frost.
The boss of the Pumas, the Australian Michael Cheika, who was the coach of the Wallabies between 2014 and 2019, has also significantly overhauled his starting XV with four changes.
Rodrigo Isgro, from Seventh, will make his debut on the wing, while prop Francisco Gomez Kodela, third line Santiago Grondona and center Jeronimo de la Fuente will also be lined up.
Lucio Sordoni, Rodrigo Bruni, Matias Moroni and Sebastian Cancelliere will therefore take their place on the bench.
Composition of the teams of Australia and Argentina:
Australia: Wright – Nawakanitawase, Ikitau, Krevi, Koroibete – (o) Cooper, (m) White (m) Valetini, McReight, Holloway – Skelton, Arnold – Alaalatoa, Porecki, Slipper (cap)
Substitutes: Wales, Bell, Strong, Philip, Leota, Kemeny, McDermott, Gordon
Argentine: Boffelli – Isgro, Cinti, De La Fuente, M. Carreras – (o) S. Carreras, (m) Bertranou – Gonzalez, Grondona, Matera – Lavanini, Alemanno – Gomez Kodela, Montoya (cap.), Gallo
Replacements: Creevy, Tetaz Chaparro, Bello, Paulos, Bruni, Bazan Velez, Sanchez, Moroni
