Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has reserved special praise for Tatafu Polota-Nau after rushing the courageous hooker back into his forward pack for Saturday night’s clash with Argentina.
Polota-Nau will bring up his 50-Test milestone against the Pumas on the Gold Coast as one of three changes to the starting team which got out of jail against South Africa to win 24-23 in Perth.
Despite the powerful NSW rake being sidelined with a knee problem since the Super Rugby final on August 2, McKenzie had no hesitation in thrusting him into the front-row, at James Hanson’s expense, to quell the fearsome Pumas scrum.
As expected, fellow Waratah Peter Betham was named as Adam Ashley-Cooper’s wing replacement while Ben McCalman was preferred to Scott Higginbotham as No.8 in the absence of Wycliff Palu (head knock).
Kurtley Beale remains on a forwards-heavy bench as one of just two backs.
McKenzie was Polota-Nau’s NSW mentor when he first broke onto the international scene in 2005, making his Test debut off the bench in the midst of an English demolition at Twickenham.
The coach hailed the affable 29-year-old, who has overcome countless injuries throughout a fearless career, as a wonderful team man.
“Tatafu has been a true servant to the game of rugby in Australia for a long time and I couldn’t be more pleased to see him earn his milestone 50th game,” McKenzie said.
“I’ve known Tatafu for a long time and he is a guy who puts his body on the line each and every week for the benefit of the team.
“He gives it his all every time he takes the field and is also an outstanding teammate off it.”
Betham, who made his Test debut against the All Blacks last October, gets his second Wallabies start after Ashley-Cooper aggravated a nerve compression problem in his neck against the Springboks.
The veteran vice-captain is now on track to play his 100th Test in the third Bledisloe clash in Brisbane next month.
McKenzie said McCalman’s close-quarter skills were better suited to start against the physical Argentine forwards while Higginbotham’s X-factor will again be utilised in the second half.
“Ben will set the tone early with his high work-rate and provide a good balance for what we’ll be looking for from our back-row as a group,” he said.
Wallabies: Israel Folau, Peter Betham, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Toomua, Rob Horne, Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps; Ben McCalman, Michael Hooper (capt), Scott Fardy, Rob Simmons, Sam Carter, Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, James Slipper. Res: James Hanson, Pek Cowan, Ben Alexander, James Horwill, Scott Higginbotham, Matt Hodgson, Nic White, Kurtley Beale.
