The Wallabies will take an unchanged team into Saturday night’s second rugby union Test against Wales in Melbourne, with star fullback Kurtley Beale left out.
The ARU is investigating an off-field incident involving Beale at a Brisbane night-spot from last week, but coach Robbie Deans said on Tuesday that Beale was left out because he still hasn’t fully recovered from a shoulder injury.
Deans included prop Sekope Kepu, but the tighthead must prove his fitness later in the week after picking up an arm injury in last weekend’s 27-19 first Test win over Wales in Brisbane.
Kepu strained a tendon in his forearm, but the fact he completed the full 80 minutes in game one before reporting the injury gives the Wallabies camp confidence he will pull through.
“We are hopeful that ‘Keps’ will be good to go, but we do have a contingency plan in place if we need it,” said Deans.
“There are five props in the group we have with us in Melbourne so we saw no need in bringing anyone extra in.”
Ben Alexander replaced loosehead prop Benn Robinson during the first Test of the Tour but has played the majority of his 38 previous Test matches as a tighthead, and has once again been named as a versatile option on the bench.
Deans said his players deserved the show of loyalty after impressing in their defeat Six Nations champions Wales.
However, he warned Wales will be better for the run.
“The Welsh will have seen a lot of opportunity in last weekend’s Test,” said Deans.
“They showed during their Six Nations campaign that they are resilient – twice winning games in the final moments.
“That trait was apparent again in a 12-minute period in Brisbane when they closed from 6-20 to 19-20, to put themselves in a position to win the game after we had made the better start.”
Fittingly, with the match being played at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne Rebels flyer Cooper Vuna has been retained on the wing.
The former NRL star made a strong debut last week after he was called in to replace the injured Joe Tomane.
“Cooper did well, and he will have learned a lot from that experience,” Deans says.
“The pace of the game is faster than at any other level – he acknowledged that afterwards, but Cooper still had some critical involvements in Brisbane, and will be better prepared this week now that he knows what to expect.”
Wallabies: Adam Ashley-Cooper, Cooper Vuna, Rob Horne, Pat McCabe, Digby Ioane, Berrick Barnes, Will Genia, Wycliff Palu, David Pocock (capt), Scott Higginbotham, Nathan Sharpe, Rob Simmons, Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson. Res: Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander, Dave Dennis, Michael Hooper, Nic White, Anthony Faingaa, Mike Harris.
