Wallabies name unchanged backline

Name: All Blacks: NZH opinion and analysis
Uploaded: 2013-08-22T09:19:00+12:00
Duration: 200 s
Description: Tom Taylor is the starting All Blacks first five and Herald scribes Gregor Paul and Wynne Gray give their expert opinion and analysis on the new pivot and the role he has to play.

AAP

22 Aug, 2013 12:25 AM2 mins to read

Tom Taylor is the starting All Blacks first five and Herald scribes Gregor Paul and Wynne Gray give their expert opinion and analysis on the new pivot and the role he has to play.

Under-fire Wallabies rookies Jesse Mogg and Matt Toomua have been retained in an unchanged backline for Saturday night's must-win Bledisloe Cup clash against the All Blacks.

As expected, coach Ewen McKenzie kept faith with the Brumbies pair when naming his team on Thursday despite both falling short of expectations in last weekend's 47-29 loss to New Zealand in Sydney.

Israel Folau, who saw little ball in the six-tries-to-two loss, remains on the right wing and James O'Connor, who was caught out of position in defence, stays on the left wing.

The only change made to Australia's 23-man squad has been forced through injury to Hugh McMeniman (shoulder) with Scott Fardy making his run-on Test debut at blindside flanker and NSW lock Kane Douglas coming onto the bench.

"You can't fudge experience and I know this group learned a great deal from last week and will be much better for the experience on Saturday night,'' McKenzie said.

"We made a decision to reward players that were in-form and who we believed were capable of executing what we are trying to achieve as a group.

"That doesn't change overnight or following one losing result.

"It's always important to be conscious of finding a balance between selecting experience against youth but the only way to develop that experience is by providing opportunities to players and hoping they take them.

"Right now, I'm more concerned with how each individual responds to the defeat. We need to fix aspects of our performance but we will get better the more time we spend together.

"However, in saying that, you only get a finite number of chances at Test level so it's important that you don't let the moment pass.

That's been made very clear this week as has the expectation of the level of improvement we need from each player within the squad.''

Wallabies: Jesse Mogg, Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Christian Lealiifano, James O'Connor, Matt Toomua, Will Genia; Ben Mowen, Michael Hooper, Scott Fardy, James Horwill (capt), Rob Simmons, Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore, James Slipper. Res: Saia Fainga'a, Scott Sio, Sekope Kepu, Kane Douglas, Liam Gill, Nic White, Quade Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani.