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Caderyn Neville set to become third oldest Wallaby debutant against England

(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie will blood two old bulls against England with lock Cadeyrn Neville and hooker Dave Porecki named for the opening Test in Perth on Saturday.

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Aged 33, Neville is the third oldest debutant since WWII with his selection coming 10 years after the Brumbies forward was first included in a Wallabies training squad.

Standing 202cm and weighing 120kg, Neville will bring some grunt to the set piece where England will mount a formidable battle.

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Maori All Blacks post-match press conference

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Maori All Blacks post-match press conference

Waratahs rake Porecki, 29, also took the long way around, spending five years playing in the UK before returning to Australia in 2020.

After his successful return to the Test arena last year, Quade Cooper will wear the Wallabies No.10 jersey with youngster Noah Lolesio preferred ahead of James O’Connor for the bench role.

Fellow Japan-based players centre Samu Kerevi and winger Marika Koroibete, who each missed the end-of-season Spring Tour where the Wallabies lost all three Tests, have also been named.

Taniela Tupou has failed to recover from a calf injury with Brumbies skipper Allan Alaalatoa at tighthead and Waratahs prop Angus Bell at loosehead.

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Other starters include Brumbies lock Darcy Swain, blindside flanker Rob Leota and No.8 Rob Valetini.

Andrew Kellaway has been named on the right edge while Len Ikitau is at outside centre and Tom Banks at fullback.

Australia are looking to end a run of eight successive losses against Eddie Jones-coached England teams.

Rennie said the squad had worked hard to prepare for the opening Test, with matches to follow in Brisbane and Sydney.

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He praised Neville, a former elite rower who only took up rugby in 2009, and Porecki for their tenacity.

“The whole squad has worked hard over the past fortnight for what’s going to be a tough three-Test series against a very good England side,” Rennie said.

“Earning their first caps is a proud occasion for David, Cadeyrn and their families, with both men taking a unique journey to realise their dream of wearing the Wallabies jersey.”

England will name their squad late on Thursday and also their captain, with Owen Farrell favoured to get the nod.

Wallabies: Tom Banks, Andrew Kellaway, Len Ikitau, Samu Kerevi, Marika Koroibete, Quade Cooper, Nic White, Rob Valetini, Michael Hooper (c), Rob Leota, Cadeyrn Neville, Darcy Swain, Allan Alaalatoa, David Porecki, Angus Bell. Res: Folau Fainga’a, Scott Sio, James Slipper, Matt Philip, Pete Samu, Jake Gordon, Noah Lolesio, Jordan Petaia.

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GrahamVF 2 hours ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.


"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"


After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

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