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Junior Wallabies fly in four replacements for match day two
By Liam Heagney
Nathan Grey has had to flying a quartet of reinforcements from Sydney to Cape Town after the Junior Wallabies paid a heavy price for their opening round World Rugby U20 Championship win over Georgia last Saturday in Athlone.
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Four players were ruled out through injury following the 35-11 win and will miss the remainder of the tournament. Meanwhile, lock Harvey Cordukes, who was red-carded during the first half, has been suspended for two matches.
It all means Grey has altered six of his starting line-up to face Italy in round two at Athlone on Thursday, with five of those changes happening in the pack.
A statement read: “Australia U20 head coach Nathan Grey has been forced to make a number of changes to his side to face Italy at the World Rugby U20 Championship in Cape Town on Thursday.
“Jack Barrett (leg), Tevita Alatini (knee) and Ben Di Staso (ribs) have been ruled out of the remainder of the tournament with injuries suffered in Saturday’s victory over Georgia, while a hamstring injury has also forced scrum-half Hwi Sharples to return to Australia.
“NSW Waratahs quartet Nathaniel Tiitii, Billy Dickens, Will Goddard and Austin Durbridge have arrived in South Africa as injury replacements, with prop Tiitii and scrumhalf Dickens named on the bench for Thursday’s clash. Ollie McCrea will start at lock after Harvey Cordukes received a two-match suspension for the high shot that saw him red-carded against Georgia.”
Junior Wallabies (vs Italy, Thursday)
1. Lington Ieli – ACT Brumbies, Tuggeranong Vikings
2. Ottavio Tuipulotu – Melbourne Rebels, Eastern Suburbs
3. Trevor King – Queensland Reds, Souths Brisbane
4. Toby Macpherson (c) – ACT Brumbies, Uni-Norths Owls
5. Ollie McCrea – NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs
6. Aden Ekanayake – Australia Sevens, Gordon Rugby Club
7. Dane Sawers – Western Force, Kalamunda Districts
8. Jack Harley – ACT Brumbies, Gungahlin Eagles
9. Dan Nelson – ACT Brumbies, Canberra Royals
10. Harry McLaughlin-Phillips – Queensland Reds, Souths Brisbane
11. Angus Staniforth – ACT Brumbies, Canberra Royals
12. Jarrah McLeod – ACT Brumbies, Canberra Royals
13. Kadin Pritchard – ACT Brumbies, Gungahlin Eagles
14. Ronan Leahy – Western Force, Sydney University
15. Shane Wilcox – ACT Brumbies, Tuggeranong Vikings
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Replacements:
16. Bryn Edwards – NSW Waratahs, Sydney University
17. Nathaniel Tiitii – NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs
18. Nick Bloomfield – Queensland Reds, Easts Brisbane
19. Eamon Doyle – NSW Waratahs, Sydney University
20. Dominic Thygesen – Queensland Reds, Souths Brisbane
21. Billy Dickens – NSW Waratahs, Eastern Suburbs
22. Joe Dillon – NSW Waratahs, Manly Marlins
23. Frankie Goldsbrough – Queensland Reds, Easts Brisbane
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