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Recap: Wallabies v All Blacks | Bledisloe Cup III
By RugbyPass
Follow all the action on the RugbyPass live blog from the Bledisloe Cup clash between the Wallabies and All Blacks at ANZ Stadium in Sydney.
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Four players are in line to make their test debuts for the Wallabies, with head coach Dave Rennie naming Brumbies duo Noah Lolesio and Irae Simone at No. 10 and No. 12, respectively.
Together, the pair replace veterans James O’Connor and Matt Toomua, both of whom have been ruled out of the contest due to injury.
They are joined by fellow newbies and Reds teammates Fraser McReight and Tate McDermott, with both players named on the bench in place of Liam Wright and Jake Gordon.
In total, there have been five changes to the Australian starting lineup, most of which have come in the backline.
Adding to the overhaul in the inside backs, experienced fullback Dane Haylett-Petty has returned to the run-on side after recovering from an adductor injury.
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He replaces Tom Banks, who has been dropped from the match day squad entirely. The same can’t be said of youngster Hunter Paisami, who has been demoted to the bench to accomodate for Queensland teammate Jordan Petaia.
Up front, Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa will start at tighthead prop, swapping roles with the benched Taniela Tupou as they look to keep their Bledisloe Cup hopes alive.
As for the All Blacks, arguably the most significant alteration comes at No. 8, where international rookie Hoskins Sotutu has come into the side for Ardie Savea, who had missed most of the week leading into this encounter on paternity leave.
A former Wallabies coach has urged Australian players to "take a stand against the haka" when they face the All Blacks in the third Bledisloe Cup test in Sydney. #BledisloeCup #AUSvNZL https://t.co/zDFRQT0OUr
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 31, 2020
That switch is one of three changes in the forward pack, with long-serving lock Sam Whitelock welcomed back into the side in place of Tupou Vaa’i after missing Bledisloe Cup II with concussion issues.
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Loosehead prop Joe Moody hasn’t been so fortunate as he continues to work through head injury assessment protocols, paving the way for Karl Tu’inukuafe to don the No. 1 jersey for the first time this year.
The backline remains unchanged, although there is plenty of movement on the bench, with two-test prop Tyrel Lomax replacing Nepo Laulala, who is also on paternity leave, at No. 18.
Further down the pine, Blues loose forward Dalton Papalii vacates the No. 20 jersey following Sotutu’s promotion to the starting team, while Ngani Laumape is in line to make his first test appearance in 14 months after being named at No. 22.
He takes the place of Peter Umaga-Jensen, and will be joined as one of the new faces among the reserves by Rieko Ioane, who takes the No. 23 jersey off Damian McKenzie.
