Wallabies team unchanged for first time in 26-match Rennie reign

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has opted for stability as his side searches for back-to-back wins, naming an unchanged starting line-up for the clash with South Africa in Sydney on Saturday. It’s the first time in his 26-match reign he hasn’t made a change to the starting 15, having made at least four in every Test so far this year, many forced by injury.

It means Rennie is backing in the same personnel to tidy up some significant flaws from the 25-17 Rugby Championship Wallabies win against the Springboks in Adelaide last weekend, including deficient set-piece work that saw them win just seven of their 13 lineouts.

The Wallabies will again have their all-Brumbies front row of James Slipper, Folau Fainga’a and Allan Alaalatoa over bench options Taniela Tupou, Scott Sio and Dave Porecki, while outside back Andrew Kellaway will again have to make his impact off the pine.

Noah Lolesio holds the No10 jersey after impressing last Saturday, with full-back Reece Hodge continuing in that role and Tom Wright, the man he replaced there for the first Test, staying on a wing. The only change to the 23-man squad sees scrum-half Jake Gordon grab a spot on the bench in place of Tate McDermott.

Rennie said the Wallabies’ win in Adelaide had earned the same personnel the chance to prove if they could do it again at a sold-out Allianz Stadium.

“It’s great to be able to have some consistency in selection with the team that played last week earning the right to wear the jersey again in Sydney. While rapt with last week’s effort, we’re well aware of the challenge a wounded Springbok poses and the intensity we will require again on Saturday night.”

South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber has taken the opposite approach, swinging the axe with eight changes to his injury-hit team. Notably, five-eighth Handre Pollard misses with a knee injury and will be replaced in the No10 shirt by Damian Willemse, whose full-back role will be taken by veteran Willie le Roux.

Earlier, Wallabies assistant coach Scott Wisemantel called on the team to be more ruthless in delivering a complete display, having coughed up a bonus point in allowing two late tries in the Adelaide Test. “You’re filthy that you miss that point, you’re absolutely livid,” he said.

“We are really disappointed with that last eight-to-ten-minute period and we had chances there, even when it was three tries to one we had another chance off a set piece to do something. We have got to be a little bit more cut-throat, a little bit more ruthless in that regard, so it’s definitely something we’ve spoken about and we have worked on.”

Wallabies (vs Springboks, Saturday)
1. James Slipper (c) (120 Tests)
2. Folau Fainga’a (30 Tests)
3. Allan Alaalatoa (57 Tests)
4. Rory Arnold (31 Tests)
5. Matt Philip (25 Tests)
6. Jed Holloway (3 Tests)
7. Fraser McReight (5 Tests)
8. Rob Valetini (24 Tests)
9. Nic White (53 Tests)
10. Noah Lolesio (13 Tests)
11. Marika Koroibete (48 Tests)
12. Hunter Paisami (19 Tests)
13. Len Ikitau (18 Tests)
14. Tom Wright (15 Tests)
15. Reece Hodge (58 Tests)

Replacements
16. David Porecki (4 Tests)
17. Scott Sio (72 Tests)
18. Taniela Tupou (43 Tests)
19. Darcy Swain (14 Tests)
20. Rob Leota (11 Tests)
21. Pete Samu (25 Tests)
22. Jake Gordon (13 Tests)
23. Andrew Kellaway (15 Tests)