AUCKLAND Aug 23 (Reuters) – Australia flyhalf Quade Cooper
has returned to the Wallabies lineup for their Rugby
Championship clash with New Zealand on Saturday after he
sustained a serious knee injury on the same Eden Park pitch at
last year’s World Cup.
The New Zealand-born Cooper suffered the injury in the
global tournament’s bronze medal playoff and although he played
for his Queensland Reds side towards the end of the Super Rugby
competition, he missed the Wallabies’ one-off test against
Scotland and the three-match series against Wales in June.
Flyhalf Cooper will link with Queensland team mate Will
Genia, who will captain the side after openside flanker David
Pocock was ruled out following knee surgery after the Wallabies’
27-19 loss to the All Blacks in Sydney last week.
Cooper’s inclusion means that Berrick Barnes will move back
to inside centre, while fullback Kurtley Beale, who had a poor
match against the All Blacks last week, was dropped from the
starting lineup. Adam Ashley-Cooper moves into Beale’s place at
fullback, allowing Drew Mitchell to come in on the wing.
The Wallabies have held off naming their replacements due to
an unspecified injury concern.
15-Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14-Drew Mitchell, 13-Rob Horne,
12-Berrick Barnes, 11-Digby Ioane, 10-Quade Cooper, 9-Will Genia
(captain), 8-Scott Higginbotham, 7-Michael Hooper, 6-Dave
Dennis, 5-Nathan Sharpe, 4-Sitaleki Timani, 3-Ben Alexander,
2-Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1-Benn Robinson
Replacements: to be confirmed later
(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury; Editing by Ian Ransom)
