PERTH, Australia: Australia coach Ewen McKenzie yesterday dropped Kurtley Beale and Nic White yesterday for the Rugby Championship clash against South Africa following the Wallabies’ 51-20 humiliation by New Zealand.
Beale and White were preferred for the opening two rounds but McKenzie reverted to Bernard Foley and Nick Phipps as his halves pairing after last month’s beating in Auckland.
They are among a number of changes for Saturday’s Test in Perth, with James Hanson replacing injured hooker Nathan Charles after he was ruled out for the season with a pectoral tear.
The retirement of Pat McCabe with a fractured neck sees a further reshuffle of the backline, with vice-captain Adam Ashley-Cooper moving back to the wing and Tevita Kuridrani getting a call-up at outside centre.
“While the size of the challenge isn’t any easier this week, the South Africans do play a unique brand of rugby which we will need to adjust to,” McKenzie said.
Australia (15-1) - Israel Folau; Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Toomua, Rob Horne; Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps; Wycliff Palu, Michael Hooper (capt), Scott Fardy; Rob Simmons, Sam Carter; Sekope Kepu, James Hanson, James Slipper.
Replacements: Saia Fainga’a, Pek Cowan, Ben Alexander, James Horwill, Scott Higginbotham, Matt Hodgson, Nic White, Kurtley Beale. Reuters
