White drops to bench for Welsh clash

By Mark Stevens
27/9/19

Exeter Chiefs scrum-half Nic White will start Sunday's Rugby World Cup encounter with Wales in Tokyo on the bench.

The 29-year-old drops to the bench despite starting in his side's opening game win against Fiji.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has changed his half-back pairing completely, restoring Will Genia and Bernard Foley to his starting XV. The experienced duo replace White and Christian Lealiifano.

In other backline changes, Kurtley Beale has been dropped to the bench with Dane Haylett-Petty coming in at full-back to face what is expected to be an aerial bombardment from the Six Nations champions at Tokyo Stadium.

Adam Ashley-Cooper replaced the banned Reece Hodge on the right wing and will win his 120th cap for his country in a match that is likely to decide which of the two countries tops Pool D, and possibly avoids a quarter-final against England.

Australia's pack, however, remains untouched with skipper Michael Hooper, David Pocock and Isi Naisarani forming a powerful back-row trio.

Cheika, meanwhile, said he was confident Foley could produce the goods at fly-half.

"I obviously believe in him a lot, I've got a lot of history with him, and I think that he's trying to fight against the challenge that Christian (Lealiifano) has brought to him, and Matty Toomua as well," he said. "That's great for the team that he realises 'Okay I've got to lift my standard, this guy's playing good footy and I'm getting my chance here'.

"At the World Cup you're not given anything, you've got to take everything. Here's an opportunity, go and take it. I'm sure he's in that mindset as well."

Cheika said he felt this was a "good combination" for this game and pointed to the strength on the bench, with the likes of White, Beale and James Slipper available as impact players.

The Australia coach, who said he would keep telling his players to tackle "low and middle", could not resist having another dig at World Rugby over Hodge's three-game ban, saying the winger had not yet decided whether to appeal.

"There is a bit of us versus everyone else," Cheika said. "So we are not going to let it derail us. We'll just suck it up and get focused on what's important, and that is the match on Sunday. We wanted no obstacles to derail us and we are not going to let them get to us. We'll just concentrate on our footy and do the best we can on Sunday for Australia."

Australia side to face Wales

15 Dane Haylett-Petty
14 Adam Ashley-Cooper
13 James O'Connor
12 Samu Kerevi
11 Marika Koroibete
10 Bernard Foley
9 Will Genia
8 Isi Naisarani
7 Michael Hooper (capt)
6 David Pocock
5 Rory Arnold
4 Izack Rodda
3 Allan Alaalatoa
2 Tolu Latu
1 Scott Sio

16 Jordan Uelese
17 James Slipper
18 Sekope Kepu
19 Adam Coleman
20 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto
21 Nic White
22 Matt Toomua
23 Kurtley Beale