Wallabies make double change
Australia have made two changes for Saturday’s crunch World Cup clash with Wales in Cardiff – and bolstered their forward power on the bench.
Drew Mitchell, who scored two tries as a replacement in the Wallabies’ opening 91-3 win over Japan, will start on the left wing ahead of the injured Adam Ashley-Cooper.
In the pack, Al Baxter has made way for Guy Shepherdson at tight-head prop - but speculation that head coach John Connolly would start with both Phil Waugh and George Smith in the back row proved unfounded.
Instead, Connolly has opted to include Waugh as one of five forwards on the Australia bench.
Ashley-Cooper injured his toe in Sunday’s victory in Lyon and has been given until Friday to prove his fitness, otherwise Julian Huxley will come onto the bench.
The winners in Cardiff on Saturday are likely to top Pool B and earn a quarter-final against the losers of England and South Africa.
“This is a crucial game as far as our pool is concerned and a lot of what we have done over the past 12 months has been preparing us for this game,” said Connolly.
