RUGBY CHAMPIONSHP PREVIEW
Australia vS Africa
DUANE Vermeulen will end a two-year wait to pull on Springboks colours when he takes to the pitch in the Gold Coast today.
Not since the 2019 Rugby World Cup final has Vermeulen represented the Boks after the No.8 was ruled out of the Lions series through ankle surgery. The Boks also also have Faf de Klerk, Herschel Jantjies, and Marco van Staden back from injury. Vermeulen replaces Jasper Wiese as one of five changes to the team which beat the Pumas 29-10 in Port Elizabeth last month, with lock Eben Etzebeth coming in behind an allnew front row of Steven Kitshoff, Bongi Mbonambi and Frans Malherbe.
A dead leg picked up in training has excluded rugby’s newest £1m man Cheslin Kolbe. Sbu Nkosi will play instead. De Klerk replaces Cobus Reinach.
Wallabies, head coach Dave Rennie said he is ‘thrilled’ to give Quade Cooper, 33, his first start since 2017 by dumping under-performing fly-half Noah Lolesio.
Michael Hooper will equal George Gregan’s record of 59 Tests as Australia captain, with Rennie bringing lock Izack Rodda and prop Gus Bell into the pack and if you’re looking for some new games to play visit the best online casino Austrlia.
New Zealand v Pumas
BRODIE Retallick becomes the 71st All Black captain as his side lock horns with Argentina.
Beauden Barrett starts at fly-half alongside scrum-half TJ Perenara.
Due to Covid-19 issues in New Zealand, the All Blacks are still without playmaker Richie Mo’unga and veteran Sam Whitelock.
Whitelock will be unavailable for the remainder of the competition due to concerns over his ability to prepare for upcoming test matches.
Mario Ledesma’s Pumas are winless after losing their first two games to South Africa, conceding 30 of their 61 points from penalties.
Captain Julian Montoya said: “We have been locked up for two weeks and have been very self-critical.
“Indiscipline is a matter of 100 percent concentration. That was the biggest deficit in the last two games”
