SYDNEY — The hits carry on coming for the Wallabies, with veteran prop Allan Alaalatoa to overlook the third and last Check towards the British and Irish Lions in Sydney on Saturday.
Alaalatoa suffered a shoulder harm within the Wallabies’ devastating 29-26 loss on the MCG, a consequence that wrapped up the Lions’ first sequence win since 2013, after they have been final in Australia.
The tighthead was changed by Tom Robertson at halftime, with the Wallabies’ scrum struggling for a lot of the second half thereafter because the Lions unleashed a completely new front-row and started to boss the set-piece.
Alaalatoa’s absence might open the door for one last hit-out for departing prop Taniela Tupou, who impressed within the First Nations-Pasifika XV’s slim loss to the Lions of their last tour match final week.
Tupou has signed a two-year cope with French membership Racing 92 and whereas it’s anticipated Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt will look to maneuver on from the out-of-favour prop for the Rugby Championship in consequence, the tighthead might earn a reprieve this weekend.
The opposite choices are Tom Robertson, who changed Alaalatoa off the bench in Melbourne or Reds prop Zane Nonggorr, whereas James Slipper might additionally theoretically swap from the loosehead facet which might permit Angus Bell to start out within the No. 1 jersey.
In the meantime, the fall-out from the controversial ending to Saturday’s thriller on the MCG continues to roll on, with the Wallabies on Monday rejecting assertions from the UK media that Carlo Tizzano had “taken a dive” within the match-defining clean-out from Jac Morgan.
Former England back-rower James Haskell was considered one of many pundits to accuse Tizzano of play-acting, saying: “The one little bit of foul play and nonsense within the incident was the Australian participant diving, that ought to have been purple carded, as a result of that’s utter crap,” Haskell stated on his The Good, the Unhealthy and the Rugby podcast.
However chatting with media on Monday, Wallabies lock Nick Frost denied Tizzano had feigned harm to assist draw the eye of the officers, who later deemed the clean-out authorized after a number of replays.
“It is powerful, it is laborious while you’ve received guys who aren’t on the sector, they’re ex-players and various things, however when the people who find themselves on the sector day in and time out and placing their physique [on the line], particularly a man like Carlo who at all times will get over the ball, guys like that competing, it’s powerful,” Frost stated.
“After which even within the tight 5, you set your physique in hurt’s approach. It is a powerful one for him [Tizzano].” The Wallabies can have a brand new winger on Saturday too, with Harry Potter already set for an prolonged stint on the sidelines due to a hamstring harm.
That would see Dylan Pietsch earn his first Check begin of the yr, whereas there have additionally been requires Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to maneuver one spot wider to the wing, opening up the chance for Hunter Paisami to return at No. 12 and Len Ikitau to shift to his extra favoured outdoors centre place.
There may be uncertainty additionally round Rob Valetini, who like Alaalatoa did not return at halftime on Saturday, however Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt stated that call was extra precautionary because the back-rower had been “tightening up”.
