Rugby-Australia lose two hookers ahead of Lions series finale

The Star

3 days ago

FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Autumn Internationals - Wales v Australia - Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, Britain - November 17, 2024 Australia's Matt Faessler in action with Wales's Jac Morgan Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs/File Photo
SYDNEY (Reuters) -The Wallabies have been forced to call Brandon Paenga-Amosa into the team for Saturday's final test against the British & Irish Lions after hookers Dave Porecki and Matt Faessler both picked up injuries in training.
Porecki, who started last week's second test, suffered a heel injury and Faessler, who started the first, picked up a calf issue in training on Thursday.
Billy Pollock moves up from the replacements to start in place of Porecki on Saturday, while Paenga-Amosa will come off the bench as the Wallabies look to grab a consolation win after losing the first two tests.
Captain Harry Wilson said the team had great faith in the powerful Paenga-Amosa, who played the last of his 20 tests against Ireland last November.
"Brandon joined us yesterday afternoon after a bit of a tough Thursday training session, it's obviously gutting to lose great players in Porecki and Fez," the number eight told reporters at Stadium Australia on Friday.
"But we've got a lot of confidence in BPA, he's been around this group for quite a long time over the last year and he's already faced the Lions three times. So he's got a lot of confidence and ... he has fit in very quickly."
Paenga-Amosa, who faced the Lions in tour matches for Western Force, the Australia-New Zealand selection and the First Nations-Pasifika XV, will bring power to the front row but his lineout throwing has sometimes been wayward.
Coach Joe Schmidt had already been forced into three changes to his team by injuries but Wilson said it had been good to have fresh faces Taniela Tupou and Dylan Pietsch in the matchday squad.
"What they've given us is fresh legs on the training park, fresh energy, more chatter around the training field. Just been nice and they're just raring to go," he said.
"They've had to watch the last two test matches so they're all very excited at this opportunity and I've got no doubt they'll take it."
The fourth change Schmidt made in his initial selection was a call-up for Nic White, who announced on Thursday that he would be retiring from test rugby after Saturday's match.
The Wallabies players all wore fake moustaches at Friday's training session in honour of the scrumhalf's famously hairy upper lip.
"He's a competitor, and he's loved by the group," Wilson said. "He will be missed in this gold jersey, because he really does represent what it is to be a Wallaby."
Wilson admitted the players had been crushed after losing the second test to a last-minute try last Saturday but spirits had risen during the week.
"We just want to keep improving. We want to keep being a better team," he said.
"We need to play an 80 minute game and get the result which I think we deserve for each other."
Revised team: 15–Tom Wright, 14–Max Jorgensen, 13–Joseph Suaalii, 12–Len Ikitau, 11–Dylan Pietsch, 10–Tom Lynagh, 9–Nic White, 8–Harry Wilson, 7–Fraser McReight, 6–Tom Hooper, 5–Will Skelton, 4–Nick Frost, 3–Taniela Tupou, 2–Billy Pollard, 1–James Slipper
Replacements: 16–Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17–Angus Bell, 18–Zane Nonggorr, 19–Jeremy Williams, 20–Langi Gleeson, 21–Tate McDermott, 22–Ben Donaldson, 23–Andrew Kellaway
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Peter Rutherford)