Australia Head Coach Eddie Jones has named his match-day 23 to Australia team to play Fiji in Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Étienne on Sunday.
Jones has named three changes to his side that recorded the 35-15 win over Georgia, including Nic White coming in at scrum-half to replace Tate McDermott.
McDermott suffered a head injury against Georgia, and will miss out on this match against the Pacific Islanders. Wallabies co-captain James Slipper replaces the injured Taniela Tupou in the front-row, and Nick Frost comes into the second-row, for the third and final change.
Fiji will come into this match full of fire, after they narrowly lost to Wales in the opening round. A win for Fiji will keep them in the hunt for the quarter-finals, in what could be the most decisive match of Pool C. The Pacific Islanders were devastated to see centre Semi Radradra spill the ball in a try scoring position, in what was the final play of the match against Warren Gatland’s side.
Eddie Jones is expecting a big fight from the Flying Fijians, and has picked five Wallabies from the Australia side who beat Fiji 39-21 four years ago in Japan. Samu Kerevi, Nic White, Marika Koroibete, Jordan Uelese and James Slipper have all been named. Slipper will start at tight-head for only the third time in his career, with 73 of his 75 starts for the Wallabies being at loose-head. Only George Gregan has played more RWC games for Australia now, with Slipper racking up the three-quarter century mark.
Jones has opted for youth and experience in his halfback pairing, in what will be the first run-out for his new paring of veteran scrum-half Nic White and 22-year-old fly-half Carter Gordon. Speaking on his opponents, Jones said;
“They’ve got, as we know, a brilliant ability to play counter-attacking rugby. They’ve got pace and they’ve got precision and that puts a different test to you.
“They’re a team of power, they’ve got pace and they showed that in the last 10 minutes against Wales.”
“When you play against Fiji you would always like to have a set piece advantage and we started the tournament off well in that area, so that’s an area we would like to keep growing in.
“Then our ability to win those power contests and then as the game goes transitional to be two-steps ahead of Fiji, who are a good side in that area.
“The power contest will be interesting, they’ve got a big pack, a very big pack but we want to take them on in that area.”
AUSTRALIA TEAM TO PLAY FIJI
1. Angus Bell
2. David Porecki
3. James Slipper
4. Nick Frost
5. Will Skelton (c)
6. Tom Hooper
7. Fraser McReight
8. Rob Valetini
9. Nic White
10. Carter Gordon
11. Marika Koroibete
12. Samu Kerevi
13. Jordan Petaia
14. Mark Nawaqanitawase
15. Ben Donaldson
Australia Replacements:
16. Jordan Uelese
17. Blake Schoupp
18. Zane Nonggorr
19. Richard Arnold
20. Robert Leota
21. Issak Fines-Leleiwasa
22. Lalakai Foketi
23. Suli Vunivalu