Wallabies recall for Barnes

Just two changes for All Blacks clash

Last updated: 29th July 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Wallabies recall for Barnes

Barnes: set to start

Australia v New Zealand
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Berrick Barnes has been recalled to the Australia starting line-up for Saturday's Bledisloe Cup game against New Zealand in Melbourne.

Barnes will make his second start of the Test campaign at inside centre in the absence of suspended playmaker Quade Cooper.

Barnes was named vice captain on the Wallabies' northern hemisphere tour last year, but has found himself benched to allow Cooper to replicate his dangerous midfield partnership with Queensland Reds team mate Will Genia.

Cooper, who was handed a two-match ban for a dangerous tackle in Saturday's 30-13 win over the Springboks, has lodged an appeal over the severity of his sentence but is certain to miss this weekend's clash.

Barnes is re-united with the in-form Matt Giteau in the midfield, with the Brumbies veteran handed the number 10 jersey after starting his previous four Tests at inside centre.

Giteau and Barnes have been the preferred midfield combination for 15 of the last 33 Tests, but they have not played alongside each other since the final Tri-Nations clash against the All Blacks in Wellington last November.

Thrive

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said: "It's a combination that we were looking at at the end of last year, prior to the end-of-year tour, but Barnesy picked up an injury and we didn't really get the opportunity.

"Obviously Quade did at that point and he's made the most of it, but these two blokes have been reunited and we expect them to thrive."

Only Stephen Larkham (87) and Michael Lynagh (64) have appeared mores times as a fly-half for Australia than Giteau, who has played 39 of his 82 Tests in the position.

Barnes has played 17 of his previous 23 Tests as an inside centre, replacing Giteau in that position for the final eight minutes of last Saturday's Tri-Nations opener in Brisbane.

The inclusion of Barnes is one of two changes to the starting side that beat South Africa 30-13 last weekend, with veteran hooker Stephen Moore replacing Saia Faingaa.

Moore made his return from a broken jaw off the bench last weekend in Brisbane. Saia Faingaa starts on the bench this week, alongside his brother Anthony.

Australia: Cooper, O'Connor, Horne, Barnes, Mitchell, Giteau, Genia; Brown, Pocock, Elsom (capt), Sharpe, Mumm, Ma'afu, Moore, Robinson.
Replacements: S Faingaa, Slipper, Simmons, Hodgson, Burgess, A Faingaa, Beale.