- Title: Australia recall Lealiifano, Petaia set for debut against Uruguay
- Date: 2nd October 2019
- Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (OCTOBER 2, 2019) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** AUSTRALIAN TEAM TRAINING WINGER ADAM ASHLEY-COOPER RUNNING AND CATCHING BALL PLAYERS RUNNING AND CATCHING BALLS WINGER MARIKA KOROIBETE RUNNING AND CATCHING BALL FULLBACK DANE HAYLETT-PETTY THROWING BALL BACK KURTLEY BEALE LAUGHING SCRUMHALF WILL GENIA DRINKING WATER AUSTRALIA HEAD COACH MICHAEL CHEIKA ARRIVING FOR TRAINING VARIOUS OF CHEIKA ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE WALLABIES LOGO (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA HEAD COACH, MICHAEL CHEIKA, TALKING ABOUT GIVING DEBUT TO JORDAN PETAIA SAYING: "I think he has got a lot of talent, Jordan, and we will see it for the first time. This is the first game ever I will have been able to be involved with him in a game. We don't want to… at the same time he is just starting out, so we will let him get into the flow and see how he feels. He has a couple of very experienced campaigners next to him in Dane (Haylett-Petty) and Kurtley (Beale) so he will have plenty of experience around him to talk him through. But, like I said, he is a good young man and a good young player and I am sure he will love it running out there at the weekend." PLAYERS LIFTING WEIGHTS HOOKER JORDAN UELESE LIFTING WEIGHTS VARIOUS OF LOCK ADAM COLEMAN LIFTING WEIGHTS HOOKER TOLU LATU LOOKING ON VARIOUS OF CAPTAIN MICHAEL HOOPER LIFTING WEIGHTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA HEAD COACH, MICHAEL CHEIKA, SAYING: "Bernard (Foley) - I think he struggled a little bit on the weekend. No doubt about that. Christian (Lealiifano), he found his feet pretty well in the test matches this year. Matt To'omua has played pretty well there as well, finishing for us. So, Bernard is working hard on getting himself back into the team. He has been training hard. He did some good things at the weekend, somethings he would want to improve on." VARIOUS OF ASHLEY-COOPER STRETCHING AT TRAINING PLAYERS TRAINING BEALE CLAPPING GENIA AND SCRUMHALF NIC WRIGHT LOOKING ON AUSTRALIAN PLAYERS JORDAN PETAIA, MATT TO'OMUA AND TEVITA KURIDRANI AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA WINGER, JORDAN PETAIA, SAYING: "Probably teammates and family really helped me get through those times and injury. Makes it a whole lot easier coming back and it gives me something to look forward to, training with the boys and obviously the family are supporting me back home." ASHLEY-COOPER RUNNING DRILL ASHLEY-COOPER CELEBRATING SUCCESSFUL DRILL VARIOUS OF KURIDRANI RUNNING DRILL (SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA BACK, MATT TO'OMUA, SPEAKING ABOUT PETAIA, SAYING: "He has burst onto the scene a fair bit since then and got a lot of hype and stuff like that. But he was always talented when we were younger and a little tough kid as well, which is kind of cool because I had an older brother and he always liked to mix it with us, which was cool."
- Embargoed: 16th October 2019 07:33
- Keywords: Japan Australia Uruguay rugby union Rugby World Cup Michael Cheika
- Location: TOKYO, JAPAN
- City: TOKYO, JAPAN
- Country: Japan
- Topics: Rugby Union,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZEK1TR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Cristian Lealiifano is back at fly-half and teenager Jordan Petaia will make his Wallabies debut on the wing after coach Michael Cheika overhauled his team for Saturday's Rugby World Cup Pool D match against Uruguay.
The Wallabies will be looking to get back to winning ways against the South Americans in Oita after their agonising 29-25 loss to Wales in Tokyo last weekend.
Cheika used the pool game against Uruguay at the last World Cup as a chance to give his squad players a run out and so the 13 changes were to be expected after he fielded his strongest side against the Welsh.
Lealiifano returns at flyhalf with Nic White at scrumhalf, reuniting the halfback pairing that started Australia's opening match against Fiji, where they came from behind to win.
It means Bernard Foley, who started at 10 against Wales, misses out completely in the 23-man squad.
"Bernard - I think he struggled a little bit on the weekend. No doubt about that," said Cheika.
Teenaged Queensland Reds centre Petaia was a surprise inclusion in the World Cup squad but would have made his test debut last year against Italy had he not suffered an injury in the run-up to the match.
Another hamstring injury in the pre-tournament training camp dashed his hopes of a debut in the warm-up match against Samoa, but he is now set to become Australia's youngest World Cup player and first test player born this century.
Matt To'omua, who came on for Foley at fly-half against Wales and sparked Australia's comeback, will win his 50th cap in the centres alongside Tevita Kuridrani.
Australia will be wearing their indigenous strip for the encounter on Saturday.
This will be the third time they have worn the special jersey and To'omua said the team had been learning about its importance from fullback Beale, the only aboriginal player in the squad.
Indigenous players are heavily represented in rugby league and Australian Rules football but only 14 have played for the Wallabies in the team's 120-year history. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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