Australia recall O'Connor to face champions South Africa
Ben Donaldson had been widely tipped for the playmaker role, but he did not make the matchday 23 named by coach Joe Schmidt on Thursday.
O'Connor in for the unavailable Tom Lynagh is the only change to the line-up that started a 22-12 victory over the British and Irish Lions in Sydney this month.
Lynagh suffered concussion during the final match of a series the Wallabies lost 2-1 and was replaced by Donaldson before half-time.
The half-back partner of O'Connor will be another veteran, Nic White, who reversed a decision to retire after the Lions series when first choice Jake Gordon was injured.
There is also one change to the bench with Schmidt preferring loose forward Nick Champion de Crespigny to Donaldson.
In making that change among the replacements, Australia have switched from a five-three to six-two split between forwards and backs.
This decision could trigger a change to the five-three split on the South African bench with head coach Rassie Erasmus hinting he might add an additional scrummager at the expense of a back.
There has been speculation that lock RG Snyman could be promoted at the expense of utility back Canan Moodie.
"The group has had a good week of preparation, adjusting pretty well to the time zone and the altitude here in Johannesburg," said Schmidt.
"There is not many bigger Tests than playing South Africa on their home turf and we know we are going to need to be at our best on Saturday night."
Australia want to snap a four-match losing streak against the record four-time Rugby World Cup winners since winning a 2022 Rugby Championship match in Adelaide.
Ellis Park in Johannesburg has not been a happy hunting ground for the Wallabies with 10 losses in 11 matches there. The sole victory came in 1963.
The other first round match, between Argentina and nine-time Rugby Championship winners New Zealand in Cordoba, will be played later on Saturday.
South Africa have won the annual southern hemisphere competition twice and Australia once.
The match in Johannesburg will be followed by another between the countries on August 23 at Cape Town Stadium.
Team (15-1)
Tom Wright; Max Jorgensen, Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Dylan Pietsch; James O'Connor, Nic White; Harry Wilson (capt), Fraser McReight, Tom Hooper; Will Skelton, Nick Frost; Taniela Tupou, Billy Pollard, James Slipper
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
21 hours ago
- France 24
All Blacks beat Argentina 41-24 to reclaim top world rank
Ahead 31-10 at the interval, New Zealand held off a second-half fightback from the Pumas in Cordoba and ultimately emerged victors by scoring six tries to three. The All Blacks clinched the world number one ranking for the first time since 2021, leapfrogging world champions South Africa, who were stunned 38-22 by Australia in Johannesburg in the tournament opener. Winger Sevu Reece also scored a double for the visitors while fly-half Beauden Barrett kicked 11 points and was a controlling figure with his tactical kicking. Barrett's opposite Tomas Albornoz scored 14 points, including a try, but the Pumas were unable to end their winless record on home soil against New Zealand, which stretches to 15 matches. The result continues an unbeaten start to the year for the All Blacks, who swept France 3-0 in their June home series. All Blacks captain Scott Barrett said he was pleased with the result but conceded his team had only played well in patches. "We talked about starting well and I think we did that. We finished the second half quite strong - it was a bit of a statement there," said Barrett, whose team fell away badly in the closing stages of several Rugby Championship matches last year. "In the second half we were a little bit slow and probably a little bit of indiscipline fed their game, which was disappointing and allowed the crowd to get in behind them. "They threw a lot of punches at us and I'm pleased the guys who finished the game were able to win some arm wrestles, get some territory and most importantly come away with a good win." Reece scored the opening try after an early Beauden Barrett penalty before Argentina responded, when pressure created an overlap for winger Rodrigo Isgro. Pumas prop Mayco Vivas was shown a yellow card for a professional foul and New Zealand capitalised on their one-man advantage. Fullback Will Jordan sliced through on the halfway line and sent scrum-half Cortez Ratima clear for the best try of the match and a 17-7 lead. The visitors took control late in the first half through a try to back-rower Ardie Savea - arguably the game's best player - followed by Reece's second score. Albornoz kick-started Argentina's second-half rearguard with a tackle-busting try. New Zealand lost centre Billy Proctor to a yellow card and the home side closed to within seven points through a try to back-rower Joaquin Oviedo. However, All Blacks replacement hooker Taukei'aho sucked the energy out of the crowd by barging across to score twice in the last 12 minutes. The teams meet again in Buenos Aires next week.
France 24
a day ago
- France 24
Australia coach Schmidt hails 'great bunch of young men'
The Wallabies, who had not beaten South Africa at Ellis Park since 1963, recovered from trailing 22-0 to beat the reigning World champions and Championship title-holders. Following a torrid last few years, the victory continues Australia's resurgence after being well beaten in the first Test against the British and Irish Lions, losing the second by just three points and then winning the dead rubber 22-12. "This has got to rank very highly in terms of wins and for me personally, since usually you get absolutely swamped here in the last quarter," said Schmidt. "The players had to hang in there and I am really proud of the way they did that." "You have got to earn respect every time you (play), you have to be really competitive in every game. "We are still building our strength in depth and our game shape, but this is a great bunch of young men who have shown the ability to roll their sleeves up and earn that support. "They deserve it and I hope there was really good support for them back in Australia." "When the Springboks get their game going, when they are accurate, they are very hard to stop. In the first 40 minutes there was just wave after wave coming. - 'Really awful' Springboks - "But Fraser McReight stole the ball a few times, and the determination the team showed was very pleasing. "This is a really tight group, they get on very well together. We have had a chance to gel and a real collective resilience was in evidence tonight." "We were not always on the front foot." "There were some fantastic diving tackles where we just got a boot or half a jersey. We needed a little bit of luck as well," added Schmidt. Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus called the performance "really awful", blaming poor game management after a brilliant opening quarter. "When you are 22-0 up, you tend to take chances, but you still need to build an innings or you can end up losing by nearly 20 points like tonight. "There were so many breaks when Grant Williams, Manie Libbok or Edwill van der Merwe almost got away, but sometimes you have to realise that you are not quite going to get it. "Their kick-to-ruck ratio was much better than ours -- we only kicked nine times in the second half. It's definitely not wrong to say we overplayed. "But they did not just tactically outsmart us, but physically too. The longer the game went on, the stronger the Wallabies were. "It was a bad loss and at some stage our heads and shoulders were down. It was sad that there was no fightback so we gave them a bonus point and did not get one ourselves."
France 24
a day ago
- France 24
Captain Wilson scores twice as Australia stun South Africa
Trailing by 22 points after 19 minutes, the Wallabies scored 38 unanswered points for a first victory over the Springboks in the South African economic capital since 1963. Backs Dylan Pietsch, Joseph Aukuso-Suaalii, Max Jorgensen and Tom Wright were the other Australian try scorers and veteran James O'Connor, recalled after a three-year absence, converted four. Kurt-Lee Arendse, Andre Esterhuizen and captain Siya Kolisi crossed the line for the defending champions. Manie Libbok converted twice and slotted a penalty. "This win is right up there, especially since it has been 60-odd years since we tasted success in Joburg," said veteran Australia prop James Slipper. "We have worked hard and we have got a bit of confidence, but we are still building. Credit to the boys that they stuck in there, and the bench really added value. "We had a bit of a slow start and the Boks started really fast, but we kinda knew that they would come at us hard. "It is such a special moment, it is a tough ask to come here and play the world champions. We will gain a lot of confidence from this result. "It will be another tough game next weekend (in Cape Town) and we will prepare hard. The Springboks are hurting and will want revenge." 'Sorry for the performance' South Africa captain Siya Kolisi, a flanker playing at No 8 for the first time in a 94-Test career, said: "The things we worked on, like discipline and the breakdown, they did not work. "We let ourselves down and it was unacceptable the way we performed, especially after a start like that. "Yes, there were errors, but it was the breakdown -- we would get into their 22 and they would steal the ball. "We took our foot off while they kept on fighting. We are not proud of that performance today. "We will lift ourselves up and fight again next week. Whoever gets the opportunity to play must take it. Thank you to our supporters and sorry for the performance." Record four-time Rugby World Cup winners South Africa were unstoppable in the early stages on a grey evening at Ellis Park with scrum-half Grant Williams playing a key role. His perfectly weighted box kicks allowed the Springboks to establish an aerial advantage and the power of the forwards had the visitors reeling. When Kolisi crossed for the third try it was hard to imagine what was to follow in the first game of the southern hemisphere championship season. The first hint that a stunning revival was imminent came on 29 minutes when Pietsch scored. He was forced to retire injured soon after following a collision with Kolisi. Australia dominated the second half, helped by endless basic errors from South Africa. When Wilson scored his second try on 64 minutes, Australia took a 24-22 lead. The Springboks were let down by a lack of pace and by missed tackles on defence in the closing stages. Jorgensen and Wright took advantage to end a run of seven straight Wallaby losses in Johannesburg. Argentina host New Zealand later on Saturday in Cordoba in the other first round match.
