Australia’s rising injury toll has forced head coach Eddie Jones to bring in four new faces to his 28-man squad for the final Test of the Tri-Nations, against New Zealand in Auckland on Saturday September 3.

DEFENDING champions South Africa go into this afternoon’s Tri-Nations opener against Australia at Loftus in Pretoria as favourites to get their campaign off to a winning start.

AUSTRALIA have made four changes for Saturday’s Tri Nations opener against South Africa in Pretoria, with Matt Dunning, John Roe, Morgan Turinui and Daniel Vickerman coming into the starting line-up.

WINGER Doug Howlett and lock Jono Gibbes are the notable absentees from the 26-man All Blacks Tri-Nations squad.

LIONS duo Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy will form the centre partnership for Leinster in their Celtic Cup quarter-final clash with Glasgow on Friday night, (Lansdowne Road, 7.30pm).

Munster lock David Pusey has been recruited by new Perth franchise Western Force for next season’s inaugural Super 14 competition.

Kiwis Reuben Thorne and Justin Marshall were among eight players included in the Barbarians squad to face New Zealand at Twickenham next month.

Australia coach Eddie Jones has made three changes up front for Saturday’s autumn international against Scotland at Murrayfield.

New Zealand retained the Bledisloe Cup with victory over Australia in wet and windy Wellington today.

Morgan Turinui, a try-scorer in yesterday’s 34-13 victory over Scotland, has been dropped from the Australia squad to take on England in next Saturday’s World Cup final rematch.

Australia have included five new players in their squad for the forthcoming Tests against Scotland and England – and they are all from the Super 12-winning ACT Brumbies team.

David Giffin was today declared fit to play from the bench in Australia’s World Cup semi-final against New Zealand on Saturday.

Matt Giteau has been ruled out of the Australian 22 for Saturday’s World Cup semi-final against New Zealand at Telstra Stadium.

AUSTRALIAN Rugby Union chief executive John O’Neill has called on the Wallabies to start living up to their reputation.

Rugby league import Lote Tuqiri is the shock selection in Australia’s side to face Scotland in Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final at Suncorp Stadium.

Former Australia coach Bob Dwyer today urged Eddie Jones to axe captain George Gregan and make six changes for next week’s quarter-final against Scotland – or face surrendering the World Cup without a fight.

Australia made just one change from the side which kicked off their World Cup campaign with a victory over Argentina, Daniel Vickerman coming in at lock for the injured David Giffin for today’s encounter with Romania at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

Australia coach Eddie Jones believes high expectations are his team’s biggest danger going into what should be a relatively comfortable World Cup Pool A match against Romania at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Australian coach Eddie Jones believes England’s rolling maul tactics are fundamentally illegal and has called on referees to adjudicate on that area of the game more closely.

Wallabies coach Eddie Jones will not make changes for the sake of it this weekend when his team tackles Romania in Brisbane.

JONNY Wilkinson will launch England's World Cup bid against Georgia next Sunday boosted by a good luck message from David Beckham.

Veteran utility back Matt Burke was today included in the Australia squad to play Argentina in Friday’s Rugby World Cup curtain-raiser after Stirling Mortlock was ruled out with gastroenteritis.

AUSTRALIAN second-row import David Pusey and out-half Conrad O’Sullivan are set to play for Munster against Neath/Swansea Ospreys on Saturday (5.30) and will be keen to make an immediate impact.

NEW Munster second row David Pusey won’t be coming in from the cold after arriving in Ireland from Australia yesterday.

Phil Waugh has replaced George Smith as Australia’s openside flanker for Saturday’s international against Wales at the Telstra Stadium in Sydney.

The Wallabies have named three uncapped players in their squad of 27, for the November tour of Ireland, Argentina, England and Italy.

Wendell Sailor has been dropped from Australia's squad for the Tri-Nations clash with New Zealand.

Injury worries forced Australian selectors to name an expanded 26-man squad for the opening Tri Nations clash with New Zealand in Christchurch on July 13.