Stirling Mortlock has been named as Australian rugby’s new captain for Australia’s seven-match tour of Europe in November.

Loose forward Wycliff Palu will make his first start for Australia in Saturday’s Tri-Nations clash with South Africa in Sydney,

AUSTRALIA have called up hulking prop Rodney ‘Rodzilla’ Blake to face the All Blacks in Brisbane on Saturday, the only change to the side that handed South Africa a record thrashing two weeks ago.

Australia coach John Connolly has revealed Rodney Blake’s extra size was a major factor in him being selected ahead of Guy Shepherdson for Saturday’s Tri-Nations clash with New Zealand in Brisbane.

Australia recorded their biggest win over South Africa with a crushing bonus-point rout in their Tri-Nations clash at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

Guy Shepherdson has been handed a Test debut by Australia coach John Connolly for the clash against Ireland on Saturday in Perth.

THOSE who argue, with some justification, that professionalism has closed the gap between rugby on this side of the world and our southern counterparts have taken a knock over the past fortnight.

Australia have named a 33-man squad for the Test against England at the Telstra Stadium in Sydney on June 11.

ON SUNDAY, six months to the day after his last game in charge of Munster, Alan Gaffney returned to Irish shores.

FIVE newcomers are included in the 31-man Australian squad for next month’s four-nation European tour, during which the Wallabies will face Ireland.

Australia will be without experienced hooker Jeremy Paul for their tour of Europe.

Australia coach Eddie Jones said he would “step aside” if asked to after the Wallabies’ 30-13 Bledisloe Cup defeat against New Zealand at the Telstra Stadium in Sydney.

AUSTRALIA unveiled its team of the decade yesterday which included nine of the starting 15 from the Wallabies’ first series win over the British and Irish Lions in 2001.

South Africa 33 Australia 20

Four tries by dynamic winger Lote Tuqiri and a man-of-the-match performance by Matt Giteau steered Australia to their second big win of the international season – a 69-21 victory over Italy at Telstra Dome on Saturday.

England 19 Australia 21

Scotland 14 Australia 31

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.

LAWRENCE DALLAGLIO took stock of England’s demise during their demoralising southern hemisphere tour, but vowed: “We shall rebuild and come back a much stronger side.”

Australia 51 England 15

Australia were today forced to reshuffle their replacements for Saturday’s World Cup final rematch against England after winger Mark Gerrard and hooker Jeremy Paul sustained injuries in training.

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.

Australia edged brave Ireland by just one point in a sensational World Cup clash in Melbourne. That the game was the finest of the World Cup so far will be of little consolation to Ireland, who must now tackle France in next weekend’s quarter-final.

Australia tore up the record books by demolishing Namibia 142-0 in their Pool A match in Adelaide today.

Australia wasted little time setting the expected big score against Namibia at Adelaide, running up a 69-0 lead by half-time.

Chris Whittaker will lead Australia for the first time after Wallabies coach Eddie Jones made the expected sweeping changes to his starting line-up for his team’s World Cup pool match against Namibia in Adelaide on Saturday.

Australia scored 13 tries and they equalled their biggest ever Test win as they overcame some poor handling early on to destroy Romania 90-8 at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

KEVIN MAGGS does not expect to be the centre of attention during Ireland’s World Cup campaign — and that is the just the way he likes it.

Ireland’s inspirational captain Keith Wood and midfield destroyer Brian O’Driscoll have been pinpointed as the chief dangermen to Australia’s chances of progressing through the World Cup’s so-called “Group of Death“.

Veteran flanker Owen Finegan was the biggest omission from Australia’s World Cup squad announced in Sydney today.

Chris Latham’s international season went full circle on Wednesday when he was re-instated to the Australia side for this weekend’s Tri-Nations Test against South Africa.

Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has played down the prospect of decoy runners and illegal blocking becoming a major issue in tomorrow’s clash against England at Twickenham.

IRFU chiefs have pledged that surface water problems at Lansdowne Road will be rectified by a new two-phase drainage system.

George Gregan today rejoined the Wallabies camp preparing for a Twickenham showdown with England, and said: “I feel pretty good.”

Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll believes his side have their best-ever chance of ending their 23-year victory drought against Australia at Lansdowne Road tomorrow.

IRELAND wing Denis Hickie has been passed fit to face Australia at Lansdowne Road tomorrow after recovering from a wrist injury.

He may have an Australian accent, but Ireland flanker Keith Gleeson insists there will be no regrets when he goes into battle against the Wallabies on Saturday.

WALLABY coach Eddie Jones has acknowledged Brian O'Driscoll as one of the best players in the world but has plans to subdue that talent at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

Australia coach Eddie Jones has targeted Ireland’s new captain Brian O’Driscoll as the man who stands between the Wallabies and victory at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

WALLABY coach Eddie Jones was already weary after a marathon haul from Buenos Aires yesterday, but the conundrum over who wears the No 15 jersey against Ireland on Saturday has further furrowed his brow.