Wallabies sweat on fitness of full-back Burke

WALLABY coach Eddie Jones may have intended to experiment with his squad anyway, but the circumstances in which he is forced to shuffle the pack for Saturday's Lansdowne Road test against Ireland were not what he envisaged.

Jones wanted to try some new faces against Argentina and Ireland before putting his strongest side out against England on November 16.

Now he has to make key changes, especially in the backline, with his squad hard-hit by injuries from the

ugly 17-6 win over the Pumas.

The Wallabies are sweating on the fitness of Matt Burke as the fullback position becomes a real concern.

Chris Latham was ruled out on the eve of the tour and Mat Rogers is now out for at least a week with rib

cartilage damage after getting his first start in the No 15 jersey.

Burke suffered a thigh injury which also forced him from the field against the Pumas but he's pencilled in to move from centre to the custodian role he filled with distinction in years past.

"The next 24 hours will decide his (Burke's) fate," said Jones yesterday. "He's far from a certainty at this stage but he's pulled up reasonably well."

Wing Stirling Mortlock has been pushing for an outside centre berth and will probably start there on Saturday, with Scott Staniforth the new wing, unless required at fullback himself. The other full back alternative is to switch outhalf Stephen Larkham back to the position where he started his Super 12 and Wallaby careers, with Elton Flatley the new No 10. Wendell Sailor will win his third starting cap at wing in place of Ben Tune, who arrives back in Australia tomorrow to see a specialist about his injured hamstring.

The 20-year-old Matt Giteau, who was only included as a development player, could find himself in the 22 against Ireland as a back-up five-eighth.

In the forwards, hooker Brendan Cannon, en route to Ireland with replacement back Mark Bartholomeusz, is set to fly right into a bench position, with Jeremy Paul (hamstring) ruled out of the Lansdowne Road test.

Jones will start rookie Adam Freier at hooker after he earned his first cap against the Pumas off the bench. While he will lose prop Bill Young, who will miss one match to fly home for the birth of his son, Jones can at least welcome back flankers David Lyons (hip) and Owen Finegan (ankle) from injury.

Meanwhile, after viewing a video of the test yesterday, Jones stood by Australia's allegations of eye-gouging by Pumas hooker Federico Mendez on flanker Matt Cockbain.

"There was definitely eye-gouging but we're unable to cite players, it's up to the citing commissioner to look into it," Jones said. "We can't really do anything else."

Meanwhile, Ireland's Denis Hickie looks certain to be named in the team despite suffering from a hand injury.

Hickie will have his injury medically assessed tomorrow but is rated as having an 80% chance of playing in the match.

Coach Eddie O'Sullivan names his team at lunchtime today.