Blacks bring in big guns for Scotland game
Only three players remain from the largely second-string team that started the 108-13 trouncing of Portugal in Lyon on Saturday.
Centre Conrad Smith, lock Ali Williams and flanker Chris Masoe all keep their places, but the likes of captain Richie McCaw, fly-half Dan Carter and winger Sitiveni Sivivatu come back into what is close to a full-strength team.
Powerful flanker Jerry Collins is rested after playing both the All Blacks’ opening two matches while Reuben Thorne is named in the second row alongside Williams, with fellow lock Chris Jack ousted.
Scotland are expected to put out a number of fringe players for the game, so the Kiwis should comfortably make it three wins out of three in the tournament.
They beat Italy 76-14 before their win against Portugal.
Veteran Australia scrum-half George Gregan will equal former England skipper Will Carling’s captaincy record when he takes over from the injured Stirling Mortlock and leads the Wallabies out onto the field against Fiji on Sunday.
With Mortlock sidelined until the quarter-finals with a shoulder injury, coach John Connolly has nominated former skipper Gregan, who led the Wallabies in their heartbreaking 2003 World Cup final loss to England, as skipper for this match, making it the veteran’s 59th appearance as skipper.
Looking to extend their winning run in Pool B, after accounting for Japan and Wales so far, the Wallabies have been boosted by the news that rookie Berrick Barnes has overcome an injury scare and will be taking to the field at full-back in place of the injured Stephen Larkham.
With Larkham not able to play until at least the quarter-finals after knee surgery, Barnes has been a more than able replacement at number 10.
However, the 21-year-old had put a scare through the Wallabies camp after pulling up short at training on Tuesday with sore quadriceps, although it now seems that Barnes has overcome this complaint.
The Wallabies will also be boosted by the inclusion of vice captain Phil Waugh at openside flanker for the clash with Fiji at Montpellier, while Mark Chisholm will make his first run on appearance of the tournament at lock and prop Greg Holmes returns to the line-up.
Adam Ashley-Cooper also returns to take the place of Mortlock at outside centre, after missing the Millenium Stadium win over Wales with a toe injury.
South Africa have rung the changes for their Pool A clash against Tonga in Lens on Saturday.
Only four players who started the 36-0 win against England are retained.
JP Pietersen is the sole survivor in the backs, switching from the right to the left wing with Bryan Habana dropped.
In the pack, lock Bakkies Botha and flankers Wickus van Heerden and Danie Rossouw keep their places in the starting line-up.
Number eight Bobby Skinstad is recalled to the team and takes over as captain, with regular skipper John Smit on the bench.
Back-row forward Schalk Burger serves the second match of his two-game ban following his dangerous tackle against Samoa.
The Springboks’ whitewash of England followed their 59-7 defeat of the Samoans, and they are top of the group with two games remaining before the quarter-finals.
C Latham; D Mitchell, A Ashley-Cooper, M Giteau, L Tuqiri; B Barnes, G Gregan (capt); M Dunning, S Moore, G Shepherdson, M Chisholm, D Vickerman, R Elsom, P Waugh, W Palu.
A Freier, G Holmes, H McMeniman, S Hoiles, S Cordingley, S Staniforth, J Huxley.
L MacDonald; D Howlett, C Smith, L McAlister, S Sivivatu; D Carter, B Kelleher; T Woodcock, A Oliver, C Hayman, R Thorne, A Williams, C Masoe, R McCaw (capt), R So’oialo.
R Pienaar; A Willemse, W Olivier, W Julies, JP Pietersen; A Pretorius, E Januarie; G Steenkamp, G Botha, CJ van der Linde, Bakkies Botha, A van den Berg, W van Heerden, D Rossouw, B Skinstad (capt).
J Smit, BJ Botha, V Matfield, J Smith, B Habana, F Steyn, P Montgomery.
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