Horne pulls out of Wales clash

AUSTRALIA centre Rob Horne yesterday withdrew from the Wallabies team to face Wales at the Millennium Stadium today (2.30pm) due to a hamstring injury.

Horne failed to come through a training session at the Ospreys’ training base in Swansea and his place in the starting line-up will be taken by Queensland Reds centre Anthony Fainga’a.

Fainga’a’s spot among the replacements has been taken by Melbourne Rebels scrum-half Nick Phipps.

Shane Williams brings his Wales’ Test career to a close. The James Bevan Trophy clash will be the Ospreys’ wing’s 87th and final appearance for his country, where he will look to add to his record tally of 57 tries and help Wales claim a rare southern hemisphere scalp.

WALES: L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues); G North (Scarlets), Scott Williams (Scarlets), J Roberts (Cardiff Blues), Shane Williams (Ospreys); R Priestland (Scarlets), L Williams (Cardiff Blues); G Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), H Bennett (Ospreys), S Andrews (Cardiff Blues), B Davies (Cardiff Blues), I Evans (Ospreys), D Lydiate (Newport Gwent Dragons), S Warburton (Cardiff Blues, capt), T Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).

Replacements: M Rees (Scarlets), R Bevington (Ospreys), R Jones (Ospreys), J Tipuric (Ospreys), T Knoyle (Scarlets), D Biggar (Ospreys), A Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues).

AUSTRALIA: A Ashley-Cooper (NSW Waratahs); L Turner (NSW Waratahs), A Fainga’a (Queensland Reds), B Barnes (NSW Waratahs), D Ioane (Queensland Reds); J O’Connor (Melbourne Rebels), W Genia (Queensland Reds); J Slipper (Queensland Reds), T Polota-Nau (NSW Waratahs), S Ma’afu (Western Force), J Horwill (Queensland Reds, capt), R Simmons (Queensland Reds), S Higginbotham (Queensland Reds), D Pocock (Western Force), B McCalman (Western Force).

Replacements: S Moore (ACT Brumbies), B Alexander (ACT Brumbies), N Sharpe (Western Force), R Samo (Queensland Reds), B Lucas (Queensland Reds), B Tapuai (Queensland Reds), N Phipps (Melbourne Rebels).