Kangaroos forced into changes

Australia have made three changes, all of them enforced through injury and illness, for tomorrow’s Gillette Tri-Nations match with Great Britain at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Skipper and stand-off Darren Lockyer (rib) and second rower Craig Fitzgibbon (shoulder) were both ruled out earlier in the week after collecting injuries in last week’s 32-12 win over New Zealand.

Utility man Shaun Timmins – along with second rower Ben Kennedy – have both failed to recover sufficiently from flu and coach Wayne Bennett was reluctant to risk them without having gained match practice in the midweek tour match in Cumbria.

Brett Kimmorley, Andrew Ryan and Scott Hill plug the gaps with Bennett, as expected, reuniting last year’s highly successful Ashes half-back combination of Kimmorley and Craig Gower, who switches to stand-off.

Kimmorley will take over the goalkicking in the absence of Lockyer and Fitzgibbon.

Australia: A Minichiello (Sydney Roosters); L Rooney (Penrith), S Berrigan (Brisbane), W Tonga (Canterbury), M Sing (North Queensland); C Gower (Penrith), B Kimmorley (Cronulla); S Webcke (Brisbane), D Buderus (Newcastle, capt), J Ryles (St George Illawarra), A Ryan (Canterbury), N Hindmarsh (Parramatta), T Carroll (Brisbane).

Subs: C Wing (Sydney Roosters), P Civoniceva (Brisbane), W Mason (Canterbury), S Hill (Melbourne).