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Wallabies primed for backline changes - including introducing a new debutant

By AAP
(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

The Wallabies will call on the experience of fullback Dane Haylett-Petty as they look to match the All Blacks on Saturday and level the Bledisloe Cup series.

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Haylett-Petty, who has 37 Test caps, will replace Tom Banks at ANZ Stadium after recovering from a groin strain which ruled him out of the two Tests in New Zealand.

The Melbourne Rebels captain offers a strong running game and a cool head with the All Blacks looking to pile on the pressure to secure the trans-Tasman trophy before the fourth and final Test in Brisbane next month.

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The Breakdown panel discuss the Healthspan Elite Fan’s Voice poll where RugbyPass followers were asked whether the All Blacks 10-15 dual pivot system is the best way to power their attack.

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The Breakdown panel discuss the Healthspan Elite Fan’s Voice poll where RugbyPass followers were asked whether the All Blacks 10-15 dual pivot system is the best way to power their attack.

Haylett-Petty is also more of a playmaker than Banks, with the Brumbies fullback a casualty of a reshuffled backline as the Wallabies look to cover the loss of Matt Toomua.

Veteran Toomua is expected to miss the entire Bledisloe Cup/Tri Nations campaign after limping off Eden Park during the Wallabies loss with a serious groin injury.

His absence was keenly felt as the Australians collapsed from a 10-7 halftime deficit to lose 27-7.

Toomua was integral to the Wallabies’ 16-16 draw in the opening Test in Wellington.

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie will reveal his third Test line-up at 12.30pm (AEDT) with Irae Simone a possibility to start in Toomua’s No.12 jersey.

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It would be the big Brumbies centre’s Test debut.

Simone played in the NZ schoolboys rugby league team and went to school in Auckland with All Blacks centre Jack Goodhue.

Jordan Petaia is set to start at outside centre after coming off the bench in Auckland.

Among other changes, Allan Alaalatoa is tipped to switch with Taniela Tupou and start at tighthead.

– Melissa Woods

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J
Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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