Wallabies suffer Moore blow

Wallabies hooker Stephen Moore has been ruled out of the Rugby Championship clash with the Springboks on Saturday due to a hamstring strain.


The experienced rake had been set to surpass Jeremy Paul as Australia's most capped hooker by appearing in his 73rd Test, was withdrawn on Thursday after suffering a low grade strain in his right hamstring at training.


Moore has been replaced in the starting XV by Waratahs hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau, who had previously been listed on the bench.


Reds hooker Saia Fainga'a, who appeared off the bench in Australia's most recent Test in Auckland after Polota-Nau had been ruled out, again comes into the match-day squad.

Prop Ben Alexander believes their preparations will not be affected by Moore's withdrawal.

 

"We've been practicing a lot at training with lots of different combinations, we very rarely pack more than a couple in a row with the same guys," he told AAP.

 

"We're always changing props, changing sides, changing hookers, so it shouldn't cause any problem. If Taf gets a chance, we all know what he's capable of."


Australia (revised): 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Dominic Shipperley, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia (captain), 8 Radike Samo, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Dave Dennis, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Sitaleki Timani, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Tatafu Polota Nau, 1 Benn Robinson.

Replacements: 16 Saia Fainga'a, 17 James Slipper, 18 Scott Higginbotham, 19 Liam Gill, 20 Nick Phipps, 21 Mike Harris, 22 Anthony Fainga'a.


Date: Saturday, September 8

Venue: Paterson's Stadium, Perth

Kick-off: 18.00 AWST (20.00 AEST; 12.00 SA time; 10.00 GMT)

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Glen Jackson (New Zealand)

TMO: Matt Goddard (Australia)