Australia faces Uruguay in a Pool D match at Oita Stadium, Oita Prefecture on Sunday, 5 October. Kickoff is at 14:15 local (01:15 ET). The match may be viewed in the U.S. on NBCSN or on-demand on NBC Sports Gold and on TSN in Canada.
In the first two rounds, Australia beat Fiji 39-21and then lost to Wales 29-25. Uruguay beat Fiji 30-27and then lost to Georgia 33-7.
In the Pool’s first third-round match, Fiji defeated Georgia 45-10 to move into second place with 7 points. Wales tops the Pool with 10 points and won’t play their next match against Fiji on Wednesday 9 October before finishing with Uruguay on the 13th.
Australia is third-place with 6 points but could move to the top of the standings with a bonus-point win over Uruguay, who are in 5th place with 4 points. The Wallabies then finish Pool play on Friday against Georgia, who sits in 4th place with 5 points.
Australia
Australia will be wearing an Indigenous-inspired jersey against Uruguay that reflects the ethnic backgrounds of the Australia squad on Saturday. The Wallabies have a diverse side with seven players of Samoan heritage, five of Tongan descent, four with cultural roots in Fiji and Kurtley Beale a member of Australia’s First Nations peoples.
Matt To’omua discussed the jersey indicating that it reflects the “recognition of quite a few things regarding where we are moving as a society.” “The make-up of the Wallabies team is a lot different culturally than it was 10 years ago. So, we are getting little things like this. While it’s just a different jersey, it means a lot to a lot of people back home.”
He then elaborated about the indigenous heritage that lies at the heart of the jersey. “The design features a wallaby motif woven around 14 watering holes, representing the 14 players of indigenous descent to have so far played for Australia.”
The jersey has previously been worn twice by the Wallabies, against the All Blacks in Brisbane in 2017 and against England at Twickenham in 2018.
Wallabies Head Coach Michael Cheika has made 12 changes for the match against Uruguay, since its loss against Wales. Jordan Petaia will make debut for the team at the wing. At 19, he becomes the youngest Australian to play at a Rugby World Cup and is the third-youngest Wallaby in Test history.
The halfbacks have changed with Nic White pairing with Christian Lealiifano. Matt To’omua will be the inside center and earn his 50th cap.
All players who have not played in the 2019 RWC will play against Los Teros. Jordan Petaia will start on the wing and Tevita Kuridrani at outside center. In the forwards, Folau Fainga’a is at hooker, Rob Simmons at lock and Jack Dempsey at No.8. Taniela Tupou will also likely see action as a reserve prop.
Uruguay
Uruguay Head Coach Esteban Meneses has made nine changes to the team that lost to Georgia for Saturday’s Pool D match against Australia. The previous high number of changes for Los Teros has been six.
Center Andres Vilaseca, who played for Austin Elite Rugby, will captain his country for the third time.
In the addition to Vilaseca, hooker German Kessler, lock Manuel Leindekar, fly-half Felipe Berchesi, wing Nicolas Freitas, and full-back Rodrigo Silva, return as starters and make a third start at RWC 2019. Silva played his first two matches on the left-wing.
Berchesi set a team record with 17 points in a single world cup against Fiji and will look to surpass his all-time RWC 32 point total against the Wallabies.
Squads
Australia: 1 James Slipper 2 Folau Fainga’a 3 Allan Alaalatoa 4 Rob Simmons 5 Adam Coleman 6 Lukhan Salakaia-Loto 7 Michael Hooper (capt.) 8 Jack Dempsey 9 Nic White 10 Christian Lealiifano 11 Jordan Petaia 12 Matt To’omua 13 Tevita Kuridrani 14 Dane Haylett-Petty 15 Kurtley Beale 16 Jordan Uelese 17 Sekope Kepu 18 Taniela Tupou 19 Rory Arnold 20 David Pocock 21 Will Genia 22 James O’Connor 23 Adam Ashley-Cooper
Uruguay: 1. Juan Echeverria 2. German Kessler 3. Diego Arbelo 4. Franco Lamanna 5. Manuel Leindekar 6. Manuel Ardao 7. Juan Diego Ormaechea 8. Manuel Diana 9. Agustin Ormaechea 10. Felipe Berchesi 11. Nicolas Freitas 12. Andres Vilaseca (capt.) 13. Tomas Inciarte 14. Federico Favaro 15. Rodrigo Silva 16. Guillermo Pujadas 17. Joaquin Jaunsolo 18. Juan Pedro Rombys 19. Ignacio Dotti 20. Juan Manuel Gaminara 21. Santiago Arata 22. Felipe Etcheverry 23. Agustin Della Corte
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garcès (France), Karl Dickson (England)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
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