Wallabies to make shock Petaia selection

Australia coach Michael Cheika is going all-in for the quarterfinal assault against England, but the Poms are ready for plenty of niggle.

Michael Cheika has dropped a selection bombshell is poised to announce one of the biggest gambles of his Wallabies coaching career by fielding teenager Jordan Petaia in the midfield for their World Cup quarter-final against England.

Cheika has dumped outside centre James O’Connor to the bench with 19-year-old Petaia in that position in Oita on Saturday, for the first time in his short Test career.

But England have hit back as their team was announced, promising “brutality” to combat the Wallabies’ enthusiasm.

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Petaia became Australia’s youngest World Cup player when he made an excellent Test debut against Uruguay on the left wing two weeks ago.

He was switched to the right wing for his second appearance, against Georgia last week where he had a quiet outing.

Cheika attracted criticism for experimenting through the pool stage but this switch will come without any sort of trial run.

A hamstring niggle meant the youngster was unavailable to face Fiji and Wales in the first two pool games.

Queensland Reds back Petaia is regarded as one of the country’s brightest attacking talents but has barely played in 2019 after seriously injuring his foot in the second round of Super Rugby on March 2.

Jordan Petaia (left) and Samu Kerevi. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

He still wasn’t fit enough for the Rugby Championship program and the hamstring issue sidelined him from last month’s warm-up Test against Samoa.

I’m expecting this bombshell announcement to break this evening.

Jordan Petaia to start at 13, James O’Connor dropped for the Wallabies’ quarter-final against England

Another halves change too #RWC2019 https://t.co/XliyuQypCM

— Christy Doran (@ChristypDoran) October 16, 2019

O’Connor impressed in Australia’s win over Fiji in Sapporo a month ago but appears to have paid for two ineffectual outings since.

While Cheika looks set to name a predictable forward pack, other surprising backline changes appear on the cards for the Test which will bring the curtain down on his Wallabies career if they lose.

The coach looks set to field centurion Will Genia at halfback, having favoured Nic White through most of 2019.

Kurtley Beale is poised to start at fullback and Reece Hodge on the wing, leaving no room for the in-form Dane Haylett-Petty.

Beale is believed to have passed his concussion protocol after being forced off against Georgia following a heavy head knock.

James O'Connor. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Billy Vunipola has won his battle to be fit for England coming through the toughest training session of the week on Wednesday, the PA news agency understands, to complete his recovery from the ankle sprain sustained in the pool victory over Argentina that secured passage into the knockout phase.

Head coach Eddie Jones named Vunipola in the back row as part of an unchanged starting XV, knowing the Saracens No. 8’s powerful ball-carrying could be a key asset against the Wallabies.

Jones also announced Mako Vunipola is back at loosehead prop over overcoming a hamstring injury, which means Joe Marler drops to the bench.

Second rower Courtney Lawes also pushes George Kruis to the bench.

The two positional switches are Owen Farrell has also shifted to fly-half and Manu Tuilagi moved from outside to inside centre and Jones has promised a brutal battle.

“Australia are a clever team, they will have some specific attacking strategies to play against us so we need to have a great situational awareness,” Jones said.

“We need to defend with brutality and when we have the ball we need to play on top of them.”

Vunipola’s Saracens teammate Maro Itoje, meanwhile, is ready to embrace the biggest game of his career admitting the looming clash with Australia is win or bust.

England will be looking to complete a seventh successive victory over the Wallabies, who enter the encounter battle-hardened by a tougher group campaign.

“It feels huge. This is a scenario I haven’t been in before, which is partly why it is so exciting for me,” Itoje said.

“Now that it’s knockout rugby there’s no tomorrow here. It’s do or die. There’s no, ‘We’ll get it right next week’. It’s about performing.”

WALLABIES

15. Kurtley Beale, 14. Reece Hodge, 13. Jordan Petaia, 12. Samu Kerevi, 11. Marika Koroibete, 10. Christian Lealiifano, 9. Will Genia, 8. Isi Naisarani, 7. Michael Hooper (c), 6. David Pocock, 5. Rory Arnold, 4. Izack Rodda, 3. Allan Alaalatoa, 2. Tolu Latu, 1. Scott Sio

Reserves: 16. Jordan Uelese, 17. James Slipper, 18. Taniela Tupou, 19. Adam Coleman, 20. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, 21. Nic White, 22. Matt To’omua, 23. James O’Connor

ENGLAND

15. Elliot Daly; 14. Anthony Watson, 13. Henry Slade, 12. Manu Tuilagi, 11. Jonny May; 10. Owen Farrell, 9. Ben Youngs; 1. Mako Vunipola, 2. Jamie George, 3. Kyle Sinckler; 4. Maro Itoje, 5. Courtney Lawes; 6. Tom Curry, 7. Sam Underhill, 8. Billy Vunipola

Replacements: 16. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 17. Joe Marler, 18. Dan Cole, 19. George Kruis, 20. Lewis Ludlam, 21. Willi Heinz, 22. George Ford, 23. Jonathan Joseph.

— wires