Michael Cheika has made four changes to the Australia side that lost to England last weekend, for the second test in Melbourne on Saturday.
Both props are changed, with James Slipper and Sekope Kepu coming in for Scott Sio and Greg Holmes, while Sam Carter adds beef to the engine room. Sean McMahon takes the number eight shirt vacated by the injured David Pocock.
The backline remains unchanged, after it had a hand in all four of the Wallabies’ tries in the first test.
Head coach Cheika said: “Based on last weekend’s performance, we decided that we wanted some new combinations for Saturday’s game,” Head Coach Michael Cheika said.
“Sean never takes a backwards step while James and Sekope add plenty of Test match experience.”
AUSTRALIA TEAM TO PLAY ENGLAND
1. James Slipper – Reds (75 Tests)
2. Stephen Moore (c) – Brumbies (103 Tests)
3. Sekope Kepu -Waratahs (64 Tests)
4. Rory Arnold – Brumbies (1 Test)
5. Sam Carter – Brumbies (12 Tests)
6. Scott Fardy – Brumbies (31 Tests)
7. Michael Hooper (vc) – Waratahs (52 Tests)
8. Sean McMahon – Rebels (7 Tests)
9. Nick Phipps – Waratahs (40 Tests)
10. Bernard Foley – Waratahs (28 Tests)
11. Rob Horne (vc) – Waratahs (30 Tests)
12. Samu Kerevi – Reds (1 Test)
13. Tevita Kuridrani – Brumbies (32 Tests)
14. Dane Haylett-Petty – Western Force (1 Test)
15. Israel Folau – Waratahs (39 Tests)
Replacements (Three to be omitted)
Tatafu Polota-Nau – Waratahs (62 Tests)
Toby Smith – Rebels (3 Tests)
Greg Holmes – Reds (25 Tests)
James Horwill – Harlequins (62 Tests)
Dean Mumm – Waratahs (45 Tests)
Wycliff Palu – Waratahs (57 Tests)
Ben McCalman – Force (47 Tests)
Liam Gill – Reds (15 Tests)
Nick Frisby – Reds (1 Test)
Christian Leali’ifano – Brumbies (17 Tests)
Luke Morahan – Force (1 Test)
As you know by now, we are hilarious, and you should be following us on Facebook and Twitter. 
No real surprises here.I suspect England will probably only have one or two changes and most likely on the bench. I think we will see George on the bench this week and possibly Genge instead of Hill?
Genge is a loosehead and Hill a tighthead?
Sorry, getting my tights and looses mixed up. Who is the back up tighthead then, is it Sinckler?!
Yep Sinckler
Yep Sinkler, so I imagine we will see Hill again.
Haven’t seen that much of Hill but Sinckler is certainly handy in the loose although I’m not sure I’d trust him at scrum time at this level. Saying that if not now, when!?
Oh that’s probably my fault I thought he was a righty tighty and have been saying he should be on the bench in place of Hill for a while
You say no real surprises but I think there are quite a few:
1. Sio completely jettisoned from the squad
2. Continuing with a bosh bosh centre pairing instead of playing Leali’ifano @12
3. Continuing to play a flanker at 8 instead of McCalman
I don’t really think McMahon is a surprise, he is a strong ball carrier and Aus clearly like having that breakdown ability in the back row.
It’s only really Sio that is a massive surprise.
They got the ball side perfectly well earlier on with Kerevi/Kurandrani early on, so whilst I thought that change might happen I don’t think it’s a shock.
Also, it’s been ignored that Horne went off quite early for Leali’ifano, moving Kerevi onto the wing I think. This looked like it negatively affected their plans quite a lot so I’m not that shocked to see the same starting back line start.
No massive surprises in the XV, but I’m surprised to see Sio completely jettisoned from the squad.
I also thought we might see Leali’ifano come in to give their back line another dimension, but I guess they had no real trouble distributing the ball wide anyway.
For England, I don’t expect any other than at 12. I expect to see Ford/Farrell, but it’ll be interesting to see if he goes like for like with Slade on the bench or opts for Te’o to offer something different late in the game.
Thought they might abandon the two 7s and pick a bulkier 8. Also interesting they’ve shipped in a lock that wasn’t in the squad last week rather than start Horwill or Mumm.
Am far happier to see McMahon on the teamsheet than Pocock.
Although I can still see the Aussies winning (I think i read somewhere that they have a near perfect win ratio for the second game in a 3 match series) and McMahon carries well, he won’t have anywhere near the influence at the breakdown that Pocock gives them
I have mixed feelings as without Pocock Englands chances of winning the test are better but to be the best you have to beat the best and the sterner the challenge then, win or lose, the more you learn.
True but they won a match with Pocock playing. Would be entirely happy if we win the next two without him!
I wouldn’t read too much into the second test of three statistic, I read somewhere also that although there record in this respect is good, they havent played that many three test series so there is a bit off small number effects going on here, the statistical significance of this is relatviely low.
Good point – gives me more hope
“glass” Slipper over Sio? No doubt much improved under Ledesmo, but I think he’s featured in a fair few of the scrum-on-skates performances over the years.
I don’t see our chances as reduced through these selections (a 50:50 game)
On our prop options, Hill did not look too comfortable in the scrum, whereas Brookes put in a pretty good shift for the Saxons, not sure EJ has the pecking order right.
Would any front row experts here care to provide some scrum education? “Utility back” and occasional flanker here, so bear with me…
My observation during the game was that Sio generally seemed to be getting the better of Cole, either forcing him to go down or twisting him inwards. I think he got a couple of penalties out of him too? I think Cole was warned at some point for “boring in”, but it looked to me that Sio was the one initiating that angle.
Anyway, when Poite gave the final warning, Cole seemed to drive hard and straight with no difficulty. Sio off. So, could he not have scrummaged that way all game? Or was he lulling Sio into a false sense of security earlier! The way Cole seemed able to straighten his pushin angle on demand made me think it must have been him that dictated terms in that contest. And Sio being dropped right out of the 23 would seem to support that?