Australia have named a much changed line up for their Pool A encounter with Namibia at Adelaide Oval on Saturday 25 October - the first international match at the venue - with only four players remaining from the team which started against Romania last weekend.
Likewise Namibia have also rung the changes with their starting line up to face the defending champions featuring only eight players who started against Ireland, with one of them, Emile Wessels, switching from fly half to centre.
Form Guide
Australia will go into this match as strong favourites, the Wallabies having begun the defence of the Webb Ellis Cup with a 24-8 defeat of Argentina before equalling their biggest ever winning margin with a 90-8 victory against Romania in Pool A.
Namibia, by contrast, are ranked 25th in the official IRB world rankings – 22 places below their opponents – and are playing for pride after losing 67-14 to Argentina and 64-7 to Ireland.
Previous meetings
Australia and Namibia have never met before in international rugby.
Ins and Outs
The only players retaining their starting XV spot for Australia are lock Nathan Sharpe, flanker George Smith, number 8 David Lyons and Mat Rogers, who switches from full back to wing for the Namibia match.
Four players in the starting line up will make their first appearance of Rugby World Cup 2003 in prop Matt Dunning (his international debut), flanker David Croft, centre Nathan Grey and full back Chris Latham.
Two others, the uncapped number 8 John Roe and centre Morgan Turinui, are on the bench while six players in the starting XV will also get their first starts of the Tournament as coach Eddie Jones takes the chance to rest some of his star names.
Chris Whitaker will captain Australia on a rare start for the scrum half, George Gregan set to have been rested even before he suffered a corked thigh in the first half against Romania.
For Namibia four players are promoted to the starting XV from the bench against Ireland in hooker Cor van Tonder, flanker Herman Lintvelt, number 8 Jurgens van Lill and fly half Morne Schreuder.
The three other changes to the starting line up see lock Eben Isaacs, flanker Shaun van Rooi and wing Jurie Booysen come in after sitting out the last match, while scrum half Hakkies Husselman will captain the side with Sean Furter dropping to the bench.
There is still no place for Rudi van Nuuren, the fly half who is bidding to become the first to play in both a cricket and Rugby World Cup in the same year, a calf injury suffered shortly after arrival in Australia having denied him so far.
Key Players
Every player in the Australian 22 man squad will be looking to put in a strong performance to try and force their way in to Jones’ thinking for the all important Pool A finale with Ireland on 1 November.
This includes centres Nathan Grey and Stirling Mortlock with Matt Burke and Elton Flatley having impressed in previous matches for Australia, while wing Lote Tuqiri will hope to score a few tries in an attempt to dislodge Wendell Sailor or Joe Roff.
David Giffin returns to the Wallaby 22 man squad for the first time since he was knocked unconscious and stretchered off with a shoulder injury against Argentina. The lock needs some game time to prove his fitness ahead of the Ireland match.
With experienced forwards Schalk van der Merwe and captain Furter dropping to the bench for this game, Namibia will look to new skipper Husselman to continue his good form at scrum half and lead by example.
Other players who could cause trouble for Australia are centre pairing Wessels and Du Preez Grobler, as well as the recalled Jurie Booysen, selected on the wing after starting at full back in Namibia’s opening game with Argentina.
What they said
Australia coach Eddie Jones on his plans to rotate his squad for the Namibia game:
“The six players that haven’t played so far in the Tournament for us will all be in the 22 this week. We always planned to give these players a chance in this match and we’re happy they will get a run.”
Match details
Australia v Namibia
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Kick off: 15:30
Match Officials:
Referee: Joël Jutge (France)
Touch judges: Paddy O’Brien (New Zealand) and Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Television match official: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)