Cooper to miss Wales game

07 November 2014 05:46

Mercurial fly-half Quade Cooper will miss Australia's one-off Test against Wales at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on Saturday.

Cooper had been named as one of eight replacements in coach Michael Cheika's first international in charge after overseeing last week's 40-36 victory over the Barbarians.

The Queensland Reds playmaker, who suffered a shoulder injury in May and lost his place to Bernard Foley, started the match against the BaaBaas, playing 53 minutes.

But he misses the cut as Cheika opts for a five-two forwards-backs split in what is expected to be a feisty battle up-front, the backs named being veteran scrum-half Will Genia and the versatile Rob Horne.

Revised teams (15-1)

Wales

Leigh Halfpenny; Alex Cuthbert, George North, Jamie Roberts, Liam Williams; Dan Biggar, Rhys Webb; Taulupe Faletau, Sam Warburton (capt), Dan Lydiate; Alun Wyn Jones, Jake Ball; Samson Lee, Richard Hibbard, Paul James

Replacements: Scott Baldwin, Gethin Jenkins, Rhodri Jones, Bradley Davies, Justin Tipuric, Mike Phillips, Rhys Priestland, Cory Allen

Australia

Israel Folau; Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Christian Leali'ifano, Joe Tomane; Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps; Ben McCalman, Michael Hooper (capt), Sean McMahon; Rob Simmons, Sam Carter; Sekope Kepu, Saia Fainga'a, James Slipper

Replacements (one to be omitted): James Hanson, Tetera Kaulkner, Ben Alexander, James Horwill, Will Skelton, Matt Hodgson, Will Genia, Rob Horne

Referee: Wayne Barnes (ENG)

Source: AFP