Sam Walker Will Make His Kangaroos Debut Against Fiji, With Tedesco Back and Munster Out
Update, 17 October: Moses has been ruled out of the rest of the tournament with a high-grade muscle tear, and Ethan Strange joins the squad. Full story.
Kevin Walters has confirmed at least three changes for Australia’s second World Cup match, against Fiji at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday 25 October. Sam Walker plays halfback, Tom Dearden moves to five-eighth and James Tedesco replaces Reece Walsh at fullback.
Mitchell Moses and Cameron Munster both sit out. Australia won the opener 24-22 and have still changed three of the four spine positions.
Why Moses is out
Moses appears to have been hurt in the first half against New Zealand, played on, and came off a few minutes after half-time. Dearden replaced him.
“It’s not so much his calf. It’s more the side of his leg,” Walters said. “We’ll get some scans and see, but when you come off like that there’s obviously something a little bit wrong.”
The scans settled it. An MRI in Sydney found a high-grade muscle tear in his lower leg, and the NRL confirmed on 17 October that he will take no further part in the World Cup. Canberra five-eighth Ethan Strange replaces him in the 23-man squad.
Walker’s debut
Walker was one of six potential debutants in the 23 Walters named on 5 October. Seven weeks ago it looked as though his season was over. He hurt his ankle against the Dolphins in round 26, came back 27 days later, and won the premiership with the Roosters on 4 October.
“He’ll play next week. We’ll put him alongside Tom, who will play five-eighth,” Walters said. Of Dearden, who came on in the opener: “He was good when he came on and once he settled into the rhythm of the game. It’s hard when you come off the bench like that in the halfback position.”
Tedesco for Walsh
This is the change that will be argued about. Walsh ran 206 metres, made nine tackle breaks and scored the try that set up the win in the 24-22 win over New Zealand.
Tedesco was left out of that game, which Zero Tackle reported was partly because he was carrying a niggle. Walters framed it as a workload call for the grand final players. “James will be fullback next week. I thought this week for those guys that played in the Grand Final, it’s been a big few weeks.”
Eleven days before the World Cup started, Tedesco ran 385 metres in the grand final and won the Clive Churchill Medal. Walters has two of the best fullbacks in the world and one jersey, and he has chosen to rotate it rather than pick one.
Fiji first play the Cook Islands
Fiji open their tournament against the Cook Islands in Newcastle on Sunday 18 October, a week before they meet Australia. They have reached the semi-finals at three of the last four World Cups, and Pool A only sends two teams through.
The Australia v Fiji match kicks off at 7.05pm AEST, which is 9.05am in the UK after the clocks go back. The Pool A table is updated after every game.
