ZCZC
BSP-09
RUGBYU-AUS-RSA-RC2018
Folau out of Springboks match as ankle injury persists
BRISBANE, Australia, Sept 8, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Australia’s star fullback,
Israel Folau, was pulled from the lineup for Saturday’s Test against South
Africa due to a nagging ankle injury, the Wallabies announced.
Folau injured his ankle in the opening Bledisloe Cup match against New
Zealand on August 18 and had only returned to training this past week.
He had been included in the starting side announced earlier in the week,
but the Wallabies announced Saturday morning that he had been ruled out of
the Test against the Springboks “after failing to overcome an ankle injury”.
“Dane Haylett-Petty will slot in at fullback with Jack Maddocks promoted
to the right wing and Tom Banks earning his start off the bench,” the team
said in a statement.
Coach Michael Cheika had already shaken up the lineup for this weekend’s
Test after the Wallabies lost six of their past seven games, including ceding
the Bledisloe Cup to New Zealand for the 16th consecutive year following a
40-12 hammering in Auckland and a 38-13 thrashing in Sydney.
Cheika notably pulled Bernard Foley, a 60-test veteran, from the starting
15, moving Kurtley Beale to the number 10 spot in his place.
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1027 hrs