Uruguay make nine changes for Wallabies clash
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Uruguay coach Esteban Meneses has made nine changes to the team that lost to Georgia for Saturday’s Pool D match against Australia at Oita Stadium.
This is the highest number of changes made by Los Teros in between RWC matches. Prior to this selection, Los Teros had never made more than six changes.
Centre Andres Vilaseca will captain his country for the third time. He skippered Uruguay in a 67-15 triumph over Chile on June 24, 2018 but has only worn the armband once since – against an Argentina XV on June 15, 2019.
Vilalesca, hooker German Kessler, lock Manuel Leindekar, fullback Rodrigo Silva, winger Nicolas Freitas and flyhalf Felipe Berchesi all retain their places to make a third start at RWC 2019.
Silva, who started the first two matches on the left-wing, switches to fullback for this encounter.
Berchesi – Player of the Match in Los Teros’ victory over Fiji – has already established a Los Teros record at a single World Cup with 17 points and will be looking to add to his all-time RWC tally of 32 points in the game against the Wallabies.
There’s no place in the 23 for centre Juan Manuel Cat, who scored a crucial try in the defeat of Fiji.
Uruguay: 15 Rodrigo Silva, 14 Federico Favaro, 13 Tomas Inciarte, 12 Andres Vilaseca (captain), 11 Nicolas Freitas, 10 Felipe Berchesi, 9 Agustin Ormaechea, 8 Manuel Diana, 7 Juan Diego Ormaechea, 6 Manuel Ardao, 5 Manuel Leindekar, 4 Franco Lamanna, 3 Diego Arbelo, 2 German Kessler, 1 Juan Echeverria.
Replacements: 16 Guillermo Pujadas, 17 Joaquin Jaunsolo, 18 Juan Pedro Rombys, 19 Ignacio Dotti, 20 Juan Manuel Gaminara, 21 Santiago Arata, 22 Felipe Etcheverry, 23 Agustin Della Corte.
Date: Saturday, October 5
Venue: Oita Stadium, Oita Prefecture
Kick-off: 14.15 (02.15; Uruguay time; 05.15 GMT; 15.15 AEST)
Referee: Mathieu Raynal (France)
Assistant referees: Jérôme Garcès (France), Karl Dickson (England)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
