Wallabies suffer Moore blow
Wallabies hooker Stephen Moore has been ruled out of the Rugby Championship clash with the Springboks on Saturday due to a hamstring strain.
The experienced rake had been set to surpass Jeremy Paul as Australia's most capped hooker by appearing in his 73rd Test, was withdrawn on Thursday after suffering a low grade strain in his right hamstring at training.
Moore has been replaced in the starting XV by Waratahs hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau, who had previously been listed on the bench.
Reds hooker Saia Fainga'a, who appeared off the bench in Australia's most recent Test in Auckland after Polota-Nau had been ruled out, again comes into the match-day squad.
Prop Ben Alexander believes their preparations will not be affected by Moore's withdrawal.
"We've been practicing a lot at training with lots of different combinations, we very rarely pack more than a couple in a row with the same guys," he told AAP.
"We're always changing props, changing sides, changing hookers, so it shouldn't cause any problem. If Taf gets a chance, we all know what he's capable of."
Australia (revised): 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Dominic Shipperley, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia (captain), 8 Radike Samo, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Dave Dennis, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Sitaleki Timani, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Tatafu Polota Nau, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Saia Fainga'a, 17 James Slipper, 18 Scott Higginbotham, 19 Liam Gill, 20 Nick Phipps, 21 Mike Harris, 22 Anthony Fainga'a.
Date: Saturday, September 8
Venue: Paterson's Stadium, Perth
Kick-off: 18.00 AWST (20.00 AEST; 12.00 SA time; 10.00 GMT)
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Assistant referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
TMO: Matt Goddard (Australia)
