Physical Latu the man to counter Marx
TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson has made just one change to his team for the Super Rugby semifinal encounter with the Lions.
The selection of hooker Tolu Latu is the only change to the starting line-up for Saturday’s encounter in Johannesburg.
Latu replaces Damien Fitzpatrick, who will be on the bench.
Gibson said the inclusion of Latu was a reflection of the type of game the Lions were likely to play.
“This match will be a very physical encounter, particularly with the breakdown and scrum being key battlegrounds,” the coach said.
“These are areas where Tolu excels.
“We are expecting a real set piece battle so we need to be good in this area to compete with the Lions’ scrum and line-out,” Gibson added.
Waratahs: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Alex Newsome, 13 Curtis Rona, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 10 Bernard Foley (captain), 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Michael Wells, 7 Will Miller, 6 Ned Hanigan, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Jed Holloway, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Tolu Latu, 1 Tom Robertson.
Replacements: 16 Damien Fitzpatrick, 17 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 18 Paddy Ryan, 19 Tom Staniforth, 20 Brad Wilkin, 21 Jake Gordon, 22 Bryce Hegarty, 23 Cam Clark.
Date: Saturday, July 28
Venue: Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 15.00 (13.00 GMT; 23.00 AEST)
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa), Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
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