WARATAHS second-rower Dean Mumm is preparing for his first run-on Test after Nathan Sharpe last night withdrew from the match against France in Brisbane tomorrow night with a groin injury.
The Wallabies will field an inexperienced second-row pairing of Mumm and James Horwill, who boast only three run-on Tests between them, after Sharpe hurt himself during training yesterday.
As Sharpe did not have time to recover for the second Test, Horwill, who skippered Queensland at the tender age of 22 this season, is set to take over the responsibility of conducting the Australian lineout calls.
Hugh McMeniman, who had been with the Australia A squad in Sydney, was summoned to Brisbane last night to join the reserves bench.
Sharpe's omission did not lead to too much nervousness within the camp, with Wallabies hooker Stephen Moore saying they had "every confidence that Dean can jump straight in there".
"It will also give James Horwill a bit more responsibility at the lineout, in the calling," Moore said. "Those two guys will sort it out. They both know the options inside out."
The Wallabies also worked hard at training yesterday to ensure the back-line attack learned the importance of patience.
Five-eighth Matt Giteau said last night: "We were pushing the passes in Sydney [in the first Test]. We felt a little bit rushed. We saw holes. We were seeing opportunities but were trying to put the French to bed in one phase. We should have been more patient in building pressure. As we showed in the second half, when we do that properly, we can put points together really quickly."
¡ Further clues that Super rugby expansion will occur in 2010 were revealed following a SANZAR meeting in Wellington yesterday. SANZAR officials met representatives from Argentina, the US and Canada to discuss expansion, which could lead to the Super season being extended to more than six months. Afterwards, SANZAR announced it planned to present its proposals to broadcasters "no later than June 2009".
SANZAR will meet officials from Japan in Hong Kong later this month, and the Pacific Islands will also be involved in discussions.
