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Tupou expected to start against Six Nations champions France
By AAP
Destructive prop Taniela Tupou will return to the Wallabies starting side after Allan Alaalatoa was ruled out of Sunday's showdown with France in Paris.
Alaalatoa presented with concussion symptoms at halftime in Australia's spring tour-opening 16-15 win over Scotland at Murrayfield and was subsequently scratched from the second match.
The Wallabies face a huge test of character against the second-ranked Les Bleus as Dave Rennie's inconsistent outfit chase back-to-back wins for the first time in 13 months.
France are riding a 10-match winning streak, Europe's reigning Six Nations champions and 2023 Rugby World Cup hosts last tasting defeat 16 months ago in the series-deciding Test against Australia in Brisbane.
Rennie will name his full 23-man team on Thursday night, with France-based lock Will Skelton in line for a start in the second row after rejoining the Wallabies squad this week.
The 140kg behemoth could add further starch to the forward pack, while changes are also expected in the backline following a clunky attacking performance against Scotland.
Rennie has promised to rotate his three touring halfbacks, with Nic White likely to start after his rugby smarts proved pivotal in the Wallabies' comeback win in Edinburgh.
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The better side seems to be the losing side a lot these days. As far as narrative goes. Must be the big emergent culture of “participation awards” that have emerged in nanny states. ”It looked like New Zealand would take the game from there but lapses in execution let South Africa get back into the game. New Zealand’s goal kickers left five points out there, including a very make-able penalty on the stroke of half”. Sounds like a chronic problem… I wonder how the better team has lapses in concentration and execution? Or are those not important factors in the grand scheme of total performances?
Go to commentsWith Stuart Lancaster at the helm, Racing 92 looks more and more a mercenaries club like Toulon some years ago and they are not even performing despite all the money on offer.
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