David Pocock has been named in Australia’s starting XV against England after recovering from a neck problem – just as their opponents’ head coach, Eddie Jones, predicted.
Pocock sat out training on Monday and did only light non-contact work on Tuesday, putting a large question mark over his participation in the final Test of their November series at Twickenham on Saturday. However the influential back-row passed a fitness test on Thursday and has been selected at No 8 by the Australia head coach, Michael Cheika.
Jones said on Monday: “I hear this every time we play Australia – Pocock’s not going to be fit – so when I heard it I thought: ‘Here we go again.’ You know those merry-go-rounds? It’s a bit like that.”
Kurtley Beale, who was among the replacements against Italy last weekend, drops out of the 23 altogether, while Israel Folau and Bernard Foley have both recovered from a stomach bug to be named in the starting XV. Foley will remain at inside-centre, meaning Matt Toomua continues in the fly-half role he assumed in Padua.
I Folau; D Haylett-Petty, S Kerevi, B Foley, J Maddocks; M Toomua, W Genia; S Sio, T Latu, S Kepu, I Rodda, A Coleman, J Dempsey, M Hooper (capt), P Samu.
Replacements Tatafu Polota-Nau, Jermaine Ainsley, Allan Alaalatoa, Rob Simmons, Ned Hanigan, Marika Koroibete, Nick Phipps, Sefa Naivalu.
• David Pocock ruled out with neck injury
