OWN CORRESPONDENT, Brisbane | Tuesday 12.10pm.
FORMER Springbok captain Tiaan Strauss is likely to face his old country in an international Test for the first time as an Australian impact player Tri-Nations clash in Brisbane on Saturday.
Strauss, who captained the Boks in 1994 before being inexplicably left out of Kitch Christie’s 1995 World Cup squad, already has three Wallaby caps after opting to tie his fortunes to SA’s southern hemisphere rivals.
”I think it will be an emotional evening for me because I was Springbok captain. Having been attached to South Africa it’s going to feel a bit strange playing against them and not with them. When the national anthem is played I’ll be standing on the other side,” Strauss told wire agency Sapa.
The 33-year-old Strauss, now an Australian resident, has been plying his trade for the now New South Wales Waratahs in the Super 12 and was billed a potential Wallaby captain by Aussie great Nick Farr-Jones.
The former Western Province captain, who has earned all his Aussie caps as an impact player, and he scored a hat-trick of tries on his debut, the 46-10 first Test win over Ireland earlier this year. ”I won’t take any special satisfaction from beating South Africa. It’s just important for Australia that we start our Tri-Nations campaign well and win,” he said.
Meanwhile, fullback Matthew Burke’s return to the Wallaby starting line-up was made official on Tuesday by coach Rod Macqueen, after being named in the squad.
Burke replaces the unlucky Chris Latham, who has played with distinction in all three Tests this year but makes way for Burke’s goalkicking skills. Latham will start on the bench.
Burke kicked seven from nine in the Australian Barbarians’ 33-24 defeat of New Zealand A in Melbourne last Saturday.
With captain John Eales missing and Tim Horan preferred to Nathan Spooner at fly half, selectors felt the Wallabies could not go into the Test with the erratic Joe Roff as the frontline kicker.
In other changes to the team which beat England 22-15 last month , prop Glenn Panoho is in doubt with an injured wrist and has been bracketed with Andrew Blades on the bench. Mark Connors also joins the bench, replacing fellow loose forward Jim Williams.
Australia: Matthew Burke; Ben Tune, Daniel Herbert, Nathan Grey, Joe Roff; Tim Horan, George Gregan; Toutai Kefu, David Wilson (captain), Matt Cockbain, John Welborn, David Giffin, Patricio Noriega, Jeremy Paul, Dan Crowley. — Reuters