Rugby – news round-up:Victor Vito has been added to the New Zealand injury list and will miss Saturday's second test against Ireland with a knee problem that could keep the powerful flanker out of action for up to five weeks.
Vito, who has a medial ligament injury, needed to be replaced by Adam Thomson in the All Blacks 42-10 win in Auckland. Thompson is set to claim the number six jersey for the second match of the series in Christchurch this weekend.
Prop Sekope Kepu has been named in an unchanged Australia line-up for their second test against Wales in Melbourne on Saturday. Kepu strained a tendon in his forearm during last weekend’s 27-19 victory in the first match of the series, and while he played the full 80 minutes he will be monitored over the course of the week.
“We are hopeful that Keps will be good to go, but we do have a contingency plan in place if we need it,” Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said. “There are five props in the group we have with us in Melbourne so we saw no need in bringing anyone extra in.”
Deans was happy to keep faith with the same side that won the opening test, but acknowledged that a repeat performance might not be good enough against the Six Nations champions. “The Welsh will have seen a lot of opportunity in last weekend’s test,” Deans said. “They showed during their Six Nations campaign that they are resilient — twice winning games in the final moments.
“That trait was apparent again in a 12-minute period in Brisbane when they closed from 6-20 to 19-20, to put themselves in a position to win the game after we had made the better start.”
Australia(v Wales): Adam Ashley-Cooper; Cooper Vuna, Rob Horne, Pat McCabe, Digby Ioane; Berrick Barnes, Will Genia; Benn Robinson, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Sekope Kepu, Rob Simmons, Nathan Sharpe, Scott Higginbotham, David Pocock (captain), Wycliff Palu. Replacements:Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander, Dave Dennis, Michael Hooper, Nic White, Anthony Fainga'a, Mike Harris.
