Australia keep faith with World Cup winning side for New Zealand clash



World Cup winners Australia head into their rematch with beaten finalists New Zealand at Sydney's Allianz Stadium on Friday with the same side that walloped the Kiwis 34-2 in November.


Full-back Billy Slater and scrum-half Cooper Cronk retain their spots in Australia's starting line-up for the Anzac Test despite indifferent form and outstanding recent performances from Greg Inglis and Daly Cherry-Evans.

Inglis is selected at centre and Cherry-Evans, who produced a dazzling display against Canberra on Sunday afternoon, is named on the bench.

Forwards Boyd Cordner and Nate Myles make the bench for the clash with New Zealand ahead of Andrew Fifita and Josh Papalii.

New Zealand have rung the changes ahead of the game. Kenny Bromwich joins older brother Jesse in coach Stephen Kearney's 18-man squad.
Energy

Only five players - captain Simon Mannering, winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, centre Dean Whare, half-back Shaun Johnson, and props Sam Moa and Jesse Bromwich are retained from the side that lost the World Cup final.

Full-back Peta Hiku, stand-off Isaac John, utility Ben Henry, hooker Siliva Havili and prop Martin Taupau are the other uncapped players named by Kearney.

"We're still very excited by the talent we have available," he said. "Many of these guys have progressed through Junior Kiwis and into full professional and now international careers.

"There are also some old faces returning and we think this mix will bring a really positive energy to the group.

"This team is an Anzac story in itself - a band of young men thrown together to do whatever it takes to perform for 80 minutes on Friday night. We can't wait."

Australia: B Slater (Melbourne); D Boyd (Newcastle), G Inglis (South Sydney), J Morris (Canterbury), B Morris (St George Illawarra); J Thurston (North Queensland), C Cronk (Melbourne); J Tamou (North Queensland), C Smith (Melbourne, capt), M Scott (North Queensland), S Thaiday (Brisbane), G Bird (Gold Coast), P Gallen (Cronulla). Interchange: D Cherry-Evans (Manly), N Myles (Gold Coast), B Cordner (Sydney Roosters), C Parker (Brisbane).

New Zealand (from): G Beale (St George Illawarra), A Blair (Wests Tigers), J Bromwich (Melbourne), K Bromwich (Melbourne), G Eastwood (Canterbury), T Harris (Melbourne), S Havili (NZ Warriors), B Henry (NZ Warriors), P Hiku (Manly), I John (Penrith), S Johnson (NZ Warriors), S Mannering (NZ Warriors, capt), S Moa (Sydney Roosters), J Nightingale (St George Illawarra), K Proctor (Melbourne), M Taupau (Wests Tigers), R Tuivasa-Sheck (Sydney Roosters), D Whare (Penrith). by nevel

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