Joe Schmidt’s Wallabies will be looking to build on their Test series victory over Wales by blooding more youngsters against Georgia in Sydney on Saturday in preparation for the upcoming Rugby Championship.
Australia v Georgia
Saturday 20 July 2024 – 07:45
Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Both sides come into this tie off the back of positive results. Can the Europeans spring a surprise out in Sydney or will it be more of the same from the Aussies who claimed 2-0 series win over Wales? Shaun Goosen previews.
To Win Match
Australia 1/16 | Draw 40/1 | Georgia 7/1
Handicap
Australia (-18.5) 9/10 | Georgia (+18.5) 9/10
In many ways, Australia avenged their 6-40 Pool C defeat to Wales at the World Cup with two solid wins over the Dragons over the past fortnight as Schmidt begins his tenure in charge on a positive note. While the Rugby Championship presents a much tougher challenge for the men in gold, they will reap rewards from their encouraging showings this month.
Second row Lukhan Salakai-Loto was a key player for the hosts during the Wales series and looks set to become a regular at No 5, while Hunter Paisami was another standout in the No 12 jumper. These are the kinds of players Schmidt will hope to build his squad around in a mammoth four-year cycle for Australia that includes a British & Irish Lions series and home World Cup.
With the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship campaign getting underway against South Africa in Brisbane on 10 August, this weekend’s Georgia match offers Schmidt the chance to test his squad depth. As many as 10 changes are expected for the clash at Allianz Stadium, including an all-new tight five, as the hosts seek a similar result to their 35-15 win over the Lelos at the World Cup.
Georgia claimed a fantastic result in Sendai, downing Eddie Jones’ much-fancied Japan side 25-23 after going down to Fiji the previous week. They should pose a new look Australia outfit questions, as they did early on in their World Cup encounter in Paris, but may struggle to remain relevant for the full eighty.
Verdict: Georgia (+18.5) 9/10
Georgia to come close but should ultimately fall away in the final quarter.
