Australia's captain, James Horwill, speaks during the announcement of the team to play its Rugby World Cup opening match against Italy in Auckland on Monday. Australia play Italy on Sunday. [Photo/Agencies]

Deans names unchanged starting lineup for rugby World Cup

James O'Connor was named on the bench for Australia's World Cup opener against Italy after coach Robbie Deans stuck with a winning team and opted against recalling the winger following his one-game suspension for indiscipline.

Deans retained the starting lineup that beat New Zealand to win the Tri-Nations title in Brisbane last month but made three changes to the replacements with O'Connor, prop James Slipper and hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau coming in for Rob Horne, Saia Fainga'a and Salesi Ma'afu.

"They did OK and it is an important outing for us on Sunday, their continuity is good and it will need to be good as there is no doubt Italy will be waiting," Deans told a swarm of media at the team's hotel in central Auckland on Tuesday.

"Their (Italy's) last Six Nations outing was a very good performance, they put the French away. We know we have to hit the ground running and that's what we are hoping to do."

Goalkicker O'Connor was suspended for the Tri-Nations decider after he was a no-show for a team photo-shoot and function for the Wallabies World Cup squad announcement following what local media reported was a boozy night out.

"He wasn't available to us in the last instance and he is on this occasion but he has been selected on the bench, which is one step closer," Deans said.

Deans appeared bothered when asked repeatedly about denying O'Connor, one of the Wallabies' top attacking players, a starting spot for the first World Cup match.

"A lot of time is spent talking about people that aren't available to you," the New Zealander said.

"But the game isn't about that, the game is about who is available to you and those who are lucky enough to get the opportunity, and most players don't waste the opportunities when they are presented to them. That's the key, making the most of the time you get."

Flyhalf Quade Cooper, who made four of six kicks against New Zealand in Brisbane, will retain the kicking duties against Italy but Deans said O'Connor would take over if he was on the pitch.

The Australian team touched down in Auckland only an hour before its media session, which it hurried through before heading off to training with an official welcome ceremony scheduled for later on Tuesday to cap a busy day.

With just six days' rest before its toughest match in Pool C against Ireland, some Australian media had speculated Deans would rotate his side to maintain freshness, but the New Zealander said that wasn't an option.

"It is definitely our best lineup because we want to win and we have a lot of respect for the Italian side," he said.

"I have watched them play some great rugby and watched them develop."

The return of Slipper and Polota-Nau from injuries come as a welcome boost for the Wallabies, who, although heavy favorites to win the Pool C match at the North Harbour Stadium, may have their scrum heavily tested by the Italians.

"Their set piece is quite intimidating," Australia captain James Horwill said.

"We have watched plenty of footage from the Six Nations and the scrum is a real weapon for Italy and it is something we have identified and worked on."

While mindful of the power and prowess of the Italian tight five, Horwill spruiked Australia's pack which has recently been boosted by the return of Fiji-born No 8 Radike Samo.

Samo made an exceptional return to the starting Wallabies side in Brisbane after a break of seven years, bringing raw aggression and scoring a brilliant try to help beat World Cup favorites New Zealand.

"He is an exceptional footballer and is one of the most talented big men I have ever seen with a ball in hand, so he has been given a opportunity to play and he has grabbed it with both hands and he fully deserves his starting spot," Horwill said.

"He brings that physicality and, what we spoke about before the New Zealand Test, that X factor to our back row that not many players could bring because he has that unique ability."

Team: 15-Kurtley Beale, 14-Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13-Anthony Fainga'a, 12-Pat McCabe, 11-Digby Ioane, 10-Quade Cooper, 9-Will Genia, 8-Radike Samo, 7-David Pocock, 6-Rocky Elsom, 5-James Horwill (captain), 4-Dan Vickerman, 3-Ben Alexander, 2-Stephen Moore, 1-Sekope Kepu.

Replacements: 16-Tatafu Polota-Nau, 17-James Slipper, 18-Rob Simmons, 19-Ben McCalman, 20-Scott Higginbotham, 21-Luke Burgess, 22-James O'Connor

Reuters