Friday 17 June 2016 08:23, UK
Australia coach Michael Cheika has revealed Wallabies veteran Rob Simmons has been axed and is not injured for the second Test against England, live on Sky Sports.
Lineout master Simmons, a veteran of 61 Tests, went off with a back problem early in last weekend's 39-29 defeat to the Six Nations champions in Brisbane.
When Sam Carter was selected ahead of him for this Saturday's Test in Melbourne, linking up with with fellow ACT Brumbies lock Rory Arnold, it was assumed Simmons had not fully recovered.
But on Friday, Cheika showed he is making some big selection calls in a bid to get Australia back into the three-match series by replacing him with Sam Carter for his 13th Test as one of four changes to the Wallabies side.
"He [Simmons] was available this week," Cheika told reporters.
"Any player that's left out is not happy, obviously. But that's the challenge for him, to improve and get his spot back like all players who are left out of the team."
Cheika has also left out World Cup star prop Scott Sio from the match-day 23-man squad completely and dumped former captain James Horwill from his replacements bench.
In come front-rowers Sekope Kepu and James Slipper, plus Melbourne Rebels flanker Sean McMahon in place of injured David Pocock.
Cheika added that the pain of the Brisbane defeat would drive his players to level the series.
"Of course, we want to bounce back. It hurts losing, it hurts a lot, there's no brushing that away and that pain still sits inside you," he said.
"And that's what drives you because you don't want that pain of losing."
The Wallabies coach said he has been working on rectifying the problems that cost them victory last week, but was happy with his side's attack.
"I thought they were pretty good in attack last week," he said.
"I don't think we lacked anything in the attacking sector. So if they were to attack like they did last week and create the same opportunities again I would be pleased."
