Dempsey dropped for 20-year-old Waratahs young gun
Wallabies World Cup squad member Jack Dempsey has been dropped to the Waratahs bench for Friday’s clash with the Queensland Reds and will be replaced at No.8 by rising star Will Harris in an extremely youthful side.
NSW could field five debutants in the opening round of Super Rugby AU, with Harris and centre Joey Walton given the nod in the starting XV following injuries to a number of senior players.
Wallaby Jack Dempsey (right) has been dropped to the Waratahs bench for their match against the Queensland Reds. Credit:Getty
Five of the Waratahs' seven starting backs have played 11 games or fewer of Super Rugby. New vice-captain Alex Newsome (48 matches) and Jack Maddocks (41 matches) bump up the average number of games in the back line to 16.2.
Dempsey, who has 14 Tests to his name, lined up at No.8 for the Waratahs in their most recent five games before Super Rugby was shut down. He was not selected in a 'Player of National Interest' squad that has been drafted by the Wallabies coaching staff.
Coach Rob Penney clearly wasn't happy with what he saw and wants to go in a different direction by blooding Harris, another member of last year’s successful Junior Wallabies side, alongside veteran Michael Hooper at No.7 and Lachlan Swinton at No.6.
It is also a show of faith in Walton, who will be thrown straight in the deep end in place of Karmichael Hunt when the Waratahs aim to get their campaign off to a favourable start at Suncorp Stadium.
Mitch Short will start at halfback due to an injury to Jake Gordon, while Mark Nawaqanitawase and James Ramm are the side’s wingers, with Jack Maddocks at fullback.
In the absence of Kurtley Beale, Newsome, the side's outside-centre, has been named as new vice-captain under skipper Rob Simmons.
Ned Hanigan joins Simmons in the second row in what will be his first appearance this year due to concussion symptoms.
NSW have opted for a 5-3 bench, with hooker Tom Horton (Sydney University), playmaker Ben Donaldson (Randwick) and tight-head prop Tiaan Tauakipulu all in line to make their NSW debuts.
The Waratahs have won their last 11 Super Rugby games against Queensland but fell short against the Reds earlier this year in a trial match in Dalby.
However, their away record of late has been poor. NSW have lost their last four Super Rugby matched on the road by an average margin of 26 points.
The Reds will also announce their team on Thursday.
Waratahs (1-15): Angus Bell, Robbie Abel, Harry Johnson-Holmes, Ned Hanigan, Rob Simmons, Lachlan Swinton, Michael Hooper, Will Harris, Mitch Short, Will Harrison, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Joey Walton, Alex Newsome, James Ramm, Jack Maddocks.
Bench: Tom Horton, Tetera Faulkner, Tiaan Tauakipulu, Tom Staniforth, Jack Dempsey, Michael McDonald, Ben Donaldson, Tepai Moeroa.