George Gregan will equal Will Carling's international captaincy record after being named to lead Australia in Sunday's World Cup Pool B fixture with Fiji. The Wallabies scrum-half, who was stripped of the captaincy earlier this year, will take over in the absence of the injured Stirling Mortlock. It will be the 59th time Gregan has captained Australia, equalling the record set by former England captain Carling in the 1990s. Gregan plans to retire from international rugby after the World Cup. "He has a wonderful record in the game and this is another outstanding achievement," said Australia's head coach, John Connolly . The utility back Adam Ashley-Cooper will replace Mortlock at outside-centre as one of three changes to the starting XV that beat Wales 32-20 at Cardiff last weekend, a result which all but guaranteed the Wallabies a place in the quarter-finals. Phil Waugh also comes into the team at openside flanker at the expense of George Smith, and Mark Chisholm replaces Nathan Sharpe at lock after Connolly elected to select a near full-strength side to face Fiji.
Thorne to start in 'toughest match of pool' against Scots
The former New Zealand captain Reuben Thorne will get his first game at this World Cup when he takes to the field against Scotland on Sunday after making a successful recovery from a thigh injury. The flanker Jerry Collins will be rested after playing in their first two Pool C games, but the captain Richie McCaw and fly-half Dan Carter return after sitting out the Portugal match last week. "We expect our toughest match of the pool against Scotland and we're looking forward to it," said the All Blacks coach, Graham Henry. The secondrow Keith Robinson and full-back Mils Muliaina were not considered because of injury.
Montgomery gets a promise despite Springbok changes
Percy Montgomery will become the most capped South Africa Test player when he wins his 90th from the bench in Saturday's Pool A match against Tonga in Lens. The Springbok coach, Jake White, said Montgomery would make a replacement appearance when he named a team with 11 changes to the one that beat England 36-0 last Friday. The only players retained are the wing JP Pietersen, loose forwards Danie Rossouw and Wickus van Heerden and the lock Bakkies Botha.
