At centre: George Smith
According to the ERC, George Smith will start at inside centre for Stade Français against Toulon in their Amlin Challenge Cup semi-final on Friday.
Smith will don the number twelve jersey for the Parisians against his former employers and joins fellow Australian, Morgan Turinui, in the midfield.
In another surprising call from the side sitting in sixth spot in the Top 14 table, Italy captain Sergio Parisse can only make the replacements bench.
David Lyons will instead wear the eight shirt alongside Pierre Rabadan and Antoine Burban.
Stade Français go into the European clash on the back of a 35-31 success over Perpignan while Toulon drew 25-25 with Castres last weekend.
Smith goes up against his former Wallaby team-mate Matt Giteau in the fixture, with the back named alongside fly-half Jonny Wilkinson.
England international Wilkinson continues alongside Sébastien Tillous-Borde while Joe van Niekerk leads this side from number eight alongside an in-form Steffon Armitage.
Toulon possess a mighty bench with Sebastien Bruno, Eifion Lewis-Roberts, Carl Hayman and also Luke Rooney all having to settle with riding pine at Stade Felix-Mayol this Friday.
The teams:
Toulon: 15 Benjamin Lapeyre, 14 Alexis Palisson, 13 Geoffroy Messina, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 David Smith, 10 Jonny Wilkinson, 9 Sébastien Tillous-Borde, 8 Joe van Niekerk (capt), 7 Steffon Armitage, 6 Pierrick Gunther, 5 Dean Schofield, 4 Christophe Samson, 3 Davit Kubriashvili, 2 Jean-Charles Orioli, 1 Laurent Emmanuelli.
Replacements: 16 Sebastien Bruno, 17 Eifion Lewis-Roberts, 18 Carl Hayman, 19 Joe El Abd, 20 Gabi Lovobalavu, 21 Luke Rooney, 22 Fabien Cibray, 23 Jocelino Suta.
Stade Français: 15 Hugo Bonneval, 14 Paul Sackey, 13 Morgan Turinui, 12 George Smith, 11 Julien Arias, 10 Jules Plisson, 9 Jerome Fillol, 8 David Lyons, 7 Pierre Rabadan, 6 Antoine Burban, 5 Alexandre Flanquart, 4 Tom Palmer, 3 David Attoub, 2 Aled De Malmanche, 1 Stan Wright.
Replacements: 16 Laurent Sempere, 17 Rabah Slimani, 18 Olivier Milloud, 19 Anton van Zyl, 20 Sergio Parisse, 21 Jonathan Danty, 22 Julien Dupuy, 23 Djibril Camara.
Date: Friday, April 27
Kick-off: 20:55 (19:55 BST)
Venue: Stade Felix Mayol
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Assistant referees: John Lacey (Ireland), Dudley Phillips (Ireland)
Comments
NHsaints says...
I can see maybe why...if the intention is to provide a very strong 12 channel, I mean let's be honest most of the best 12's in the pro game are and have been BIG I mean look at Nonu, SBW, Downey, Stanley, Tindall, Lamont, Mermoz, Roberts and Bastareud all weigh as much as a large backrow player...and if they have the pace to draw defenders and the ability to put out offloads then they'll be fine. Plus we're seeing positions becoming more interchangable as players look to become better, stronger, faster all round able athletes. I mean check Samo he can play wing as well as he can 8...And mike Phillips, he's big enough and strong enough to be a centre...
Posted 15:26 27th April 2012
turboboy says...
?Que? Smith at 12 ?!?
Does make a bit of a mockery of specialist positions and what does it feel like to be in the squad thinking you might get a call up when the coach puts a forward in your position! One thing for sure is that if it comes to having a reliving kicker outside your 10 then GS is not the man. GS was great at running off the shoulder of the likes of Giteau and being a link man from 1st or 2nd phase but not from set piece or in an organised position in the back line. I wonder if he will get drawn into the rucks and leave the backline short on the inside/nearside channel.
Posted 13:58 27th April 2012
Headhunter99 says...
It strikes me as a bit strange, almost a page out of the Nick Mallet playbook (played a flanker at scrum half in a 6 nations match) If the idea is to intimidate Wilkinson at the contact area that just work. Apart fro the fact JW can still look after himself all he has to do is commit Smith and pass one out to Giteau or just switch with Giteau as they do.
There again I'm not a professional coach and Stade certainly know more than I do. Looking forward to Stefan Armitage ripping into the Stade backline.
Posted 13:25 27th April 2012
makemehappy says...
Toulon by 30, surely.
Posted 13:11 27th April 2012
Ripzy007 says...
Let's just wait and see...smith has talent and I think Eddie JOnes once said that Smit can play from 1-15 so will see whether that theory is true...it may surprise some people.
Posted 06:56 27th April 2012
sirtidychris says...
Mike Cheika obviously licked a few cane toads on his last trip home, when a coach starts playing open side flank legends in the centre and number 8 legends on the bench then the only answer is toad.
Posted 01:23 27th April 2012
surfsnowpotter says...
George Smith is a legend at turnover's and stealing off the floor....but Giteau will skin him in the open spaces.....there's so many mini battles in the game im really looking forward to seeing it friday night
Posted 20:43 26th April 2012
backnforward says...
I'm guessing the idea is to boss the tackle area in midfield and stifle the Toulon backs? Brave move...
Posted 18:45 26th April 2012
Carpelone says...
Crunchfit, let's see how Smith will work at inside centre. This could validate your idea of playing SoB at 12. As a former back, I never enjoyed playing too much with forwards in the backline, they never sniff the right angles and it is likely they throw you a hospital pass instead.
But let's see.
Posted 17:53 26th April 2012
RawPace says...
crazy stuff that leaving the club captain and one of the best no.8's in the world on the bench, Cheika must not have chosen this side. Whilst acknowledging George Smiths talents, putting an unknown centre up against one of the worlds finest is near suicidal at this level, I guarantee a lot of the Stade backline moves will go array because of it, Toulon to win.
Posted 13:55 26th April 2012
scruffy says...
what!? has cheika lost his ming?
also whats up with toulon, bakkies and shaw both in the 23 last weekend and then nowhere to be seen this weekend? haymens on the bench?
Posted 13:42 26th April 2012
DaveJ says...
Parise and Smith out / greatly out of position. This is bizarre.
Posted 13:14 26th April 2012