Waite calls on Deacon
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Your support makes all the difference.Paul Deacon's promotion to the starting scrum-half role is the major change in David Waite's reshuffled Great Britain side to face Australia in the second Test at Hull tomorrow.
Deacon replaces St Helens' Sean Long, who drops to the bench after a disappointing display in the narrow defeat at Wigan last Saturday. Deacon also becomes the first-choice goal-kicker.
Paul Sculthorpe will partner him after recovering from the virus that had the management sufficiently worried to isolate him this week.
Waite has changed the emphasis in his pack. Barrie McDermott, who played only three minutes at Wigan, starts in the front row, alongside his sparring partner Stuart Fielden. That means pushing Adrian Morley back into his more familiar position of second-row, after his first-tackle sending-off last Saturday. Andy Farrell reverts to a more familiar loose forward role, with Mike Forshaw dropping to the bench.
The most unfortunate player is Lee Gilmour, who loses his bench place to Kevin Sinfield, the latter's ability to cover a variety of midfield roles being important. "Kevin gives us greater versatility in a number of positions," Waite said. What is not clear is what happens if the outside backs are injured.
Waite expects his side to be facing Brett Kimmorley and Shannon Hegarty, who have been having treatment.
GREAT BRITAIN (v Australia, Hull, tomorrow, 18.15): Radlinski (Wigan); Carney (Wigan), Connolly (Leeds), Senior (Leeds), Horne (Hull); Sculthorpe (St Helens), Deacon (Bradford); Fielden (Bradford), Newton (Wigan), McDermott (Leeds), Morley (Sydney Roosters), Peacock (Bradford), Farrell (Wigan, capt). Substitutes: Anderson (Bradford), Sinfield (Leeds), Long (St Helens), Forshaw (Bradford).
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