NATHAN SHARPE'S lengthy Test career could be nearing its end, while Sam Cordingley's has been revived after several dramatic Wallabies selection decisions on the eve of the team's departure for South Africa.
Although Sharpe, 30, has been a regular member of the Wallabies since 2002, having also captained the side at Test level, he will not be part of the 28-man squad heading to Johannesburg this morning, after coach Robbie Deans opted for Dan Vickerman as his lineout leader.
And Cordingley will play his first run-on Test for Australia since last year's World Cup after Luke Burgess was ruled out of the South African tour when an MRI scan revealed he had a meniscus tear in his knee.
Burgess, who hurt his knee near the end of training on Wednesday, is expected to miss the rest of the Tri Nations to undergo surgery that will sideline him for six weeks.
The new Australian halfback's demise came as a major surprise to the Wallabies camp because the training mishap was first thought to be minor and there was little concern about Burgess's condition.
"It was pretty innocuous really," Deans said yesterday, "but Luke's knee blew up afterwards and was worse this morning."
Burgess missed yesterday's training at Oxford Falls to have the scan that revealed extensive damage, which handed Cordingley the Test starting spot against South Africa in Durban on August 23. Waratahs understudy Brett Sheehan moves to the bench.
Even if Burgess were available, Cordingley was expected to threaten for the starting XV position, with the 32-year-old's international experience and pugnacity regarded as an asset when confronting the Springboks over two Tests. Burgess struggled in Auckland, where he was targeted by the All Blacks, and Cordingley was looming as a safer option in South Africa.
This will be one of Cordingley's last chances to represent the Wallabies before his departure at the end of the year to rejoin his former French club, Grenoble. Sharpe's Test career has been shortened for different reasons. Although Deans yesterday explained that injuries within the pack had emphasised the importance of including versatile players such as Dean Mumm and Hugh McMeniman, who can play in the second and back rows, Sharpe is also a high-profile casualty of the Wallabies' poor lineout effort against the All Blacks in Auckland.
After the Test, Deans made a point of mentioning that Australia's lineout effort was "not one that we will reflect on with a lot of pride".
Deans, who noted how the All Blacks were surprisingly dominant in that area, was clearly disappointed with the lineout leadership, and Sharpe had to take the blame. With Vickerman far more dynamic in the second row and now fully fit, Deans had no option but to go for the Waratahs lock.
This also shows that Deans is convinced the other Test second-rower, James Horwill, who is suffering from bone soreness, will be available to partner Vickerman in Durban despite having only limited involvement in training this week.
Sharpe opted against talking to the media yesterday, with Wallabies skipper Stirling Mortlock instead saying the Western Force captain was "very disappointed at the moment".
Far more buoyant was McMeniman, who is in line to take over the blindside breakaway spot with the unavailability of Rocky Elsom and Deans's reluctance to stick to the George Smith-Phil Waugh back-row combination.
The highly aggressive McMeniman, whose career has been marred by injury, has yet to start against the Springboks.
"I'd love to play against them," he said yesterday. "They're a physical back row, and that's the way I like to play my footy."
The added attraction is that McMeniman will confront the gargantuan Springboks blindside Schalk Burger.
"He's a tough player, and I respect all his skills," McMeniman said. "I'd put him right up there as one of the best. It's a bit of an honour to play against him, and a great challenge."
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