Leigh Halfpenny v Israel Folau
Third in the all-time Welsh scoring charts with 508 points, the return of Leigh Halfpenny is a huge bonus for Wales after the Toulon star missed the Rugby World Cup with a serious knee injury. The full-back also toured Australia with the British and Irish Lions in 2013, playing all three Tests and breaking the all-time points record for a Lion, along with the record for most points in a Lions Test. Unsurprisingly, he was selected as the Player of the Series.
Israel Folau made his full Test debut against the Lions on that tour, scoring twice from the right wing. The former rugby league player is now Australia’s first-choice full-back, although he can be used on the wing or even at centre. His 48 caps have brought 20 tries, a scoring rate up there with the best 15s in the game. Like Halfpenny, he is superb defensively and at the kick-chase, carries a huge boot, and poses a real threat with ball in hand.
Despite his Lions success, Halfpenny has never beaten Australia in a Wales shirt – might Saturday be the day?
Dan Biggar v Bernard Foley
Rugby games can be won and lost by the fly-half and, in Dan Biggar and Bernard Foley, the Principality Stadium will be hosting two of the world’s best.
Biggar has pulled on the Welsh jersey 48 times and scored 295 Test points; his opposite number has 37 caps for the Wallabies and has scored 357 points, including nine tries.
Both players starred in last year’s Rugby World Cup. Biggar kicked 56 tournament points with a formidable 90% accuracy, including 23 points against England, which won him the Man of the Match award against the hosts.
Foley, who has recently been playing at 12 for Australia during the Rugby Championship, ran the Wallaby show at the Rugby World Cup, scoring 82 points including two tries against England, finishing third on the top-scorers list.
Both players are the complete modern fly-half; creative with the ball in hand or off the foot, capable of making surging breaks and robust in defence. It will be an intriguing battle.
Ross Moriarty v Lopeti Timani
Lopeti Timani only made his Test debut in September this year but the 6ft 4in, 19-and-a-half stone Melbourne Rebels powerhouse has already made a significant impact with his abrasive style and immense ball-carrying skills.
Against him, Ross Moriarty gives away two inches in height and three stone in weight but the Gloucester man carved out a huge reputation during Wales’ summer tour of New Zealand, leading the visitors’ tackle count against the world champions.
Moriarty has himself only won nine caps for Wales, mostly at blindside flanker, scoring a brace off the bench against Italy in this year’s Six Nations for his only Test points. He also won a cap off the bench against Australia in last year’s Rugby World Cup.
While both are relative newcomers to Test match rugby, Moriarty and Timani bring burgeoning reputations with them to Principality Stadium on Saturday. Their clash, and who comes out on top, will go a long way to deciding the result.
