Dom Shipperley will make his Wallaby debut against South Africa on Saturday while Kurtley Beale has been recalled at full-back.
Reeling from two defeats in as many weekends to New Zealand, under-fire Australian coach Robbie Deans announced a starting XV on Tuesday that features three changes in personal and one positional switch for a game that will see Stephen Moore become the most capped hooker in Australian Test history.
21-year-old Shipperley boasts exceptional pace and Deans, who is under pressure to turn around their fortunes or face the sack, will hope he can inject some urgency into a team humiliated 22-0 by the All Blacks at Eden Park.
With the versatile Adam Ashley-Cooper reverting to centre for the 30th time in his now 69-Test career, Beale is back in the starting XV after being benched for the last match.
The mercurial Quade Cooper has also been included in the side, with the flyhalf recovering from a small leg-bone fracture.
As expected, winger Drew Mitchell has been ruled out with a ruptured ankle tendon. Among others missing injured are David Pocock, James Horwill, James O'Connor, Sekope Kepu, Wycliff Palu, Pat McCabe and Ben McCalman.
Elsewhere, number eight Radike Samo returns to the Test starting pack for the first time this year, with Scott Higginbotham relocating to the bench.
Moore is set to become the most capped hooker in Australian Test history when he takes the field in Perth, moving past Jeremy Paul's tally of 72 appearances.
The 29-year-old made his debut against Samoa at Sydney in 2005.
Australia: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Dominic Shipperley, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia (c), 8 Radike Samo, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Dave Dennis, 5 Nathan Sharpe, 4 Sitaleki Timani, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Tatafu Polota Nau, 17 James Slipper, 18 Scott Higginbotham, 19 Liam Gill, 20 Nick Phipps, 21 Mike Harris, 22 Anthony Fainga'a.
Date: Saturday, September 8
Venue: Patersons Stadium, Perth
Kick-off: 18.35 (10.35 GMT)
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)
Comments
sukkadoits says...
calm down @georgesmith this aint a bad team and i would like to endorse all comments voiced by @kiwieire02. If the forwards can get their share of good quick ruck ball, the backs can definitely rip up.
Posted 10:43 04th September 2012
Craig says...
Agree with kiwieire re AAC and Higginbotham. In general not a bad team, and would be better still with their injured quartet back.
Miffed at the D Dennis selection this year. I missed him in Super Rugby. And the tests. Haven't actually seen the guy. Does he have an invisibilty cloak?
On paper seems like a decent side, but agree with other comments. Settle on a starting side/starting positions Robbie. I mean, that was the point of the Scotland/Wales games, right??
Posted 10:33 04th September 2012
heart_of_oak says...
cuw3100 - I think that any team on the planet would struggle against NZ right now. It's true that Australia are underperforming but who could beat the ABs ? Possibly the boks in SA but that's about it. I think even an underperforming Australia will give most other nations a tough time. The yard stick for Australia to measure themselves is how they perform against the boks and argentina. If Australia cannot beat both of them at home as well as Argentina away and possibly draw to the Boks away from home, then yes, Deans will lose his job.
A new coach could come in but whoever that is, he's not going to turn things around quickly to a position where Australia regularly beat the ABs.
Posted 10:25 04th September 2012
kiwieire02 says...
Looking at this team I think it's not too bad. Deans has finally put Ashley-Cooper into 13 which I think is his best position, Dom Shipperley was fairly handy in the Super Rugby so it will be interesting to see how he does. The only change I would make is to drop Dennis to the bench instead of Higginbotham and shift Higginbotham to 6, because while Higginbotham has made a few errors in the last 2 games, it's not though lack of effort whereas Dennis has been invisible in them.
Posted 09:50 04th September 2012
georgesmith says...
Springboks will thrash this bunch of Wobblies hands down. What is R. Deans trying to prove by still using over-rated players like N. Sharpe, D.Dennis and B.Barnes because even a blind can see that this team just doesn't have it. R. Deans has no shame. He is hell-bent on destroying Wallabies and N.Sharpe just wants to become great even though he has no performance or results to back it up.
Posted 09:40 04th September 2012
georgesmith says...
What rubbish! No reserve locks on the bench meaning liability/ loser player N.Sharpe will play full 80mins. This can't be happening especially when N.Sharpe failed to last against the ABs in Auckland. No R.Simmons and N.Cummins. Wallabies have no absolutely no chance. What is D. Dennis still doing in the starting line-up and also B.Barness. Jesus... R. Deans is a stupid, crazy coach, who should be kicked out.
Posted 09:35 04th September 2012
cuw3100 says...
wonder what this love affair RD has with Dennis and Sharpe ?? OZ as a team have been underperforming but DD & NS are clearly out of form.
RD is doing a disservice to both; DD has a future and NS has a glorios past. Now most rugby union fans including die-hard OZ fans will think they are loosers.
also Beale was poor at full back v NZ, so what happens if he has another bad day in office?? and what about AAC's mental state being shunted around the back line from FB - Wing - center and around again?
ATM some very good international test-class OZ RU players are out with injury and the team miss them > Horwill, Pocock, Palu, JOC for sure. the coach is rotating players positionally, which IMHO is counterproductive.
It works nicely when the boys are in form and the team is winning and confidance and moral is high. it looks stupid to the most uneducated at the moment !!!
Posted 09:14 04th September 2012
pierredelot1 says...
Class is permanent, form is temporary, welcome back Mr Beale.
Posted 08:48 04th September 2012
PREEST says...
If Deans loses this match then I wouldn't be surprised if he got the sack before the tournament is through! Gotta feel for deans~
Posted 08:42 04th September 2012