Israel Folau to start at 13 for Australia
Australia head coach Michael Cheika has made four changes, including a positional switch, to his starting XV for Saturday’s Test with New Zealand in Yokohama.
In the forwards, Adam Coleman has suffered a groin injury and will not play this weekend but both Jack Dempsey and Samu Kerevi are set to make Test returns.
Coleman did not take full part in the Wallabies’ double session on Tuesday and his absence means a recall to the run-on side for Rob Simmons in the second-row.
In more positive news Sefa Naivalu’s near 500-day wait between Tests is over. The Fijian flyer has been named on the wing in place of Israel Folau, who will start at outside centre in Test rugby for the very first time to cover the loss of Reece Hodge.
Naivalu suffered a serious ankle injury in the last Test he played – against Italy in Brisbane last year – after scoring a sensational double.
He hasn’t been sighted in the Test arena since, though he has been on the fringes of the wider squad.
Marika Koroibete, Hodge, Jack Maddocks, Dane Haylett-Petty, Folau and Henry Speight have all had their crack on the wing as Naivalu has been forced to watch on as he battled injuries and inconsistent form.
But with Hodge out, Haylett-Petty at fullback and Folau at number 13, the Rebels speedster finally gets a chance to make his mark on Saturday.
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Michael Cheika has made two changes to his pack outside of Coleman’s withdrawal.
Allan Alaalatoa has been promoted to starting loosehead once again in place of Taniela Tupou and Folau Faingaa has earned the nod at hooker with Tatafu Polota-Nau unavailable.
The biggest change on the bench is the inclusion of Dempsey.
The Waratahs back-row hasn’t played a second of Super Rugby this season and hasn’t played Test rugby since the third Bledisloe last year, a game in which he won man of the match honours.
Dempsey played almost the entire National Rugby Championship season in his comeback from a horrific hamstring injury and his form showed enough for him to be called into the Bledisloe squad and the initial 24-man group for the match.
He will provide some much needed line bending ability in the second half if and when Cheika calls his name. Kerevi has also been recalled despite playing just 30 minutes of rugby – at the Byron Bay Sevens – since June.
One of Pete Samu, Rory Arnold, Tom Banks, Dempsey or Kerevi will be omitted from the 24-man bench.
Australia: 15 Dane Haylett-Petty, 14 Sefa Naivalu, 13 Israel Folau, 12 Kurtley Beale, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Will Genia, 8 David Pocock, 7 Michael Hooper (c), 6 Ned Hanigan, 5 Rob Simmons, 4 Izack Rodda, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Folau Faingaa, 1 Scott Sio
Replacements (one to be omitted): 16 Tolu Latu, 17 Sekope Kepu, 18 Taniela Tupou, 19 Rory Arnold, 20 Jack Dempsey, 21 Pete Samu, 22 Nick Phipps, 23 Samu Kerevi, 24 Tom Banks
Date: Saturday, October 27
Venue: Nissan Stadium, Yokohama
Kick-off: 15:00 local (07:00 BST, 06:00 GMT)
Referee: Romain Poite (France)
Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa), Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa)
Television match official: Marius Jonker (South Africa)