Two newbies on Wallabies bench

Fresh faces Richard Hardwick and Joe Powell are in the mix to make it four Wallabies debutants against Fiji on Saturday.

Hardwick and Powell have been named on the bench for the clash, with the eight reserves announced at Friday’s captain’s run.

Captain Stephen Moore has also been confirmed as the back-up hooker, after being a surprise omission from the starting team named on Thursday.

Toby Smith and Sekope Kepu will be the other front rowers on the bench, with lock Rory Arnold backing up for Adam Coleman and Sam Carter.

Reece Hodge, who lost out to debutant Karmichael Hunt in the starting team, is one of three backs on the pine, along with Quade Cooper and Powell.

National skills coach Mick Byrne said the new faces had brought an exciting energy to the group, in what has been a short turnaround to the Test.

“The energy they bring to a game anecdotally watching and then you see them prepare at training and you realise why they’ve been like that,” he said.

“Their form has been good during the year, their preparation has been great and they’ve forced their way into that position by doing it during the year and repeating it during this week.

“To come into their first camp and bring what they bring has been great.”

Australia: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Dane Haylett-Petty, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Karmichael Hunt, 11 Henry Speight, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Will Genia, 8 Scott Higginbotham, 7 Michael Hooper (c), 6 Ned Hanigan, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Sam Carter, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Tom Robertson
Replacements: 16 Stephen Moore, 17 Toby Smith, 18 Sekope Kepu, 19 Rory Arnold, 20 Richard Hardwick, 21 Joe Powell, 22 Quade Cooper, 23 Reece Hodge

Date: Saturday, June 10
Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne
Kick-off: 15:00 local (05:00 GMT)
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistant Referees: Wayne Barnes (England), Brendon Pickerill (New Zealand)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)