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
georgesmith says...
@ Ramage... nothing personal against N.Sharpe. My argument is clear and you're just being a bush lawyer. His selection based on form and performance is not justified and your saying he should be picked just because he has been a great servant. But where is the performance and winning record. Who needs such a servant? If that's the case then lets just get back J.Eales and put him in the starting line-up alongside N. Sharpe.
Posted 23:30 04th September 2012
georgesmith says...
@ cuw3100... I love you guy. Thank you for your insight. Of course, even my 8-year niece knows N.Sharpe and D. Dennis are two of the poorest performers in the team. Liabilities, in-fact! N.Sharpe is nothing but a briefcase that is burdening the better players because it has to be carried around in the team. Individual player performance is the best way to gauge whether a player should be in or out. For those suggesting N. Sharpe is still needed in the team is just crap. To suggest there ain't players that can replace a veteran loser lock is itself insult to ARU and all franchises. All players need to play at an expected level and that's it. N. Sharpe is no different. If he can't, like he showed against ABs then why are we tolerating him then.
Posted 23:19 04th September 2012
Carpelone says...
Very good backline, average forwards.
The Boks have an opportunity here, but not with our management.
Should be a tight contest, Australia first XV (when not affected by injuries) can upset anybody. Toothless cubs have grown in the meantime.
Posted 22:29 04th September 2012
eejbm says...
Go Wallabies!!
This is a poor team. Deans has been making some poor selection choices of late. Rob Simmons has done nothing wrong on the pitch while TimNo and Deans have done little to nothing positive.
But still - Subscribe Go Wallabies
Posted 21:35 04th September 2012
pinky says...
Surely we have others in Australia who are better than Barnes and Sharpe. Again, no offence to Sharp as he's been a great player but he is too old - and Barnes has just no been near what is required. Hopefully against the Boks at home we should click and Cooper reminds us all again what he is capable of. Wallabies by 6.....
Posted 21:00 04th September 2012
Ulrich says...
To those bashing Sharpe. I'm a saffa and we bashed matfield and the "old dogs". Today we miss his lineout prowess, Habana has returned to form although he will never regain his blustering speed and a good leader like smith would have been handy. Just saying.
Posted 19:38 04th September 2012
ArmchairGeneral says...
Oz should beat a very predictable Bok side that is deteriorating and struggled to beat a young England at home. Oz by 20. Wayne Smith pointed out Oz would struggle due to AB unpredictability. Too true and Boks are completely predictable. The only side to beat ABs the Boks at home? No way. England in November more likely.
Posted 18:57 04th September 2012
JayStarr says...
If they can snap out of their slumber and play as well as we all know they can play, this team is not bad at all - and I mean that from 1 to 22. I just wouldn't pick Barnes at 12. He is not a 12, he will not get over the advantage line for you, he will not spark anything, he will just kick. Pick him at 10 or put him on the bench. Other than that, this team can win if Genia, Cooper, Beale and Ioane can find their mojo and the rest of them tackle SA's "ball-carriers" around the ankles and turn the ball over like Argentina did.
Posted 18:52 04th September 2012
makemehappy says...
OzinLondon - I think you mean that he outplayed a clearly unfit Warburton, you are hardly challenging Melkdave with that argument. I think it is fair to say that Pocock is world class so is a loss to the Aussie team.
pierredelot1 - quite right, though crap tackling also tends to be permanent.
kiwieire02 - agree with you entirely
For me both second rows aren't up to it and need replacing. At least with the front row there is little choice in Australia. They should have been penalised off the park against Wales and didn't do much better (though again benefitted from completely incompetent refereeing) against NZ.
Posted 18:24 04th September 2012
olepete says...
How many coaches would still be in place if they were fired for losing twice in a row to the ABs?
Posted 16:52 04th September 2012
Kiwikev says...
@ FaaSamoa
We don't care about one coache's record in the 3N...The AB have won it 10 times to three each for Oz and the Boks...That is all that matters!
Posted 16:15 04th September 2012
zambokke says...
Their backs look threatening, but I can't see their forwards standing up to us and giving their backs a good platform to work from. They have many good forwards missing (including their Zimbo);so do we, but I believe that we have far more depth in the forwards and this will make a difference throughout the whole competition - a good example is at hooker where we should still be OK whatever happens to Straaus, even if Brits will not be considered. Should be a close game unless we finally decide to run and try and score tries or else kick the ball away to their dangerous backs (how else will they get the ball?)
Posted 15:33 04th September 2012
cuw3100 says...
@heart_of_oak : suggest you read some of the other comments and you will see some common comments, regarding some players.
granted MIB play better RU than most teams but there is a difference between losing and not turning up.
"a great bb player called Michael Jordan" once said " I can accept failure but I cannot accept not trying". The issue it seems to be is OZ are not trying, maybe due to the selections of certain players.
if there are 20 comments on this page am sure at least half if not more contain the names of Sharpe and Dennis in a negative sense.
I am not a rugby expert; my game is cricket but i have watched and learned the game.
even to my very amateur eye, those two are out of sorts in a bad way.
then Beale was really bad in the one match he played.
all Im saying is that the players who are struggling will not get any confidence with all these rotations and playing out of position.
Posted 15:29 04th September 2012
ZAChris says...
I have to agree with the poster who said that it is too early too decide how bad the Wallabies or the Boks in fact are at this stage. We know that the All Blacks are looking pretty awesome and obviously somewhat outclass the Wallabies but the Springboks shakey performances against the Puma's could mean either the Pumas are actually in really good shape or the Boks are in a shambles. I think after this weekend we will know a lot more about where all 4 teams lie. Was the Pumas heroics against the Boks last week just a one-off or are they serious contenders this year ? Are the Wallabies really as bad as the AB's made them look or is it just that the AB's are head and shoulders above everyone else ? After the Springbok - AB clash next week we will know even more about the true pecking order of Southern Hemisphere rugby me thinks.
Posted 15:09 04th September 2012
Ramage says...
Is it necessary to allow profanities in a post. The rabid attacks on Nathan Sharpe a man who has given his all to Australian Rugby is week in and week out abused onlin e by a loud mouthed nobody. Sure georgesmith you are entitled to your opinion but I believe those of us who love the game of rugby are fed up with this nobody insulting one of Australia's long standing servants.We know you don't like Sharpe georgesmith, and that pen name is an insult to the real George Smith, but hey give it a rest. Let us know what you have done on the rugby field during you days so we can look at your performances and line then up against Nathan Sharpe.
Posted 14:17 04th September 2012
fattysock says...
On a bit of a tangent here.. but I wonder where the Cobus Visage column is? I'm interested to see what he says after his somewhat lamentable writing-off of Argentina the other week?
Posted 13:55 04th September 2012
OzinLondon says...
melkdave
"...the backrow has been found wanting even with Pocock".
Shouldn't that say "... has been found wanting AGAINST NZ"? The backrow more than held their own against the 6N Grand Slam champions with Pocock completely outplaying Warburton. They have also held their own or outplayed most of their competitors over the past few years (often carrying their front 5).
I've said it before and I'll say it again... it is laughable to read comments about how poor the Wallabies are because the ABs beat them... from supporters of teams that have either NEVER beaten the ABs or last beat them almost a decade ago.
Posted 13:33 04th September 2012
FaaSamoa says...
Most kiwis don't realize that Deans has a better record in Trinations against Sth Africa than NZ
Posted 13:20 04th September 2012
latehit says...
Firstly - Don't know what some of you have been watching but most recent test matches, baring last week, Sharp has been the stand out forward.. just check his match stats for runs, hit ups, tackles, line out wins etc.. no one was close in the Aus squad. Simmons is a pansy and until he gets a bit of bover about him he will remain a pansy. Samo is so overrated its not funny and Dennis is the invisible man as he always has been. Re the backs.... Quade... enough said... will be shown up for the over hyped clubber that he is (Please SBW... take him to league with you)... KB has to remember that its an international and not 3rd grade so you cant just leap in the air like a startled gazelle and expect everyone to be mesmerised (oh yes.. stay off the pies too) and when Barnes kicks aimlessly to the Boks.... enough said.
All in all a cracking Aussie team that will probably win by 10
Posted 11:09 04th September 2012
melkdave says...
I personnally think R.Deans is having to gamble quite alot atm.His gambaling that QC and Barnes will find some attacking flair ,and not be liabilities when those big bokke forwards and backs come thundering down their channals.His also gambaling that KB will find some form ,and not have a fourth nightmare game on the trot,big call imo.Also that AAC will shore up what has been a very leaky midfield ,and perhaps give it some go forward.But to my mind those are minor issues ,as the real problem lies with the forwards..Their inability to secure decent or any kind of ball is the major issue facing the wallabies atm..Unfortunatly theres not much RD can do ,The frontrow situation is dire,the 2nd row is only ok ,and the backrow has been found wanting even with Pocock .Myself i would have blooded Simmons instead of Sharpe ,and dropped D.Dennis to the bench instead of Higginbottom,not that id be expecting much if any improvment in the packs overall performance.I expect the bokke to dominate territory and possesion to be honest,the question is are they creative or inventive enough to take advantage of their domination,or will the wallabies cathch them with a counter.as they did in the RWC
Posted 11:00 04th September 2012