Coach Dave Rennie has chosen three more debutants (one of which from the bench) and thrown Reece Hodge into the flyhalf jersey for the final Bledisloe Cup match of the year at Suncorp this weekend.
Your Wallaby 23 is:
1 James Slipper (Brumbies)
2 Brandon Paenga-Amosa (Reds)
3 Allan Alaalatoa (Brumbies)
4 Rob Simmons (Waratahs)
5 Matt Philip (Rebels)
6 Lachlan Swinton (Waratahs)
7 Michael Hooper (Waratahs) – captain
8 Harry Wilson (Reds)
9 Nic White (Brumbies)
10 Reece Hodge (Rebels)
11 Marika Koroibete (Rebels)
12 Hunter Paisami (Reds)
13 Jordan Petaia (Reds)
14 Tom Wright (Brumbies)
15 Tom Banks (Brumbies)
16 Folau Faimnga’a (Brumbies)
17 Angus Bell (Waratahs)
18 Taniela Tupou (Reds)
19 Ned Hanigan (Waratahs)
20 Liam Wright (Reds)
21 Tate McDermott (Reds)
22 Noah Lolesio (Brumbies)
23 Filipo Daugunu (Reds)
Immediate Takeaways:
- Tom Wright and Lachlan Swinton will make their Wallaby debuts having been selected in the starting side from outside the match day 23, replacing Filipo Daugunu and Ned Hanigan respectively. Daugunu and Hanigan both drop back to the bench,
- Angus Bell comes on to the bench for his potential debut, with Scott Sio out of the squad. Angus follows in the footsteps of his father Mark who made his debut v Canada, also in Brisbane, back in 1996.
- Reece Hodge is the third flyhalf used this year, following James O’Connor and Noah Lolesio. Hodge last started a test at 10 against Japan in 2017. O’Connor’s injury is still not 100%.
- Other replacements are Rob Simmons coming in for the injured Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Hunter Paisami starting at 12 for Irae Simone and Tom Banks regaining the fullback jersey from Dane Haylett-Petty. Folau Fainga’a returns to the bench for Jordan Uelese.
- James Slipper will start in his 100th cap in his home town, having debuted back in 2010 against England in Perth.
