No Benn Robinson, no Henry Speight and just hold your horses Matt Toomua.
Michael Cheika’s first Wallabies’ Test team looks much the same as Ewen McKenzie’s last but the new coach has still delivered one shock, another surprise and one mild one.
The biggest jolt is the axing of stalwart reserve front-rower Robinson, who was poised to break former NSW teammate Al Baxter’s record as Australia’s most capped prop (69).
Just like title-winning Queensland coach McKenzie did last year, Cheika has been quick to show that state allegiances mean little at the selection table.
Robinson was a constant in the Waratahs’ drive to this year’s Super Rugby triumph, playing some of his best rugby in recent seasons, but he’s been dumped in favour of the unproven and uncapped Tetera Faulkner.
The 30-year-old loosehead had also been overlooked by McKenzie at the start of his reign, and again earlier this season, as question marks surrounded his work-rate, especially compared to James Slipper.
With dynamic youngster Scott Sio, Pek Cowan and now Faulkner, who has played more at tighthead for the Force, picked ahead of Robinson in the last 16 months, the veteran’s World Cup hopes are heavily clouded as Cheika looks for more impact.
Vice-captain Slipper underlined the new Cheika mantra of “bring the power” by saying he’s looking for an impact with each involvement.
Cheika has stuck to his promise of keeping faith with the line-up which led the All Blacks until the 79 minute 59 second mark at Suncorp Stadium almost three weeks ago.
But injuries to starting back-rowers Scott Fardy and Scott Higginbotham has reduced some strength to what was already a smallish forward pack that northern rivals think they can bully.
The onus will be on talented debutant flanker Sean McMahon, a stand-out in the 40-36 win over the Barbarians, to muscle up and provide extra on-ball assistance to Michael Hooper and Ben McCalman in an underweight back-row.
Speight’s quiet display in the Twickenham tour-opener may have cost the Fiji-born winger his long-awaited Test debut after 18 months of fighting red tape and injury.
The Brumbies powerhouse has been viewed as a Wallabies certainty all year, but teammate Joe Tomane has kept his place.
Another choice between two ACT backs has seen reliable all-rounder Toomua – a constant at No.12 for McKenzie – unable to unseat Christian Leali’ifano in his return from concussion.
Like Speight, Toomua hasn’t cracked it for a place on the bench as Quade Cooper and Rob Horne have been preferred as cover.
Few Wallabies fans will have big issues with any of Cheika’s contentious calls but they will be standing and applauding the belated return of world-class Will Genia ahead of Nic White as back-up halfback.
