Izack Rodda’s season-ending shoulder surgery and Karmichael Hunt’s return from injury will force Wallabies coach Michael Cheika into at least two changes for Saturday night’s third Bledisloe Cup Test.
The Australians are settled heading into the Suncorp Stadium clash after Cheika named an unchanged team for the 37-20 victory over Argentina in Mendoza — the first time he had done so in his three-year tenure.
Cheika has the upcoming European tour to further experiment with young players so he is likely to select his best available side to pursue a rare win over New Zealand.
While it is a dead rubber in terms of the series, it is an important clash for the Wallabies as they look to show a sceptical public how much they’ve improved over the course of the Rugby Championship and make a point to the All Blacks after going so close to beating them in game two in Dunedin.
With rookie Rodda choosing to go under the knife this week to ensure an uninterrupted lead-in to the 2018 season, Cheika will need to find a starting second-rower to play alongside Adam Coleman.
Rodda, 21, made his debut off the bench in the near-miss in Dunedin and has started Australia’s past two Tests.
The man who replaced him on both those occasions, Rob Simmons is the obvious candidate but Lukhan Tui is also a chance, while Rory Arnold could put himself back in favour with a strong training week.
Hunt’s recovery from an ankle problem also means room will have to be made for him.
But it won’t be at the expense of the in-form Kurtley Beale, who is wearing the No.12 jersey Hunt made his own during the June series — putting Samu Kerevi at risk of being chopped from the bench.
Beale said he was looking forward to Hunt injecting “creativity” in the second half, something the Wallabies will need to address after their continued failure to close out wins when they beckon.
“I’ve always said it, Test match football you need creativity, along with a lot of the one-percenters that need to be done,” Beale said.
“He’s obviously got a great rugby brain, especially in the backs where he’s just got a really good outlook on how to manipulate defenders.”
Other changes are unlikely but given Cheika’s penchant for the unpredictable, can never be ruled out.
The other key consideration is Stephen Moore, the former Wallabies skipper who is retiring from Test rugby at the end of the year.
Scrum coach Mario Ledesma said he “deserved” the chance to play one last match on home soil — and in his hometown of Brisbane no less — but whether he starts or is named on the bench remains to be seen.
