The injury-ravaged Wallabies will field one of their most inexperienced backlines of the professional era when they play their first Rugby Championship match in Argentina this weekend.
Among five starting changes, coach Robbie Deans has called in winger Nick Cummins and centre Ben Tapuai for their run-on debuts against the Pumas in Rosario following the loss of stalwart backs Berrick Barnes (punctured lung) and Adam Ashley-Cooper (concussion).
The pair become the 37th and 38th players used by the Wallabies in a nightmare year for injuries, while Cummins is the 11th new cap.
Another Test rookie, Mike Harris, will start at fullback with Dom Shipperley dumped to the bench at the expense of Cummins, while two changes have been made to the forward pack as Deans attempts to beef-up his team.
Destructive Waratahs lock Sitaleki Timani will play out of position at blind-side flanker, replacing Dave Dennis, while prop James Slipper will start at the expense of Benn Robinson.
In just his fourth Test, and second run-on start, Harris will take over goalkicking duties from Barnes while Tapuai is preferred ahead of Reds teammate Anthony Faingaa at outside centre.
It leaves the Wallabies backline – missing Will Genia, Quade Cooper, James O’Connor, Barnes and Ashley-Cooper – with a combined total of just 88 caps, of which 60 are held by five-eighth Kurtley Beale (30) and winger Digby Ioane (30).
In total, Australia’s starting 15 have 345 previous Test appearances, 110 of which belong to captain Nathan Sharpe who will break George Smith’s record as the Wallabies most-capped forward.
After being bashed at the breakdown by the Springboks in their 31-8 loss in Pretoria, Deans has increased the strength and size his team.
“We’ve looked to increase our physicality to counter the direct force that will undoubtedly be coming the other way,” Deans said.
“We know that the Pumas will be coming straight at us and will be looking to profit in the collision in the same way that the Springboks did last week.”
“We have gone for the players we feel are best suited to that approach.”
Timani has only ever come off the bench to play at No.6 for the Waratahs but Deans has picked him there to be a chief ball-runner and also keep the size of another 122kg lock, Kane Douglas, in his pack.
Back-rower Scott Higginbotham (back) trained on Thursday to be named on a 5-2 bench while Ioane (knee) ran freely at training but is yet to have contact work.
In contrast to Australia’s disruptions, the Pumas, favourites to win their first match in the expanded tournament, named an unchanged starting team for a third straight Test.
out of the Springboks loss to be named on a 5-2 bench.
AUSTRALIA: Mike Harris, Nick Cummins, Ben Tapuai, Pat McCabe, Digby Ioane, Kurtley Beale, Nick Phipps; Radike Samo, Michael Hooper, Sitaleki Timani, Nathan Sharpe (capt), Kane Douglas, Ben Alexander, Tatafu Polota-Nau, James Slipper. Res: Saia Faingaa, Benn Robinson, Dave Dennis, Scott Higginbotham, Liam Gill, Brett Sheehan, Dom Shipperley.
ARGENTINA: Lucas Gonzalez Amorosino, Gonzalo Camacho, Marcelo Bosch, Santiago Fernandez, Horacio Agulla, Juan Martin Hernandez, Martin Landajo; Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (capt), Juan Manuel Leguizaman, Julio Faras Cabello, Patricio Albacete, Manuel Carizza, Juan Figallo, Eusebio Guiaz, Rodrigo Roncero. Res: Agustin Creevy, Juan Pablo Orlandi, Leonardo Senatore, Toms Leonardi, Nicolas Vergallo, Nicolas Sanchez, Juan Imhoff.
