Young guns Carter Gordon and Tate McDermott will be Australia's starting halfback combination against the All Blacks in the Rugby Championship on Saturday, after coach Eddie Jones made seven changes to the side that lost to Argentina at Sydney.
Gordon will make his first test start at first-five at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the first of two Bledisloe Cup matches, after impressing off the bench in the losses to South Africa and the Pumas.
The pacey McDermott, who has played 23 tests, comes in at halfback for the experienced Nic White, who starts on the bench, with 78-cap flyhalf Quade Cooper.
"A young starting 15 and vibrant, experienced finishers will give us the 80 minutes we want," said Jones, who has yet to win a test in his second coming as Australia coach. "Wallaby rugby versus New Zealand rugby - it's the most important game of the year."
Jones has also plumped for youth in the back row, where Tom Hooper will play his second test at openside flanker, and in the front row, where Angus Bell starts at loosehead prop, with co-captain James Slipper relegated to the bench.
Taniela Tupou will make his long-awaited return to the test arena on the bench, as cover for tighthead Allan Alaalatoa, who will skipper the team in the absence of Slipper and injured co-captain Michael Hooper.
Nick Frost comes into the second row with Will Skelton, shunting Richie Arnold to the replacements.
An injury to centre Len Ikitau has forced a change in midfield, where Jordan Petaia will play his first test of the year outside Samu Kerevi. Andrew Kellaway, who also missed the first two tests because of injury, will play at fullback in place of Tom Wright, whom Jones axed from the squad after the first two tests.
While Jones is primarily focused on building a team for the World Cup in France later this year, winning the Bledisloe Cup series against the All Blacks for the first time since 2001 is another major goal for the Wallabies. The second Bledisloe Cup test takes place at Dunedin on August 5.
Australia: 1-Angus Bell, 2-David Porecki, 3-Allan Alaalatoa (captain), 4-Nick Frost, 5-Will Skelton, 6-Jed Holloway, 7-Tom Hooper, 8-Rob Valetini, 9-Tate McDermott, 10-Carter Gordon, 11-Marika Koroibete, 12-Samu Kerev, 13-Jordan Petaiai, 14-Mark Nawaqanitawase, 15-Andrew Kellaway
Replacements: 16-Jordan Uelese, 17-James Slipper , 18-Taniela Tupou, 19-Richie Arnold, 20-Rob Leota, 21-Nic White, 22-Quade Cooper, 23-Izaia Perese
Reuters
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