Waratahs enforcer Will Skelton will make his Test debut for the Wallabies as they target a clean sweep of the French in Sydney on Saturday.
With Australia entering the match with an insurmountable 2-0 series lead, coach Ewen McKenzie has opted to give the 203cm, 140kg lock an opportunity in the starting side in his home state.
His inclusion represents one of the two changes made to the starting XV, with Skelton’s Waratahs teammate Wycliff Palu returning at No 8 after missing the second Test in Melbourne with a minor ankle injury.
There have been two further changes made on the bench with Brumbies prop Scott Sio and Waratahs outside back Rob Horne getting their first opportunities in the match day squad for 2014.
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Horne comes in for Pat McCabe, who has suffered a nerve compression injury to his shoulder, making him unavailable for selection this week.
McKenzie said he was looking forward to seeing what impact Skelton would bring to the match.
“During the series we’ve already benefited from giving two other locks, Sam Carter and Luke Jones, their first opportunities for Australia. The experience they gained will prove invaluable in the long-run and now it’s Will’s turn to show us what he has got,” McKenzie said.
“I’ve been really impressed with his attitude and the contribution he’s made to this team since the beginning of the series. He’s obviously got impressive metrics but he also has a big motor and is particularly skillful, so we’re looking forward to seeing how he will impose himself on the game.”
“He’s worked really hard over the past 12 months at the Waratahs on improving his match conditioning and we believe he is ready for the step-up to Test rugby.”
Saturday’s victory over France was Australia’s sixth consecutive win, a feat last achieved by a Wallabies team in 2005.
McKenzie said it would be important for his side to maintain consistency as they target seven straight wins, a milestone last achieved in 1999 / 2000.
“During this stretch we’ve spoken a lot about ensuring we are meticulous with our preparation so that we put ourselves in the best possible position to play at a high level every week,” he said.
“You’re always working towards that complete game where you find the balance between your intentions in attack and an impenetrable defence, and it has been pleasing to see the squad highlight those characteristics at different points across the past six games.”
“Our desire is to always play an up-tempo brand of rugby and we’ve now scored 23 tries in the past six games, an average of almost four a game.”
“Our defence has also been steadily improving with each match, culminating with a shut-out of the French in our most recent match in Melbourne.”
“The challenge and what we are always aiming for is to put both together and that will be our goal when we return to afternoon rugby in Sydney on Saturday.”
Australia: 15 Israel Folau, 14 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Matt Toomua, 11 Nick Cummins, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Nic White, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Michael Hooper (Captain), 6 Scott Fardy, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 James Slipper
Replacements: 16 Nathan Charles, 17 Scott Sio, 18 Laurie Weeks, 19 James Horwill, 20 Ben McCalman, 21 Nick Phipps, 22 Kurtley Beale, 23 Rob Horne.
Date: Saturday 21 June
Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Kick-Off: 07:00 SA Time (15:00 AEST, 07:00 French Time, 05:00 GMT)
Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Wayne Barnes (England), George Clancy (Ireland)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)