The Wallabies will have a third captain in three games under new coach Joe Schmidt, with Liam Wright failing to recover in time for Saturday’s clash with Georgia.
Allan Alaalatoa will take over from James Slipper, who replaced Wright after he suffered a shoulder injury. Winger Darby Lancaster, 21, is set make his Wallabies debut as Schmidt continues to throw the magnets around early in his tenure.
MATCH CENTRE: Australia vs Georgia live score
Former All Black prop Alex Hodgman has also been named on the bench and will become just the fourth person in history to play Tests for both New Zealand and Australia.
Queensland Reds back-rower Harry Wilson will play his first Test since 2022, named to start at No. 8, while front-rowers Isaac Kailea and Billy Pollard, with just four Tests between them, will both earn their first starts for the Wallabies, having played as reserves against Wales.
Back-rower Angus Blyth is also set for a run-on debut, giving Schmidt’s starting pack a new look, while Nick Frost will play his first game for the Wallabies in 2024.
Schmidt has also confirmed a new halves pairing. Tate McDermott and Ben Donaldson will combine in the halves, the latter playing just his second Test on home soil and his first in his home city.
Georgia is coming off an upset win over Japan, coached by former Wallabies mentor Eddie Jones, and Schmidt said they loomed as a significant challenge for his team that won back-to-back clashes against Wales.
“Georgia have proven to be a very tough team to play as demonstrated by their wins against Italy and Wales in recent years as well as their victory last week in Japan,” he said.
“They have added some very exciting backs to their traditional forward strength and challenge opponents across the park.”
Kick-off at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium is scheduled for 3.45pm AEST.
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Source Agencies
