Taniela Tupou will play his first game for the Wallabies in 2025, among four changes to Australia's side for Saturday’s final Test against the British and Irish Lions in Sydney.
The tighthead prop, who had been deemed surplus to requirements by Joe Schmidt for the opening three Wallabies games of the year, has been put straight into the starting side for this final Lions Test.
Tupou, who is set to join Racing 92 in Paris later this year, replaces Allan Ala’alatoa at tighthead, after the Brumbies prop suffered a shoulder injury in the 29-26 defeat last Saturday.
Interestingly, there is no place for Carlo Tizzano in the matchday squad.
The flanker, who came on as a replacement in each of the last two games, was at the centre of last Saturday’s controversial ending, when Australia wanted a penalty for Jac Morgan’s clearout on him in the build-up to Hugo Keenan’s winning try.
"I think it's better that he sits this one out," said Schmidt. "He was still pretty sore but it wasn't a concussion, no."
Rob Valetini misses out at flanker, having departed at half-time on his return from a calf injury a week ago, and his place at blindside is taken by Tom Hooper.
Nic White (above) comes in for Jake Gordon at scrum-half, and will make his 73rd and final appearance for the Wallabies, having confirmed he would retire from Test rugby earlier today.
"Whitey's got such massive respect inside the squad that it seemed a fitting way for him to finish," said Schmidt.
"And I'm not a sentimentalist, it's a Test match, and you pick people who are capable of playing that test match, and we believe that Nick is."
Dylan Pietsch replaces the injured Harry Potter on the left wing with the Wiradjuri man set to play for the first time in the special edition Wallabies jersey he designed for this year’s Lions Series.
Schmidt has also reverted back to a 5:3 split on his bench, as Andrew Kellaway joins Tate McDermott and Ben Donaldson as the backline subs.
"The squad was certainly deflated after the gut-wrenching end to the second Test, but they have started to gather momentum in the back half of the week and will be ready to go again," Schmidt said.
"The support in Brisbane and Melbourne helped to lift the squad and I know the support this weekend in Accor Stadium will again help to lift the players in the high-pressure moments that we know are coming."
Australia: Tom Wright; Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Dylan Pietsch; Tom Lynagh, Nic White; James Slipper, David Porecki, Taniela Tupou; Nick Frost, Will Skelton; Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (capt).
Replacements: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Zane Nonggorr, Jeremy Williams, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Andrew Kellaway.
British and Irish Lions: Hugo Keenan; Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones, Bundee Aki, Blair Kinghorn; Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong; Maro Itoje, James Ryan; Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack Conan.
Replacements: Rónan Kelleher, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, Ollie Chessum, Jac Morgan, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, Owen Farrell.
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