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Australia make wholesale changes

Saturday's test against Fiji could be a last chance for Gregan to make the Wallabies World Cup squad
Saturday's test against Fiji could be a last chance for Gregan to make the Wallabies World Cup squad

George Gregan and Lote Tuqiri return to the Australia line-up in a largely experimental side for Saturday's Test against Fiji at Subiaco Oval in Perth.

Wallabies head coach John Connolly has made wholesale changes to his starting XV with only five players retaining their places after last week's 31-0 victory over Wales in Brisbane.

Fly-half Stephen Larkham, Drew Mitchell, Adam Ashley-Cooper and full-back Julian Huxley remain in the backline, while lock Dan Vickerman is the only forward in this week's starting pack to have played from the outset in Brisbane.

Connolly claimed he was trying to establish an in-form squad with plenty of depth to take to the World Cup later this year.

He said: 'This Test will be extremely important for the players involved and very important for the team as we look to establish some depth in positions in the build-up to the World Cup.

'We're looking to improve our performances each week and that will be no different on Saturday.'

Former skipper Gregan earns his first start at scrum-half since last September's Tri-Nations clash against South Africa in Johannesburg. The 129-cap veteran takes over at number nine in place of Matt Giteau, who is nursing a minor knee injury.

Gregan's promotion sees Reds scrum-half Sam Cordingley make his long-awaited return to the Wallabies squad on the bench.

Phil Waugh is back in the side after starting last week's match as a replacement and has been handed the captaincy duties with Gregan named as deputy along with Stirling Mortlock, who starts the match on the bench.

Tuqiri will make his first appearance for the Wallabies this year in place of last week's debut hero Digby Ioane on the left wing.

Fiji-born dual international Tuqiri was put on a special training schedule when he arrived in the Wallabies camp last month to work on regaining his foot speed and, after sitting on the sidelines for the two-match series against Wales, is raring to go.

Drew Mitchell retains his place on the right wing, while inside him Adam Ashley-Cooper moves to outside centre, awarding Scott Staniforth his first Test cap on Australian soil at inside centre.

In the scrum, Adam Freier starts in the number two jersey for the first time since injuring his foot in last June's Test against England in Melbourne.

He replaces Stephen Moore and forms an all-NSW front row with Matt Dunning and Al Baxter, who is back after recovering from the bronchitis that forced his late withdrawal from the first Test against Wales.

In the second row, 22-year-old Reds lock James Horwill is set to become the fourth Wallabies debutant this season when he runs out alongside Vickerman, who made his first start at lock last week after a lengthy injury lay-off.

Mark Chisholm goes to blindside flanker, where he started on three occasions for the Wallabies in 2006, while David Lyons has been awarded his first opportunity for the year at number eight.

The match will be the first meeting between the Wallabies and Fiji since 1998, while in 16 meetings of the two nations, Fiji's two Test victories over Australia have both come on Australian soil.

Australia XV v Fiji, Saturday, June 9, Subiaco Oval, 11am:

15 Julian Huxley
14 Drew Mitchell
13 Adam Ashley-Cooper
12 Scott Staniforth
11 Lote Tuqiri
10 Stephen Larkham
 9 George Gregan
 1 Matt Dunning
 2 Adam Freier
 3 Al Baxter
 4 James Horwill
 5 Dan Vickerman
 6 Mark Chisholm
 7 Phil Waugh (captain)
 8 David Lyons

Replacements: Stephen Moore, Benn Robinson, Stephen Hoiles, George Smith, Sam Cordingley, Sam Norton-Knight, Stirling Mortlock.

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