Young guns Carter Gordon and Tate McDermott will be Australia's starting halfback combination against New Zealand in the Rugby Championship on Saturday after coach Eddie Jones made seven changes to the side that lost to Argentina in Sydney.
Gordon will make his first test start at flyhalf at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in what doubles as 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 scrumhalf 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," Jones, who has yet to win a test in his second coming as Australia coach, said in a statement. "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 the other co-captain Michael Hooper, who is injured.
Nick Frost comes into the second row with Will Skelton, shunting Richie Arnold to the replacements.
An injury to centre Len Ikitau 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, who 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 New Zealand for the first time since 2001 is another major goal for the Wallabies.
The second Bledisloe Cup test takes place in Dunedin on Aug. 5.
TEAM: 15-Andrew Kellaway, 14-Mark Nawaqanitawase, 13-Jordan Petaia, 12-Samu Kerevi, 11-Marika Koroibete, 10-Carter Gordon, 9-Tate McDermott, 8-Rob Valetini, 7-Tom Hooper, 6-Jed Holloway, 5-Will Skelton, 4-Nick Frost, 3-Allan Alaalatoa (captain), 2-David Porecki, 1-Angus Bell
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.
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