Cheika recalls Ashley-Cooper
Jake Gordon and Jordan Petaia will make their Wallabies debuts tomorrow against Italy in a match that will also see Adam AshleyCooper return to the international arena for the first time since August 2016.
Coach Michael Cheika has made wholesale changes to the team that lost to Wales, 9-6, in Cardiff last weekend.
In the backs, Samu Kerevi is the only player who will wear the same jersey as the Wales fixture.
The two notable additions are that of Gordon and Petaia, the latter of whom will become the third youngest Wallabies player in history behind Brian Ford (18 years and 90 days) and James O’Connor (18 years and 126 days).
Petaia will play on the wing, with his childhood hero, Israel Folau, shifting to fullback to accommodate Ashley-Cooper on the other edge.
The Queensland Reds young gun will be given a licence to show off his speed and power against the Italians, ranked 13th in the world.
Ashley-Cooper will bring up his 117th test, making him Australia’s third most capped player, moving ahead of former captain Nathan Sharpe.
Cheika has also made a playmaking switch, dropping Kurtley Beale in place of Matt Toomua, who takes the reins at No 10.
It is the first time Toomua has worn the No 10 jersey for Australia in over five years and he will have Bernard Foley outside him at No 12.
Foley played at second-five for the Wallabies in five tests in 2016 when Quade Cooper was at No 10.
Despite the loss against Wales, Australia’s 10th from their last 13 starts, Cheika is clearly happy to chop and change his team despite the pressure being on him and his coaching staff.
Gordon, the New South Wales halfback, will make a muchanticipated run-on debut ahead of Will Genia, who drops to the bench.
In the forwards, Folau Faingaa has regained his spot as the team’s starting hooker alongside props Scott Sio and Taniela Tupou.
The second row pairing of Izack Rodda and Adam Coleman have
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been retained, as have the backrowers of Jack Dempsey, Michael Hooper and David Pocock.
Cheika has gone for a 5-3 split on the bench that features Genia, Beale and Dane Haylett-Petty as the spare backs.