Rugby - Austraila v England:Australia prop Ben Daley will face a baptism of fire on Saturday after he was named by coach Robbie Deans to make his Test debut against England at the Subiaco Oval in Perth.
The 21-year-old was named in the starting side after first choice Benn Robinson broke his arm during the Super 14, while Ben Alexander suffered a serious knee injury against Fiji last week.
Daley will be joined in an inexperienced front row with hooker Saia Faingaa making his first start and tighthead Salesi Ma'afu, who made his test debut in the 49-3 victory over Fiji last week in Canberra.
Such was the injury toll amongst the Wallabies front rowers, with regular hookers Stephen Moore and Tatafu Polota-Nau also injured, local media had speculated Deans may have recalled props Al Baxter and Matt Dunning into the squad.
Both players had been dropped by Deans since he took over the team in late 2007.
Daley's Queensland Reds front row team mate James Slipper could also make his test debut off the bench after he impressed for the Australian Barbarians in their 28-28 draw with England in Perth on Tuesday.
Slipper was not even included in the original Wallabies squad named by Deans earlier this year.
"James (Slipper) made an impact when he came off the bench," said Deans. "He offers us cover on both sides of the scrum, which is something that we lost to some extent with the injury that was sustained last week by Ben Alexander."
Daley and Faingaa are two of four changes to the starting side that beat Fiji last week, with fullback James O'Connor replacing Kurtley Beale and winger Drew Mitchell coming in for the injured Adam Ashley-Cooper.
O'Connor scored three tries for the Australian Barbarians in their 28-28 draw with England in Perth on Tuesday.
"The quality shown by James (O'Connor) was simply impossible to ignore," Deans said of the teenager's reinstatement to the starting side.
Scrumhalf Will Genia, who missed the game against Fiji with a knee medial ligament strain, was also named on the bench.
In the England camp Bath centre Shontayne Hape will make his Test debut in the Cook Cup clash.
Hape takes over at inside centre from the injured Riki Flutey and he is one of four changes from the England team that started the final Six Nations game against France.
Hooker Steve Thompson and lock Tom Palmer both start after coming off the bench in Paris while there is a return to the England team for Leicester flanker Tom
Croft.
Much to the surprise of the Wallabies, Jonny Wilkinson remains on the bench with Toby Flood retained at outhalf while Danny Care has held off the challenge from scrumhalf rival Ben Youngs.
Leicester hooker George Chuter and Northampton lock Courtney Lawes have both been included on the bench.
England are chasing their first victory over the Wallabies on Australian soil since the 2003 World Cup final — and only their third ever.
Hape will become the third former New Zealand rugby league international to play for England, following in the footsteps of Henry Paul and Lesley Vainikolo.
The 29-year-old who won 14 caps for the Kiwis has been on England’s radar since switching codes to sign for Bath in 2008.
Hape was in line to make his Test debut against Wales during the Six Nations, just weeks after qualifying for England on residency grounds, before falling ill on the eve of the game.
“I have been very impressed with him. He’s a very smart carrier with the ball in hand. He’s one of those guys that seems to have a bit more time than most, he’s very composed,” said England manager Martin Johnson.
Hape made his first England appearance in the non-cap game against the Barbarians at Twickenham before the squad left for Australia and has been preferred at inside centre to Bath team-mate Olly Barkley.
Elsewhere, Thompson came on tour as first-choice hooker after Dylan Hartley was ruled out of the five-match trip through injury while Palmer impressed off the bench in Paris at the end of March.
Croft, a star of the Lions tour 12 months ago, returns to the backrow after missing the Six Nations with a knee injury.
Teams
Australia: James O'Connor, Digby Ioane, Rob Horne, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Quade Cooper, Luke Burgess; Richard Brown, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom (captain), Nathan Sharpe, Dean Mumm, Salesi Ma'afu, Saia Faingaa, Ben Daley. Replacements: Huia Edmonds, James Slipper, Mark Chisholm, Matt Hodgson, Will Genia, Berrick Barnes, Kurtley Beale.
England: Ben Foden, Mark Cueto, Mike Tindall, Shontayne Hape, Chris Ashton, Toby Flood, Danny Care; Nick Easter, Lewis Moody (captain), Tom Croft, Tom Palmer, Simon Shaw, Dan Cole, Steve Thompson, Tim Payne. Replacements: George Chuter, David Wilson, Courtney Lawes, James Haskell, Ben Youngs, Jonny Wilkinson, Mathew Tait