Brumbies fly-half Declan Meredith will make his Test debut in Saturday’s Nations Championship clash with France at Suncorp Stadium, with calf injuries to Carter Gordon and Ben Donaldson forcing Joe Schmidt into a reshuffle at number ten.
AAP reports that Gordon has been ruled out of the next two Tests against France and Italy, while Donaldson, who is also nursing a calf problem, misses the matchday 23. Queensland full-back Jock Campbell, one of the Wallabies’ best performers in the narrow loss to Ireland, drops to the bench as a playmaking back-up option, with Tom Wright restored at full-back.
Flanker Tom Hooper misses out with a shoulder injury, and Filipo Daugunu and Nick Champion de Crespigny come onto the bench in the only other changes. Meredith is partnered at half-back by Brumbies team-mate Ryan Lonergan, with Harry Wilson captaining the side after Schmidt’s fine-margins examination against France was complicated further by the injury list.
“We know we can be better on Saturday and we know that we will need to be against the back-to-back Six Nations Champions,” Schmidt said in comments carried by AAP.
Australia go into the game after their two-point defeat by Ireland in Sydney, while France, who lost 34-32 to the All Blacks in Christchurch after Damian Penaud’s calf injury clouded their build-up, name their team later on Thursday. Kick-off is 8.40am BST on Saturday.
Australia team to face France: 15 Tom Wright, 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Dylan Pietsch, 10 Declan Meredith, 9 Ryan Lonergan; 1 Angus Bell, 2 Josh Nasser, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 4 Josh Canham, 5 Jeremy Williams, 6 Rob Valetini, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson (captain).
Replacements: 16 Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17 James Slipper, 18 Taniela Tupou, 19 Lachlan Shaw, 20 Nick Champion de Crespigny, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Jock Campbell, 23 Filipo Daugunu.
