Edinburgh: Stephen Moore will get one last start for the Wallabies on Saturday in his final Test while young gun Taniela Tupou is in line to make his international debut off the bench when Australia take on Scotland at Murrayfield.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Michael Cheika has named his final Wallabies team of the year and there are two changes to the starting team, one forced and one so Moore can get a send-off.
After this week announcing Saturday would mark his last game of professional rugby, Moore will run out for his 97th start for the Wallabies in what will be his 129th Test.
He replaces Tatafu Polota-Nau, who drops to the bench.
"Stephen has been itching to get on the field," said Wallabies skills coach Mick Byrne. "As he announced during the week, he gets a chance now to get out and start the game and lead us from the front like he's done for a long time."
Meanwhile, Ben McCalman has been named as Ned Hanigan's replacement at No. 6 after the NSW Waratah was injured during Australia's 24-point loss against England.
"Ben came on in that Barbarians week and just took another step from where he'd been during the year," Byrne said. "He's worked really hard at getting into our system. He's been playing good footy."
Cheika has named the same back line from the England match but it is on the bench where he has tweaked a few things for the last match of 2017.
Tupou, known to most as Tongan Thor, is in line to make his Test debut after qualifying for Australia on Tuesday following a three-year residency requirement imposed by World Rugby.
"He's a very strong bloke," said Wallabies captain Michael Hooper. "He's very impressive not only in the gym but around the field. He goes about his business well.
"He was a bit shocked when he got selected today [Thursday]. The rest of the boys weren't because of the stuff he's been doing at training, the hard work he's been putting in and the impression he's given us of what he can do has been really impressive. Stoked for him to come this far and develop into a potential Wallaby on the weekend."
The 21-year-old prop been named alongside Tetera Faulkner, who is a chance of making just his second Wallabies appearance in three years.
The Wallabies have opted for a 5-3 split on the bench and in doing so have brought Henry Speight back onto the bench at the expense of second-rower Matt Philip.
Lukhan Tui, who can play in the second row or back row, comes onto the bench to fill McCalman's void.
The Wallabies will be out for revenge against Scotland after being beaten 24-19 by the northern hemisphere outfit in June.
A solitary point decided the two matches before that, in 2015 and 2016, and it would be no surprise to see another close result on Saturday.
"It is a good chance to see where we've improved," Hooper said. "Losing at home hurts and the fashion that it went down to the wire in Sydney in front of a home crowd stung, certainly. We're very keen to see where we land this weekend and see how things shape up."
Wallabies team to face Scotland
1. Scott Sio (42 Tests)
2. Stephen Moore (128 Tests)
3. Sekope Kepu (90 Tests)
4. Rob Simmons (81 Tests)
5. Blake Enever (1 Test)
6. Ben McCalman (52 Tests)
7. Michael Hooper (c) (78 Tests)
8. Sean McMahon (25 Tests)
9. Will Genia (vc) (87 Tests)
10. Bernard Foley (vc) (54 Tests)
11. Reece Hodge (23 Tests)
12. Samu Kerevi (17 Tests)
13. Tevita Kuridrani (57 Tests)
14. Marika Koroibete (7 Tests)
15. Kurtley Beale (70 Tests)
Reserves
16. Tatafu Polota-Nau (81 Tests)
17. Tetera Faulkner (3 Tests)
18. Taniela Tupou (potential debut)
19. Lukhan Tui (3 Tests)
20. Lopeti Timani (11 Tests)
21. Nick Phipps (61 Tests)
22. Karmichael Hunt (5 Tests)
23. Henry Speight (18 Tests)
