PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Flyhalf Quade Cooper has been recalled after recovering from an Achilles injury and Tom Hooper will make his test debut in a squad Eddie Jones has picked to end Australia’s drought in Pretoria against South Africa.
Saturday’s Rugby Championship opener marks the first test in Jones’ second stint in charge of the Wallabies and he has overhauled the squad with an eye on building depth for the World Cup later this year in France.
He picked 22-year-old Tom Hooper to start on the blindside flank in a backrow combination with veteran skipper Michael Hooper and Rob Valetini at No. 8. The Wallabies have never beaten the Springboks at Loftus Versfeld.
No. 8 Duane Vermeulen will captain world champion South Africa in its opening test of the Rugby World Cup year against Australia on Saturday and Manie Libbok will make his first start at flyhalf.
The Rugby Championship which starts this weekend provides a chance to experience the second coming of Eddie Jones as Wallabies coach and look for signs of the amazing transformation he is expected to perform.
A new biennial international rugby competition featuring teams from the Six Nations and the southern hemisphere is set to start in 2026.
Center Anton Lienert-Brown will miss the New Zealand All Blacks’ first two matches in this year’s Rugby Championships after being suspended for three weeks for a dangerous tackle.
Three young players on the reserves bench are in line to make a test debut against the World Cup champions, including 21-year-old prop Zane Nonggorr, France-based lock Richie Arnold and backup playmaker Carter Gordon.
“The 23 players selected have an opportunity to be part of history with a win over South Africa in Pretoria on Saturday night,” Jones said in a statement Thursday. “The players have worked extremely hard since coming together as a group and we’ve prepared well this week.”
The Rugby Championship has been truncated this season, with each team playing once at home and once away.
Nonggorr got a spot in the squad as a replacement tighthead after Taniela Tupou required more time to recover from injury.
Cooper has had a long recovery from a ruptured Achilles but has done enough to earn the confidence of Jones as the starting playmaker. The 76-test veteran will be partnering Nic White in the halves when he lines up against the Springboks for the first time since 2013.
Reece Hodge will start at inside center in a midfield combination with Len Ikitau, with Samu Kerevi on the bench.
Suliasi Vunivalu has been included in Australia’s starting XV for the first time and will play on the right wing, with Marika Koroibete on the left.
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Australia squad: Tom Wright, Suliasi Vunivalu, Len Ikitau, Reece Hodge, Marika Koroibete, Quade Cooper, Nic White; Rob Valetini, Michael Hooper (co-captain), Tom Hooper, Will Skelton, Nick Frost, Allan Ala’alatoa, David Porecki, James Slipper (co-captain). Reserves: Jordan Uelese, Matt Gibbon, Zane Nonggorr, Richie Arnold, Pete Samu, Tate McDermott, Samu Kerevi, Carter Gordon.
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