Ninth-string hooker Josh Mann-Rea looks set to make his Test debut from the bench against the Springboks in Perth.

The Brumbies hooker has been drafted into the match-day squad at the last minute after Saia Fainga'a flew home to Brisbane on Saturday morning to attend the birth of his first child.

Mann-Rea's inclusion comes after a string of injuries has left the Wallabies scraping the bottom of the barrel for fit and available hookers. The 33-year-old has played 10 matches for the Brumbies, having previously turned out for the Waratahs before completing a stint in Japan.

Queensland Reds hooker James Hanson will start for the Wallabies in just his third Test.

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