Eddie Jones has made just three changes to Australia’s starting lineup as the Wallabies target a big win in the World Cup pool match against Portugal on Sunday.
Fraser McReight, Izaia Perese and Lalakai Foketi are the three personnel changes made by Jones to his starting XV from the team that lost to Wales.
James Slipper will become Australia’s most capped Rugby World Cup player in his 21st match, surpassing George Gregan’s 16-year-old record.
In his 134th test, Slipper is Australia’s second-most capped player behind George Gregan (139), and equal with Wales and British and Irish Lions international Gethin Jenkins as the most-capped prop in test history.
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Izaia Perese will make his Rugby World Cup debut, partnering his Waratahs team-mate Lalakai Foketi in the centres for the first time in a test match. This game will also be his starting debut, after earning five caps off the bench between 2021 and 2023, and averaging 18 minutes of game-time.
Foketi earns his first start since the Wallabies warm-up test against France, the only time in his short eight-test career he has played the full 80 minutes. He and Perese started alongside each other in nine of the Waratahs’ 14 Super Rugby games this year.
Currently in third place in Pool C, Australia need to win the match in Paris and hope other results go their way to stand any chance of qualifying for the quarter-finals.
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Wallabies – 15 Andrew Kellaway, 14 Mark Nawaqanitawase, 13 Izaia Perese, 12 Lalakai Foketi, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Tate McDermott, 8 Rob Valetini, 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Tom Hooper, 5 Richie Arnold, 4 Nick Frost, 3 James Slipper, 2 David Poreki (c), 1 Angus Bell.
Subs: 16 Matt Faessler, 17 Blake Schoupp, 18 Pone Fa’amausili, 19 Robert Leota, 20 Josh Kemeny, 21 Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, 22 Carter Gordon, 23 Suli Vunivalu.
Photo: EPA/KIM LUDBROOK