Captain Harry Wilson leads an Australian team that features one debutant to face the British and Irish Lions in Brisbane on Saturday night.
Nick Champion de Crespigny will make his international debut in the number six jersey in the opening match of the three-Test Series. His remarkable rise to the gold jersey included a stint in the French Top 14, before returning to Australian Rugby and the Western Force ahead of the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.
The flanker is one of a few changes to the team that beat Fiji in Newcastle, with flyhalf Tom Lynagh named in the number ten jersey, set to become the first player to follow in their father’s footsteps in playing against the Lions after his father Michael pulled on the same numbered gold jersey when the side toured in 1989.
The 22-year-old is joined by the experienced scrumhalf Jake Gordon, along with hooker Matt Faessler, who benefited from a hit-out against the Lions for the Queensland Reds in their Tour match two weeks ago.
Faessler is joined by tighthead Allan Alaalatoa and Test record holder James Slipper in the run-on front row, with the latter joining fellow centurion George Smith as the only Wallabies to feature for Australia in back-to-back Lions Series in the professional era.
Lock partners Nick Frost and Jeremy Williams will again start in the second row, with long-time club and state teammates Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson completing the loose forward trio alongside Champion de Crespigny. Wilson will again lead the side in the number eight jersey.
The experienced Len Ikitau and 21-year-old Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii will combine in the Wallabies midfield for the fifth time, while Harry Potter and Max Jorgensen will feature on the wings. Tom Wright has been named at fullback for the 14th time in the Wallabies’ last 15 Test matches.
Western Force player of the year, Tom Robertson has been selected as the replacement tighthead prop for what will be his first Test since 2022, working alongside Billy Pollard and Angus Bell in the substitute front row.
The versatile Tom Hooper and Western Force back rower Carlo Tizzano have been named as the remaining forward cover.
No stranger to Suncorp Stadium as Queensland captain, Tate McDermott will provide spark as the replacement scrumhalf, with Ben Donaldson again selected as the substitute playmaker. The experienced Andrew Kellaway has been named in the number 23 jersey for what will be his 40th Test for his country.
“The whole squad has worked hard as a group to prepare for what’s going to be a massive challenge against an in-form Lions team,” said Wallabies coach Joe Schimdt.
“With the short runway leading up to such a big Test match, we know we must adapt fast and improve quickly, from the performance we had against Fiji recently.
“We’re very much aware of the occasion and conscious of earning the support from the public through the effort they see on the field.”
Wallabies – 15 Tom Wright, 14 Max Jorgensen, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12 Len Ikitau, 11 Harry Potter, 10 Tom Lynagh, 9 Jake Gordon, 8 Harry Wilson (c), 7 Fraser McReight, 6 Nick Champion de Crespigny, 5 Jeremy Williams, 4 Nick Frost, 3 Allan Alaalatoa, 2 Matt Faessler, 1 James Slipper.
Replacements: 16 Billy Pollard, 17 Angus Bell, 18 Tom Robertson, 19 Tom Hooper, 20 Carlo Tizzano, 21 Tate McDermott, 22 Ben Donaldson, 23 Andrew Kellaway.
