Wallabies skipper Harry Wilson will not face the Springboks in Cape Town, after suffering a knee injury in Australia’s incredible 38-22 comeback win at Ellis Park last weekend.
While Wilson’s injury is understood to not be serious, he will miss this weekend’s second Test, with his place filled by Rob Valetini, who is at last fit after a troublesome calf injury kept him to just 40 minutes of the British and Irish Lions series.
Valetini pinged his calf in Newcastle ahead of the one-off Test with Fiji, as did Will Skelton, but where the veteran lock was able to make his return in the second Test with the Lions and then play in Sydney and Johannesburg, the two-time John Eales Medalist has not been sighted in the gold jersey since the MCG.
But Valetini is a superb replacement for Wilson, who scored two tries in the 16-point win last weekend and generally led from the front in a typically committed performance.
With Wilson out and prop Allan Alaalatoa also sidelined, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has been forced to select a new captain with star flanker Fraser McRreight given the nod ahead of previous captain Will Skelton.
Schmidt has also finally handed a Test debut to Brumbies flyer Corey Toole after Dylan Pietsch broke his jaw in a tackle on Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, who is also now injured and won’t play this weekend in Cape Town.
Toole first joined the Wallabies squad in 2024 but was never handed a Test call-up, with coaches wanting him to improve both his defensive work and skills under the high ball.
He returned to the Brumbies at the start of the season and did just that, once again proving how dangerous he can be in attack on account of his scintillating speed.
Toole was last month released back to the Brumbies to face the Lions in Canberra, and scored a try in his side’s 36-24 loss.
Toole, a former star of Australia’s men’s sevens squad and two-time Olympian, will be the 20th Test debutant of the Schmidt Wallabies era.
In another forced change, Schmidt has recalled Tom Robertson into the front-row with James Slipper sitting out through a concussion. Meanwhile, Angus Bell has retained his bench position after his blistering performance in the second half last week.
Schmidt has otherwise named a relatively unchanged bench with Nick Champion de Cespigny coming back in to replace Langi Gleeson.
Australia will confirm their matchday 23 on Thursday night [AEST].
Australia: Tom Wright, Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Corey Toole, James O’Connor, Nic White, Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight, Tom Hooper, Will Skelton, Nick Frost, Taniela Tupou, Billy Pollard, Tom Robertson. Replacements: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Angus Bell, Zane Nonggorr, Jeremy Williams, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Tate McDermott, Tane Edmed, Andrew Kellaway.
