Rugby: Wallabies pick debutants

Wallaby fullback Kurtley Beale is due in court on Monday. Photo / Getty Images

SYDNEY - Matt Giteau plans to take the pressure off new Wallabies five-eighth Quade Cooper in Canberra on Saturday, as part of a Wallabies backline partially shaped by a court case.

Coach Robbie Deans named three debutants in his run on side and two more uncapped players on the bench for Australia's season opening international.

Newcomers Salesi Ma'afu, 27, and hooker Huia Edmonds, 28, will form an all-Brumbies front row with Ben Alexander, who was moved from the tighthead prop position he occupied at the end of last year to the more familiar loosehead role.

Outside centre Rob Horne will get a first test start, while Matt Hodgson and hooker Saia Faingaa will each potentially make their test debut.

Edmonds and Ma'afu have replaced the injured Stephen Moore and Benn Robinson while veteran Nathan Sharpe comes in for the injured James Horwill - Richard Brown doing the same at No 8 for Wycliff Palu.

The only enforced backline change to the team that beat Wales in the final test of last year was the replacement of injured halfback Will Genia with Luke Burgess.

However, Wallabies coach Robbie Deans revealed he had rejigged his backline to accommodate utility Kurtley Beale, who will appear at Mt Druitt Local Court on Monday after being charged with common assault.

In July last year Beale allegedly punched a drunk female relative in the head at a party following a dispute.

"We were keen to get him underway and that (the court case) was going to make it difficult in terms of the Tuesday fixture (between the Australian Barbarians and England in Perth)," said Deans, who has selected Beale at fullback in what will be his first home test.

"We made a conscious decision to give him a start (in the test) which he's earned through his performances."

Beale's inclusion has prompted the selectors to rejig their backline, with Adam Ashley-Cooper moving from fullback to wing, while Digby Ioane has been shifted from outside centre to the other wing, with Drew Mitchell dropping to the bench.

As expected, newly crowned Australian Super Player of the Series Cooper has swapped positions with Giteau from the most recent test, earning his first go in the No 10 jersey, with Giteau shifting to inside centre.

"It (the switch) has never been a big one (issue), but Quade has earned the right, he's played so well," Deans said.

Giteau said he felt comfortable with the switch as he found it easier to go from five-eighth to inside centre than the other way round.

"My role now is to take as much pressure as I can off Quade, but it helps when you've got those quality players around you," Giteau said.

"It's very exciting. Not just the backline, but I think the whole side, everyone offers something different."

Ma'afu will pack down directly against his 25-year old sibling Campese, who will make his Test debut for Fiji.

While his side contains a smattering of new faces, Deans emphasised the only real experiment was that of Ashley-Cooper playing on the wing.

The Wallabies expect to face a very quick and strong Fijian team, who arrive in Australia today.

Wallabies
Kurtley Beale, Digby Ioane, Rob Horne, Matt Giteau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Quade Cooper, Luke Burgess; Richard Brown, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom (captain), Nathan Sharpe, Dean Mumm, Saesi Ma'Afu, Huia Edmonds, Ben Alexander.

Substitutes: Saia Faingaa, Pek Cowan, Mark Chisholm, Matt Hodgson, Josh Valentine, Drew Mitchell, James O'Connor.

- AAP