Tate McDermott will captain the Wallabies against the All Blacks

Rather than inject experienced players for the return Bledisloe Cup clash in New Zealand, Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has gone the other way.

Tate McDermott will captain his country. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Wallabies coach Eddie Jones says leadership changes were a crucial part of “remodelling” the national team as he declared new captain Tate McDermott had all the attributes to be a great Australian captain.

McDermott will become the 86th Australian captain, and the fourth in four Tests under Jones, when he leads the Wallabies against the All Blacks at Dunedin on Sunday with prop Taniela Tupou set to miss with a rib injury.

An Achilles injury to Allan Alaalatoa at the MCG last weekend, with James Slipper to come off the bench again and the ongoing absence of Michael Hooper, means 24-year-old Queensland Reds captain McDermott will lead his country in his 25th Test.

It marks a huge turnaround for McDermott who wasn’t even included in the first squad picked by Jones for a Wallabies camp on the Gold Coast in April.

McDermott, who Jones declared a “tough little bugger”, said he’d been on a steep learning curve as both Reds skipper and since the new coach’s arrival and was aware of the task in front of him and his team

“I knew better than most and me and Eddie talked about it and my performances just weren’t good enough,” McDermott said of that non-selection.

“I’ve learned a lot in the last two years and I’ve learned a lot in the last month,” McDermott said.

“Particularly form a leadership perspective, just how quickly we can solve problems is probably the biggest one I’ve learned.

“I’m the fourth captain in four games, that speaks of the quality I’ve got around me ... to support me and play my best footy.”

Tate McDermott is the new Wallabies captain. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

As forecast, Jones has stuck with rookie five-eighth Carter Gordon for the clash, with the Wallabies looking to rebound from last week’s 38-7 thrashing, and he said it was “rubbish” to suggest he got that selection wrong despite the MCG result.

“I don’t think I got it wrong. To say that a young 10 in his first game, you’ve got it wrong in selecting him, it’s just a load of rubbish,” he said.

“If you know anything about rugby you know 10s need time in the seat. If you don’t know anything about rugby, don’t talk to me.”

Jones hasn’t opted to add more experience to the starting line-up for this week’s clash, instead rolling out the seventh-least experienced team in the professional era with a combined 277 caps, down from 350 last weekend, making a “new era” for the national team.

“We‘re definitely remodelling the team. We need to change the team from where we’ve been and part of it is definitely the leadership aspect,” he said.

“We started a regeneration as a team last week and now it’s about building on that with a new captain and a new era in Australian rugby.

“On Saturday night in Dunedin we get an opportunity to continue our growth as a team.”

While there have been changes to the forward pack, Jones has left the backline unchanged, with Samu Kerevi and Jordan Petaia at inside and outside centre respectively, with Marika Koroibete and Mark Nawaqanitawase on the wings. Andrew Kellaway will again wear the No.15 jersey as fullback.

“We’ve had a lot of change already and we think this backline has the potential to be a good one,” he said.

Slipper is in line to equal Adam Ashley-Cooper’s record of 32 Tests against New Zealand as the finishing loose-head, while Zane Nonggorr will earn his second cap at Forsyth Barr Stadium.

Wallabies team to play New Zealand in Dunedin

1. Angus Bell (22 Tests)

2. David Porecki (13 Tests)

3. Pone Fa’amausili (4 Tests)

4. Nick Frost (11 Tests)

5. Richie Arnold (3 Tests)

6. Tom Hooper (2 Tests)

7. Fraser McReight (11 Tests)

8. Rob Valetini (33 Tests)

9. Tate McDermott (c) (24 Tests)

10. Carter Gordon (3 Tests)

11. Marika Koroibete (54 Tests)

12. Samu Kerevi (44 Tests)

13. Jordan Petaia (26 Tests)

14. Mark Nawaqanitawase (5 Tests)

15. Andrew Kellaway (22 Tests)

Finishers

16. Jordan Uelese (18 Tests)

17. James Slipper (130 Tests)

18. Zane Nonggorr (1 Test)

19. Will Skelton (27 Tests)

20. Rob Leota (15 Tests)

21. Nic White (62 Tests)

22. Quade Cooper (79 Tests)

23. Izaia Perese (4 Tests)