Australia vs France: Cheika’s plan to rest star Wallabies Folau, Hooper

This weekend’s match against France will not affect the Rugby Grand Slam outcome.

Israel Folau will be rested to make way for rising Wallabies including Luke Morahan and Taqele Naiyaravoro.

There was always a plan to rest star players during the spring tour, Wallabies coach Michael Cheika said after naming a team of rookies to play France this weekend.

The Wallabies are seeking to claim their first Grand Slam in 32 years, and having won their opening two games against Wales and Scotland, they need to defeat Ireland and England in the final fortnight to complete an historic sweep.

Wedged between those Tests is this match against France, which will not affect the Grand Slam outcome, allowing Cheika to give some of his star players including Israel Folau and Michael Hooper a break.

“There’s some really good opportunities for some lads, we’re never going to come on a five-Test match tour and play the same team every week,” Cheika said.

“It’ll take its toll. This whole season, at a certain point we started making it about growing our depth and getting competition for places and making that stronger than it’s been before.

“We’re able to make those changes with the confidence that those players will perform on Saturday night.

“Obviously you’ve got to assess each game according to what happens in the game before and then try and work out what you’re going to do.

“We had a plan coming into it, a perfect situation, and I think having the other lads in this week who have joined us from the British Barbarians has been really good.

“It’s been a big change up, some new characters in the squad and we’ve enjoyed having them running in the team and getting to learn a bit about it.

“One of them [Luke Morahan] is getting a start this week which he’ll be happy about, and maybe another one [Taqele Naiyaravoro] on the bench to finish.”

Cheika said the break was more important mentally rather than physically for his resting stars, who were given the option of training or not this week.

“I think physically, it’s not huge, we gave some guys who have had big loads some time off during the week,” Cheika said.

“Maybe mentally, that helps. Just that ability to choose — like you don’t have to come to training if you don’t want. A bit of freedom in the middle of game on game on game on game.

“I actually think that physically we’re just starting to find our fitness level for the season.

“And that’s going to be important because there’s going to be plenty of action on Saturday.”