France v Wallabies: Kyle Godwin earns Test debut in changed line-up

The Wallabies coach is set to sacrifice the France Test in order to keep his team’s Grand Slam hopes alive.

Kyle Godwin will make his debut for the Wallabies against France in Paris. Picture: Getty Images

Kyle Godwin will make his Test debut against France this weekend after Michael Cheika made a raft of changes to his team for the mid-tour clash.

Preserving many of his star players for the Grand Slam Tests against Ireland and England to come, Cheika has opted to name a team peppered with rookies, captained by David Pocock, to face the French in Paris.

Centre Godwin, who recently announced he was joining the Brumbies next year from Western Force, will start at inside centre to form a midfield partnership with Quade Cooper.

Luke Morahan will get just his second Test, at fullback, while frontrowers Allan Alaalatoa and Tolu Latu, and winger Sefanaia Naivalu will all make their starting debuts for Australia.

Cheika will rest frontline stars Israel Folau, Michael Hooper, Sekope Kepu, Dane Haylett-Petty, Reece Hodge and Rory Arnold from this fixture as it will not affect the outcome of their Grand Slam campaign and allows him to see how the inexperienced members of the squad handle the step up.

Godwin has been around the fringes of Wallabies camps for several years and finally gets his chance in the gold jersey after it appeared at one time that his chance had gone by.

“I’ve been impressed with him from day one,” Cheika said of Godwin. “From when he came in at Perth, he really looked a promise. I happened to coach him on the 2014 tour, didn’t know a lot about him and I thought he was outstanding. He didn’t get a game on that tour but just as a young guy coming through is outstanding.

“I would not be lying if I said he’d stalled a little bit after that, didn’t come through, but we made a decision this year to keep bringing him in the camp and just keep driving him because he’s got a lot of talent and he’s been really good this year for us and I suppose, a little bit like Morahan, he’s been knocking, training, training hard, hasn’t got the run and I think this is the time to do it.

“He’s a player they won’t know either, so it’s something different for them to look at. He’s a solid defender and I just think he’s ready for it. He’s a strong runner, he can break tackles, he’s aggressive and he’s a good defender. He’s a smart footballer. He can read attack well. I think we need to bring him on.

“I think his time is (here), he’s been a young, promising player for a while now and now it’s time to step up and have a go at it.”

The new tight five will face some tough questions against France, who historically have dominated the set piece against Australia.

“You don’t give away a starting jersey for Australia lightly, I just think that we’ve said that we want to give lads experience and I think Allan (Alaalatoa) hasn’t started or been in this type of fire storm before and it’s going to be a huge challenge, so where better placed to get him experience than here against the massive front row they’ll have?” Cheika said.

“And he’s got a great attitude. I think Tolu didn’t get a run last week, so I just think it’ll be really good for them to prepare from the start of a game, like be ready, ‘we’re in charge here, we’ve got to run this’. I know they’re inexperienced as a starting front row with the other two, Slips is (experienced) but I’m sure they’ll do a good job.

“[Douglas and Simmons] was the World Cup final starting team and the backrow, you go Pocock, Fardy, there’s two of the backrow from that World Cup final as well.

“I wanted to try to get a blend of both, I don’t just want to go, ‘here you go, young guys, have a game’. I want to give them the opportunity to play with experienced players.”