Wallabies name team to play England First Test in Brisbane

Three new Wallabies have been created in the naming of the starting side to play England on Saturday.

Rory Arnold, left, puts in the hard yards at the Wallabies training session on the Sunshine Coast. Photo Lachie Millard

Australian coach Michael Cheika has created three new Wallabies in naming his starting side to play England in the First Test on Saturday at Suncorp Stadium — lock Rory Arnold, centre Samu Kerevi and winger Dane Haylett-Petty — but the main shock is that Christian Lealiifano has been consigned to the bench.

Lealiifano only joined the Wallabies training camp in Brisbane last night because he was waiting for the birth of his first child in Canberra — a son — but the widespread expectation was that he would slot straight into the starting XV.

But it may be that Cheika always had it in mind to start Kerevi in this Test. He has had an extraordinary season for the Queensland Reds and right from the start, when Cheika was mentioning the names of possible newcomers, it was the Fijian-born battering ram who was named.

There is no Karmichael Hunt or Reece Hodge named in the squad but it is a three-Test series and their chance might well come in the coming weeks.

Cheika named a fourth debutant: halfback Nick Frisby on the reserves bench.

Arnold has the advantage of having a working combination with the man who will throw to him in the lineouts, Australian captain Stephen Moore, and it does not hurt that he will be the tallest man ever to play for the Wallabies at 208cm.

Greg Holmes has finally won a start at tight-head, with doubts persisting about how Sekope Kepu has returned from France but the Wallabies will lose nothing in the scrum with him at number three.

Qantas Wallabies team to play England in the first Test at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Saturday, June 11, 8:05pm AEST

1. Scott Sio — Brumbies (16 Tests)

2. Stephen Moore (c) — Brumbies (102 Tests)

3. Greg Holmes — Reds (24 Tests)

4. Rory Arnold* — Brumbies

5. Rob Simmons — Reds (60 Tests)

6. Scott Fardy — Brumbies (30 Tests)

7. Michael Hooper (vc) — Waratahs (51 Tests)

8. David Pocock — Brumbies (55 Tests)

9. Nick Phipps — Waratahs (39 Tests)

10. Bernard Foley — Waratahs (27 Tests)

11. Rob Horne (vc) — Waratahs (29 Tests)

12. Samu Kerevi* — Reds

13. Tevita Kuridrani — Brumbies (31 Tests)

14. Dane Haylett-Petty* — Western Force

15. Israel Folau — Waratahs (38 Tests)

Replacements

16. Tatafu Polota-Nau — Waratahs (61 Tests)

17. James Slipper — Reds (74 Tests)

18. Sekope Kepu -Waratahs (63 Tests)

19. James Horwill — Harlequins (61 Tests)

20. Dean Mumm — Waratahs (44 Tests)

21. Sean McMahon -Rebels (6 Tests)

22. Nick Frisby* — Reds

23. Christian Leali’ifano — Brumbies (16 Tests)