SYDNEY: Australia prop Ben Daley will face a baptism of fire Saturday after he was named by coach Robbie Deans to make his test debut against England in Perth.
The 21-year-old was named in the starting side after first choice Benn Robinson broke his arm during the Super 14, while Ben Alexander suffered a serious knee injury against Fiji last week.
Daley will be joined in an inexperienced front row with hooker Saia Faingaa making his first start and tighthead Salesi Ma`afu, who made his test debut in the 49-3 victory over Fiji last week in Canberra.
Such was the injury toll amongst the Wallabies front rowers, with regular hookers Stephen Moore and Tatafu Polota-Nau also injured, local media had speculated Deans may have recalled props Al Baxter and Matt Dunning into the squad.
Both players had been dropped by Deans since he took over the team in late 2007.
Daley`s Queensland Reds front row team mate James Slipper could also make his test debut off the bench after he impressed for the Australian Barbarians in their 28-28 draw with England in Perth Tuesday.
Slipper was not even included in the original Wallabies squad named by Deans earlier this year.
"James (Slipper) made an impact when he came off the bench," Deans said in a statement. "He offers us cover on both sides of the scrum, which is something that we lost to some extent with the injury that was sustained last week by Ben Alexander."
Daley and Faingaa are two of four changes to the starting side that beat Fiji last week, with fullback James O`Connor replacing Kurtley Beale and winger Drew Mitchell coming in for the injured Adam Ashley-Cooper.
O`Connor scored three tries for the Australian Barbarians in their 28-28 draw with England in Perth Tuesday.
"The quality shown by James (O`Connor) was simply impossible to ignore," Deans said of the teenager`s reinstatement to the starting side.
Scrumhalf Will Genia, who missed the game against Fiji with a knee medial ligament strain, was also named on the bench.
Australia: 15-James O`Connor, 14-Digby Ioane, 13-Rob Horne, 12-Matt Giteau, 11-Drew Mitchell, 10-Quade Cooper, 9-Luke Burgess; 8-Richard Brown, 7-David Pocock, 6-Rocky Elsom (captain), 5-Nathan Sharpe, 4-Dean Mumm, 3-Salesi Ma`afu, 2-Saia Faingaa, 1-Ben Daley. Replacements: 16-Huia Edmonds, 17-James Slipper, 18-Mark Chisholm, 19-Matt Hodgson, 20-Will Genia, 21-Berrick Barnes, 22-Kurtley Beale.
BDST: 1535 hrs, June 10, 2010
CG
