The Wallabies have made 10 changes to the starting side for their one-off Test with Georgia, as coach Joe Schmidt takes the opportunity to view some of the players in his wider squad while also ensuring Australia complete a 3-0 sweep of their July campaign.
As reported by ESPN on Wednesday, the Kiwi has overhauled both his forward pack and backline following last Saturday's 36-28 win over Wales, headed by the inclusion of Harry Wilson at No. 8 and Ben Donaldson at fly-half.
The Allianz Stadium clash will also mark the Test debut of another Australian Sevens graduate, with winger Darby Lancaster named on the left wing.
"One of the things that people don't see is how hard guys are working behind the scenes and how well they're training," Schmidt said of the raft of changes. "I think today we lacked a little bit of cohesion because when you do make those many changes, you do lose a bit of your rhythm and that's a risk for us.
"But if we don't do it, then we're not quite sure where we sit with some of the guys in the squad and you don't know, when you're going to lose someone, if you've got someone in a particular position. So you've got to keep growing your depth.
"We've got a very short-term focus, long-term view, and I know that's a paradox, but it's a paradox that you almost have to employ so that you best vaccinate against future injury or future changes or form, and at the same time you offer opportunities to players who've demonstrated that they... a number of them have been in the Test arena before."
Meanwhile, prop Alex Hodgman is poised to become just the fourth player to represent both the All Blacks and Wallabies after he was named among the replacements. Hodgman played three Tests for the All Blacks in 2020 under Ian Foster, but moved across the Tasman to play for the Reds this year and was immediately available for national selection because his father is Australian.
With Liam Wright still sidelined and James Slipper handed a rest, Allan Alaalatoa will captain the Wallabies in what will be his first run-on appearance of the Test season. The tighthead prop has assumed the captaincy when he was introduced off the bench in Sydney and Melbourne, but he will start this weekend with the "c" next to his name after replacing Taniela Tupou in the starting side.
Alaalatoa will pack down alongside hooker Billy Pollard and loosehead Isaac Kailea, who will both be making their first run-on starts.
They will be supported by a new lock pairing of Nick Frost and Angus Blyth, with the Brumbies second-rower to see his first minutes under Schmidt.
Wilson, meanwhile, made his return from a broken arm in Brisbane club rugby just under a fortnight ago. The Reds No. 8 had been in sensational form in Super Rugby Pacific, rocketing him back into Wallabies contention for the first time since 2022, only for the Gunnedah-raised back-rower to suffer the injury against the Rebels in mid-May.
Wilson was last sighted in the gold jersey in the third Test against England in Sydney two years ago, ironically when Eddie Jones was still coaching the visitors, but the No. 8 played no part in Australia's catastrophic 2023 campaign. Wilson later told ESPN that he had attempted to contact Jones on "five occasions" for some feedback but unfortunately never received a response.
The hard-running Reds No. 8 replaces Charlie Cale, with the in-form Rob Valetini remaining in the No. 6 jersey.
"I think with Harry, he's a good athlete. For a big man, he's a good athlete," Schmidt said of Wilson. "So we want to see the athleticism. He's got good skill set. I think probably just the consistency of that skill set. He's got to demonstrate that every time and staying in the game. Because of the way some teams play, he plays on the edge quite a bit and I think sometimes he can drift a little bit and then he's not in the game.
"With a guy like Harry, I think he's got to stay in the game. Even if he's not immediately around the ball, he's got to stay connected to what's happening so that he's ready when the ball does become available. And if he is, he's a weapon."
Elsewhere, Donaldson's promotion to the starting side comes after Brumbies playmaker Noah Lolesio had worn the No. 10 jersey for the Tests against Wales. Lolesio was solid enough despite a handful of rudimentary errors, though his missed tackle on Welsh winger Rio Dyer in Melbourne last weekend did expose his defensive weaknesses.
Donaldson moved across to Perth to play for the Force in Super Rugby Pacific this year, settling into the No. 10 jersey outside another offseason recruit, veteran Nic White. While the Force again missed the playoffs, Donaldson enjoyed several strong outings, most notably once Kurtley Beale joined the franchise midway through the season.
Tate McDermott will play inside Donaldson at scrum-half, the Queensland co-captain replacing Jake Gordon after the Waratahs skipper turned in two strong performances in the No. 9 jersey.
Len Ikitau has meanwhile shaken off a hamstring tweak to replace Josh Flook at outside centre, while Rebels flyer and former Australian sevens star Darby Lancaster will make his debut on the left wing.
Saturday's Test at Allianz Stadium will be the first time the Wallabies have faced Georgia outside Rugby World Cup play, with the two sides having met most recently in their opening pool encounter in France last year.
Australia emerged 35-15 winners on that occasion, but only after a spirited Georgian second-half comeback was halted by Donaldson, who scored a momentum-shifting try just as the European underdogs were really starting to roll.
Georgia defeated Eddie Jones' Japan 25-23 in Sendai last weekend.
"It's an impossible balance to get dead right because you're not sure until the team goes out there that you've done the right thing and we have huge respect for Georgia," Schmidt said of his selections. "We'd predict that they won't have as many changes, anything like as many changes, and they will see an opportunity, especially on the back of recent wins, Wales, Italy, last weekend against Japan, and even some of the other big teams where they've definitely been in the game for a long time.
"So, yeah, I guess people just have to have faith in the changes and we've got faith in the changes.
"We do believe that we're putting a good side out and they'll demonstrate that, but I'm sure the Georgians will have something to say about that."
The Wallabies have a few weeks off after the clash with Georgia, their Rugby Championship opener against the Springboks set for Aug. 10 against the Springboks.
AUSTRALIA: Tom Wright, Filipo Daugunu, Len Ikitau, Hunter Paisami, Darby Lancaster, Ben Donaldson, Tate McDermott; Harry Wilson, Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini, Angus Blyth, Nick Frost, Allan Alaalatoa, Billy Pollard, Isaac Kailea. Replacements: Josh Nasser, Zane Nonggorr, Alex Hodgman, Tom Hooper, Jeremy Williams, Nic White, Noah Lolesio, Andrew Kellaway.