Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has handed over yet another Test debut, with veteran Hamish Stewart poised to take the No. 12 jersey for Sunday morning's [AEST] Test against the Pumas in Buenos Aires.
Australia will also be led by yet another new captain, with Gunnedah-raised Harry Wilson given the nod, as forecast by ESPN earlier this week.
"Harry's been really good for us, and I think he's led himself really well," Schmidt told reporters via video on Friday morning [AEST].
"He has a natural propensity to express himself well, but with very few words. And I don't think that we want to be doing that much talking, it's about the actions that he's going to deliver and lead from the front effectively."
Stewart, meanwhile, will become the 15th debutant since Schmidt took charge earlier this year, the Western Force centre having edged Brumbies-bound David Feliuai in the race to replace Hunter Paisami, who was injured in Australia's 30-12 loss to South Africa in Perth.
Stewart's ascension to the top level is a testament to his persistence, with the Queenslander having played 100 Super Rugby games in a career that began at the Reds back in 2017.
Stewart switched to the Force in 2023, his tenacious defence seeing him nail down the No. 12 jersey under coach Simon Cron.
The Toowoomba-born 26-year-old was previously a part of the Australia A squad that toured Japan in 2022, before he was named in Schmidt's first Wallabies squad earlier this year.
But he has still had to bide his time this season and wait for an opportunity to come, one that arrived with Paisami's knee injury.
"He's a massive team man, Hamish, he's warmed up for every single Test we've played so far this without getting a run at all," Schmidt said of Stewart.
"He has contributed to other people being as prepared as we can have them, and it's great that he's got the opportunity now to prepare himself to go out in a really big arena where the expectations are going to be high, and the pressure's going to be just as high."
Elsewhere, Schmidt has brought tighthead prop where Taniela Tupou straight back into the front-row after he sat out the back-to-back losses to South Africa following the death of his father.
The Wallabies in dire need of some go-forward up front after they managed only one try in 160 minutes of rugby against the South Africans.
Tupou's immediate return to the starting side does however push Alaalatoa to the bench, creating the situation that has seen Wilson become the fourth captain of the Kiwi's tenure and eighth since the start of 2023.
With Liam Wright and Fraser McReight also injured, Waratahs skipper Jake Gordon -- who has regained the No. 9 jersey from Nic White -- was thought to be the logical choice to captain the Wallabies, but Schmidt has instead handed Wilson the honour after the No. 8 finished the second Test in Perth as Wallabies captain.
Wilson then attended the post-match press conference alongside Schmidt, as both Alaalatoa and Slipper were being attended to by the medics.
Asked whether Wilson could be a longer-term captaincy option for the Wallabies, Schmidt said injury and form had, for now, largely forced his hand.
"It's really hard to say just because we are where we are with the balance of personnel we've got at the moment and even the experience, or lack thereof, particularly in terms of being captain at this level," Schmidt said.
"There are other guys who will help him lead around the field as well, there are guys who have been provincial or Super [Rugby] captains and there are guys who have accumulated a few more Tests than Harry.
"Sometimes it's a balance about a guy playing really well in his position and you just want him to stay focused on what he's been delivering really well rather than distract him with another responsibility."
A promotion to the captaincy caps an incredible few months for Wilson, after his hopes of a Wallabies recall were delayed when he was injured late in the Reds' Super Rugby season.
But he returned from that broken arm to face Georgia in Sydney, two years after he last wore Wallaby gold under Dave Rennie.
Wilson played no part in Eddie Jones' failed Wallabies return in 2023, while he had also fallen out of favour under Rennie throughout the back half of 2022.
But the former Australia Under 20s standout flourished under new Reds coach Les Kiss this season, telling ESPN before a ball had been kicked in Super Rugby Pacific how much he was enjoying Kiss' approach.
Elsewhere, Nick Frost has returned from the head knock suffered against the Springboks in Brisbane to partner Lukhan Salakaia-Loto in the second-row, while Matt Faessler has regained the No. 2 jersey from Josh Nasser.
Gordon is the only change in the backline, with the Waratahs halfback replacing White in the No. 9 jersey.
AUSTRALIA: Tom Wright, Andrew Kellaway, Len Ikitau, Hamish Stewart, Marika Koroibete, Noah Lolesio, Jake Gordon; Harry Wilson (c), Carlo Tizzano, Rob Valetini, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Nick Frost, Taniela Tupou, Matt Faessler, Angus Bell.
Replacements: Josh Nasser, Isaac Kailea, Allan Alaalatoa, Jeremy Williams, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Max Jorgensen.