Wallabies call on Nick Champion de Crespigny for surprise debut in Lions opener
The 29-year-old flanker, who played for Castres Olympique in France in recent seasons, slots into the back row next to captain and No 8 Harry Wilson and Fraser McReight.
Champion de Crespigny is one of just two uncapped players in Joe Schmidt's match-day squad, and had surged into calculations after injury to pivotal backrower Valetini and the in-form Langi Gleeson.
Schmidt has backed 22-year-old Tom Lynagh to steer the ship in a new-look halves combination with Jake Gordon.
Ben Donaldson will provide backline backup on the bench, with Schmidt resisting the temptation to recall veteran James O'Connor, who wore the No 10 in all three Tests 12 years ago. Hooker Matt Faessler returns after a last-start hat-trick in gold, having started for the Reds instead of playing against Fiji in his comeback from a hamstring injury.
Uncapped Andrew Kellaway has bumped Filipo Daugunu off a new-look bench that includes hooker Billy Pollard, scrumhalf Tate McDermott, prop Tom Robertson and flankers Tom Hooper and Carlo Tizzano. James Slipper will join George Smith as the only Wallabies to feature in back-to-back Lions series in the professional era while Wilson has retained the captaincy.
Canberra-raised Champion de Crespigny returned from a Top 14 stint with Castres Olympique to play for the Western Force this season to join the back of a bulging queue of contenders.
But, with two-time defending John Eales medallist Valetini and Gleeson on ice – former captain Liam Wright (shoulder) is also out of the picture – he'll be asked to dent a Lions line that has enjoyed five relatively comfortable wins since arriving in the country late last month.
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Lynagh hasn't played since the Reds lost their Super Rugby quarter-final in early June, with a broken hand ruling him out of the Fiji Test.
The Italy-born, England-raised playmaker finished school and moved to Australia in 2021 and has flourished under Wallabies coach-in-waiting Les Kiss as the Queensland Reds' main man for the last two years. He will make Australian rugby history as the first father-son Wallabies to face the Lions after Michael Lynagh wore the No 10 against the Lions in 1989.
'The whole squad has worked hard as a group to prepare for what's going to be a massive challenge against an in-form Lions team,' Schmidt said.
'With the short runway leading up to such a big test match, we know we must adapt fast and improve quickly, from the performance we had against Fiji recently. We're very much aware of the occasion and conscious of earning the support from the public through the effort they see on the field.'
The Lions will name their side later on Thursday, when it's expected coach Andy Farrell will confirm son and four-time tourist Owen will not be part of the match-day 23.
Wallabies: James Slipper, Matt Faessler, Allan Alaalatoa, Nick Frost, Jeremy Williams, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (c), Jake Gordon, Tom Lynagh, Harry Potter, Len Ikitau, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Max Jorgensen, Tom Wright. Bench: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Tom Hooper, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Andrew Kellaway.
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