Reds halfback Kalani Thomas is set to become the fifth Wallabies debutant this year after being named on the replacements bench to face France this Saturday in Paris.
Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has given debuts to Corey Toole, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Aidan Ross and Ryan Lonergan this season and introduced 19 new Wallabies last season. It is Lonergan who drops out of the match day squad to make way for Thomas.
Kalani Thomas will become the fifth Wallabies debutant this season.Credit: Getty Images for ARU
Thomas brings a sniping threat from the bench in the mould of his injured Reds teammate Tate McDermott, offering a contrast with starting halfback Jake Gordon.
Thomas has played 55 Super Rugby games and faced the British and Irish Lions twice with the First Nations and Pasifika and Australia and New Zealand selections.
Five-eighth Carter Gordon is named in the starting lineup as part of five changes after recovering from a quad strain which kept him out of the record Ireland defeat last Saturday in Dublin and hampered his kicking on his return Test against Italy.
Dylan Pietsch returns to the team after suffering from illness on the Spring tour, taking his place on the left wing and combining with Harry Potter on the right wing and Max Jorgensen who retains his place at fullback.
After the Wallabies’ lineout malfunctioned last Saturday with six missed throws, Nick Frost and Jeremy Williams are reunited in the second row, with Tom Hooper restored to his strongest position as blindside breakaway and Rob Valetini on the bench.
Frost and Williams will face Emmanuel Meafou, the Australian-raised second-rower who returns for France.
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