Shock new skipper denies 'B team' slight ahead of huge Wallabies Test

The Wallabies’ shock new captain has rejected suggestions coach Joe Schmidt has thrown a B team into the deep end for one of Australian rugby’s most significant Tests in years.

Momentous victories over the touring British and Irish Lions and the world champion Springboks on South Africa’s high veldt will count for nothing if the Wallabies slip up against Eddie Jones’s Japan in Tokyo on Saturday.

A loss would send the Wallabies further down the rankings from their current seventh spot ahead of next month’s all-important draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

The Wallabies need to force their way into the world’s top six by the end of their five-Test spring tour of Japan and Europe to secure a top-six seeding for the global showpiece.

That would mean the tournament hosts would be top seeds in one of the six pools, rather than run the huge risk of facing heavyweights like two-time defending champions South Africa, the All Blacks, Ireland or France first-up in the knockout stages.

Fixture

Internationals

Japan

15 - 19

Full-time

Australia

All Stats and Data

Schmidt admitted after making 13 personnel changes on Thursday there was an element of “risk” in resting so many stars, including Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Max Jorgensen and regular skipper Harry Wilson, who will come off the bench against Japan.

But after being promoted to captain for just his third Test, Western Force flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny insists the Wallabies will still field a quality line-up capable of taking care of the 13th-ranked Japanese.

“We’ve got a great squad here with a lot of depth,” Champion de Crespigny said.

“You look at the team we’ve named, you’ve got Angus Bell who’s come up on 50 caps, Lukhan (Salakaia-Loto), who is one of the best locks in the world.

“You’ve got (two-times John Eales Medallist) Bobby Valentini, Carlo Tizzano, who was named the Super Rugby Player of the Year.

“You’ve got those combinations like myself and Carlo, (Josh) ‘Flooky’ and Hunter (Paisami in the centres). (Queensland front-rowers) Josh Nasser and Zane Nonggorr.

“So as a team, we’re really confident in the sort of performance we can put out there, and we want to put a performance out there that we can be proud of and the Australian public can be proud of.

“We’re very internally driven.”

Even Champion de Crespigny agreed it was “somewhat surprising” to learn on Thursday he was being unveiled as the Wallabies’ 91st Test captain for such a high-stakes encounter.

But the 29-year-old is drawing inspiration from a text message from the legendary Eales, as well as the support he’s received from his teammates.

“It was very special to me. I’m very honoured,” the skipper said of Eales reaching out.

“John just told me to be myself and trust my instincts and really embrace and enjoy every moment come Saturday.”

Asked for his message to the doubters not convinced he was ready to lead his country, Champion de Crespigny said: “It’s a real group effort. I’ve got guys to lean on and I’ll let my actions do the talking.”