Wallabies coach Schmidt explains surprise captaincy call for Japan

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt insists Nick Champion de Crespigny will be well supported by the playing group this weekend, when the two-Test backrower becomes the 92^nd captain of Australia in a Test against Japan in Tokyo.

Champion de Crespigny will lead a new-look Wallabies side into battle on Saturday, with coach Schmidt making 13 changes to the First XV that were defeated by the All Blacks 28-14 at Perth’s Optus Stadium earlier this month.

Regular skipper Harry Wilson has shifted to the bench, and the likes of Fraser McReight haven’t been named at all, leading to Champion de Crespigny’s headline-grabbing appointment as the newest captain of the Wallabies.

After an impressive Super Rugby Pacific season with the Western Force, Champion de Crespigny debuted for the Wallabies against the British & Irish Lions in Brisbane. The blindside flanker has made one other appearance, lining up against the Springboks in South Africa.

In what will be Champion de Crespigny’s third Test, the loose forward has been handed the figurative captain’s armband. As Schmidt explained, others like Western Force captain Jeremy Williams will help take some of the pressure off the No. 6.

“Nick has captained Sydney University in the past. He was vice-captain of the Western Force when they played against the British & Irish Lions, so he’s had recent leadership experience,” Schmidt told reporters in Tokyo.

“He’s part of our leadership team and he’ll be really well supported by Jeremy Williams and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto who will be looking after the lineout.

“Obviously, with Jake Gordon and Tane Edmed playing for the Waratahs and playing a couple of Tests together, they will also be really supportive for Nick Champion de Crespigny.”

The Wallabies have never lost to the Brave Blossoms, and Schmidt has turned to a different set of players to keep that record intact. Angus Bell, Josh Nasser and Zane Nonggorr start in the front row, with Williams and Salakaia-Loto as the locking duo.

Australia’s Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year Carlo Tizzano has been called into the run-on side at openside flanker, joining Champion de Crespigny and two-time John Eales Medallist Rob Valetini in the loose forwards.

Former NSW Waratahs teammates Jake Gordon and Tane Edmed will link up in the halves, with Hunter Paisami and Josh Flook from the Reds in the midfield. Dylan Pietsch and Corey Toole are the wingers, with Andrew Kellaway returning to the Test arena at fullback.

This Wallabies outfit will take on a young yet strong Brave Blossoms side, with coach Eddie Jones making six changes to the First XV after the Pacific Nations Cup Final defeat to Fiji last month – headlined by the inclusion of Michael Leitch in the backrow.

Japan were beaten by Fiji 33-27 in the PNC decider on September 21. The Flying Fijians had fallen painfully short of a second consecutive win over the Wallabies earlier in the year, only for Wilson to steal the win with a last-gasp try.

“Some players that I’ve seen play for Japan quite often. Obviously, the ones that are well known to the Australians are the Australian ex-players. Ben Gunter I think has been selected, I haven’t seen the whole team,” Schmidt explained.

“Dylan Riley tends to play for them regularly, [Jack] Cornelsen… guys like [Kanji] Shimokawa, there are some very good players around them. [Shinobu] Fujiwara has been very good and [Lee Seung-sin] again, very good. They have been a combination for a period of time that allows them to be fluent as well.

“Shuhei [Takeuchi] is a very good athlete at tighthead prop, he loves to run with the ball. There are lots of threats from this Japan team. They got very close to beating Fiji and Fiji got very close to beating us, so it stacks up as a real contest.”