July 9 (Reuters) - Declan Meredith will make his Wallabies debut at flyhalf when Australia take on Six Nations champions France in a Nations Championship test at Brisbane's Lang Park on Saturday.
• Meredith, 27, came into test reckoning after a strong season for the ACT Brumbies in Super Rugby. Carter Gordon and Ben Donaldson were both ruled out of the match by calf injuries.
• Jock Campbell was named on the bench as cover for flyhalf despite a strong performance at fullback in the narrow loss to Ireland last week. Tom Wright will start at fullback.
• Ryan Lonergan has recovered sufficiently from a blow to the throat that forced him off the pitch against the Irish to start at scrumhalf.
• Nick Champion de Crespigny comes onto the bench in place of flanker Tom Hooper, who has been ruled out of the remainder of the Nations Championship by a shoulder issue.
• With Wright promoted to the starting team, Filipo Daugunu was named among the replacements to cover the outside backs.
• Australia also face Italy in Perth next week in the July segment of the Nations Championship, which will be Joe Schmidt's last match in charge before he hands over the coaching reins to Les Kiss.
• "We have worked hard on continuing to improve after missing some vital opportunities last weekend," said Schmidt. "We know we can be better on Saturday, and we know that we will need to be against the back-to-back Six Nations Champions."
• Australia team: 15–Tom Wright, 14–Max Jorgensen, 13–Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 12–Len Ikitau, 11–Dylan Pietsch, 10–Declan Meredith, 9–Ryan Lonergan, 8–Harry Wilson, 7–Fraser McReight, 6–Rob Valetini, 5–Jeremy Williams, 4–Josh Canham, 3–Allan Alaalatoa, 2–Josh Nasser, 1–Angus Bell
• Replacements: 16–Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17–James Slipper, 18–Taniela Tupou, 19–Lachlan Shaw, 20–Nick Champion de Crespigny, 21–Tate McDermott, 22–Jock Campbell, 23–Filipo Daugunu
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Thomas Derpinghaus)
