Wallabies make two changes for Pumas at Twickenham

Australia head coach Michael Cheika has made two changes to his Wallabies team to play Argentina in the final Rugby Championship match to be held at Twickenham.

Cheika has named Rebels backrower Lopeti Timani to start the match in the number 8 jersey after his team mate Sean McMahon was ruled out with an ankle injury.

The match will be Timani’s first start for Australia and comes after he made his Test debut off the bench inm Australia’s 36-20 victory over Argentina in Perth last month.

The only other change to the starting team is the return of Brumbies lock Rory Arnold who comes in to replace Rob Simmons and partners Adam Coleman in the second row.

The combination of Arnold with Coleman is the tallest second row combination in Wallabies history, with Coleman 2.05m and Arnold even taller at 2.08m.

The Rugby World Cup 2015 semi-final replay, being played at the same venue as last year’s clash, will also mark a special occasion for captain Stephen Moore, who will equal George Smith as the fourth most-capped Wallaby in history, when he runs out for his 111th Test.

Cheika has named an extended bench with Leroy Houston in line for his Test debut, hoping to become the 11th Wallabies debutant of 2016. The Queensland Reds number 8, currently playing for Bath in the English Premiership on a medical loan, earned a late call up this week with injuries depleting Australia’s backrow stocks.

Prop Allan Alaalatoa has overcome his knee injury and is set to return to the Test arena for the first time since the Wallabies’ 23-17 win over South Africa at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane last month.

Australia

1. Scott Sio ,2. Stephen Moore (c) ,3. Sekope Kepu,4. Rory Arnold,5. Adam Coleman ,6. Dean Mumm,7. Michael Hooper ,8. Lopeti Timani ,9. Will Genia,10. Quade Cooper ,11. Reece Hodge ,12. Bernard Foley,13. Samu Kerevi ,14. Dane Haylett-Petty ,15. Israel Folau ,

Replacements : (one to be omitted)James Hanson ,Tom Robertson ,Allan Alaalatoa ,Kane Douglas,Scott Fardy ,Leroy Houston*Nick Phipps,Tevita Kuridrani ,Sefa Naivalu ,

*denotes uncapped player