Greg Growden Chief Rugby Correspondent | August 14, 2009

THE Wallabies will go for the old and the new when George Smith becomes the new Test captain and James O’Connor takes over at fullback against the All Blacks in Sydney next weekend.

Although the Test line-up will not be announced until Tuesday, there are strong indications that despite a concerted push for Berrick Barnes to take over as Wallabies captain for the injured Stirling Mortlock, the selectors will play safe by giving Smith the job. Smith is a reluctant captain but there is a feeling that seniority and experience will be required against the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium, especially as the opposition skipper is the wily Richie McCaw.

Smith will be able to keep a close eye on what McCaw is up to, especially how he manipulates the referee, because they will be direct openside breakaway opponents.

With uncertainty over how long Mortlock will be sidelined, the Wallabies’ end of season grand slam tour is scheduled as the time when a new long-term Test skipper will be introduced, with Barnes the early favourite. It is known that looking ahead to the 2011 World Cup, Barnes has the support of several influential Australian Rugby Union officials, who are eager for him to be the next Wallabies skipper.

While there was an early push for Ryan Cross to take over Mortlock’s outside-centre position, it is believed there has recently been a rethink and Adam Ashley-Cooper is now in line to be moved from fullback to No.13. This opens the way for O’Connor to take over at fullback after he excelled in that position when coming on as a replacement for Mortlock in the 29th minute of the Springboks Test at Newlands last Saturday.

Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said yesterday O’Connor was ready to start against the All Blacks. ”He’s always had the talent, and he’s a young man learning in the Test arena, which is very hard,” Deans said. ”Most young men get to learn the game at club level, where they can go back and seek the wise counsel of elders, whereas James is having his learning experience in a Test, where he has millions watching, the scrutiny is enormous, the consequence of error is often enormous, so it’s tough. But he’s shown the courage and capability. When you look at his response from Eden Park to Newlands, it was remarkable, and he enjoys it. Yes, he’s capable of starting. He wants to be out there, and he’s more than ready.”

O’Connor is already priming himself for being the Wallabies’ last line of defence. ”I’ve definitely got a bit of confidence at the moment and am pretty happy with my game,” he said.

The other major decisions Deans has to make are whether to start Ben Alexander at tight-head prop ahead of Al Baxter, Will Genia for Luke Burgess at halfback and Dean Mumm in the second row. After the Wallabies’ capitulations in both Auckland and Cape Town, Deans is under pressure from those around him to pursue the Wallabies’ next-generation policy.

Thankfully, the return of back-rower Rocky Elsom will provide much required aggression and edge to the Wallabies pack. Elsom showed enough at training at Coogee Oval yesterday to indicate he will walk straight back into the No.6 jersey.

As Wycliff Palu has been eerily quiet the past two Tests, Richard Brown is most likely to move to No.8 to allow for the inclusion of Elsom.

As is his style, Elsom was talking tough yesterday, demanding that the Wallabies pick up their act quickly.

”We can’t drop any more games,” Elsom said. ”There has been some definite negatives, which everyone would have noticed, and it is going to be a challenge to get them out of our performance.

”There are a couple of things that are lingering, and they have cost us the last two games. That has made it very hard for us in the tournament, and if we don’t get them out of the game, it will be hard going forward.”