Waratahs hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau will play his 50th Test after being named for the Wallabies to start against Argentina in his first match since the Super Rugby final.
Polota-Nau injured the medial ligament in his right knee in the Waratahs’ historic title win five weeks ago and has been gunning for a comeback ever since, joining the Wallabies 10 days ago to finish his rehabilitation in camp.
He made it through a contact session on the weekend, ran with the side at training on Monday before being named to start on Tuesday in his 50th Test appearance and his first Test since the Wallabies’ final triumph against France in June.
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His experience and technical skills at set piece, particularly the scrum, will be a major boost for the Wallabies as they prepare to face the Pumas, who taunted South Africa’s pack in Salta three weeks ago.
Waratahs winger Peter Betham will join Polota-Nau in the starting line up after being named to replace 97-Test veteran Adam Ashley-Cooper, who will miss a week with a compression injury in his neck.
It will be the New Zealand-born winger’s second start after his debut against the All Blacks in Dunedin last year.
Betham was in electric form for the Waratahs early this season before injuring his knee in South Africa and missing 15 weeks. He made it back in time to play six minutes off the bench in the final against the Crusaders, which the Waratahs won 33-32 with a penalty goal in the 79th minute.
Force back rower Ben McCalman is the only other change, replacing NSW No.8 Wycliff Palu (concussion). It will be McCalman’s first Test since the June series and his first start since the second Test in Melbourne.
Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has opted to keep his bench combination intact, using Kurtley Beale and Scott Higginbotham as impact players as he did against the Springboks in Perth.
James Hanson moves to the bench after starting in the No.2 jersey last week.
The Pumas arrived on the Gold Coast on Monday night and hold their first training session on Tuesday.
Wallabies: 1 James Slipper, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 3 Sekope Kepu, 4 Sam Carter, 5 Rob Simmons, 6 Scott Fardy, 7 Michael Hooper (Captain), 8 Ben McCalman, 9 Nick Phipps, 10 Bernard Foley, 11 Rob Horne, 12 Matt Toomua, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 14 Peter Betham, 15 Israel Folau
Replacements: 16 James Hanson, 17 Pek Cowan, 18 Ben Alexander, 19 James Horwill, 20 Scott Higginbotham, 21 Matt Hodgson, 22 Nic White, 23 Kurtley Beale.