Scrumhalf Will Genia will captain Australia against South Africa in their Rugby Championship match on Saturday, after James Horwill was ruled out through injury.
Regular skipper Horwill will miss Saturday Round Three encounter in this Southern Hemisphere showpiece in Brisbane, after scans revealed he had strained his left hamstring during Tuesday’s training.
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Kane Douglas will replace Horwill and line up alongside fellow lock Rob Simmons, while Western Force back row forward Ben McCalman was named as a new forward replacement on the bench.
Genia has skippered the Wallabies on three previous occasions, most recently leading the team to a 26-19 victory over South Africa in Perth last September.
“Will is a proven leader and has had plenty of success as captain for the Queensland Reds and also for Australia,” Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie said of Genia.
“He is a player that thrives with the added responsibility and he has always stepped up when given the opportunity to lead. I’m sure this will bring the best out of him.
“It’s extremely disappointing to lose James but after discussions with medical staff we felt it was important not to risk further injury when he isn’t ready.”
“Scans revealed his injury was on the lower-end in terms of severity and we expect him to be back to full fitness when we embark on our two-game tour of South Africa on 28 September and Argentina on 5 October.”
The Wallabies enter Saturday’s match against South Africa with possession of the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate and will retain the silverware for a fourth straight year with a victory at Suncorp Stadium.
Australia (revised): 15 Israel Folau, 14 James O’Connor, 13 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 12 Christian Lealiifano, 11 Nick Cummins, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Will Genia (Captain), 8 Ben Mowen, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Scott Fardy, 5 Kane Douglas, 4 Rob Simmons, 3 Sekope Kepu, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 James Slipper.
Replacements: 16 Saia Faingaa, 17 Scott Sio, 18 Ben Alexander, 19 Ben McCalman, 20 Jake Schatz, 21 Nic White, 22 Matt Toomua, 23 Jesse Mogg.
Date: Saturday 7 September 2013
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-off: 12:05 SA Time (20:05 AEST, 10:05 GMT)
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Nigel Owens (Wales), Glen Jackson (New Zealand)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)