Wallabies boss Robbie Deans © Getty Images

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Matches: Australia 21 - 18 Wales

Players/Officials: Nathan Sharpe

Tournaments/Tours: Rugby World Cup

Teams: Australia | Wales

Nathan Sharpe will make his 100th appearance for Australia in Friday's Rugby World Cup play-off clash with Wales in Auckland.

The veteran lock has been recalled to the Wallabies second-row alongside captain James Horwill, with Dan Vickerman having been ruled out through injury.

Sharpe's inclusion is one of six changes to the pack which faced New Zealand last weekend. There is an all new front-row as James Slipper, Tatafau Polota-Nau and Salesi Ma'afu take over from Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore and Ben Alexander, respectively.

The services of David Pocock are retained at openside flanker but Radike Samo drops to the bench to facilitate the inclusion of Ben McCalman at No.8, while Scott Higginbotham takes over at blindside flanker from Rocky Elsom, who drops out of the 22.

Kurtley Beale returns at fullback after recovering from the hamstring injury which ruled him out of the All Blacks defeat and his inclusion sees Adam Ashley-Cooper switch to outside centre, taking the place of Anthony Faingaa, who must make do with a place on the bench. Ashley-Cooper is joined in midfield by Berrick Barnes, who takes over at No.12 from shoulder injury victim Pat McCabe. The rest of the back-line remains unchanged.

Coach Robbie Deans says his new-look side will not be taking the third-place play-off clash lightly. Deans suggested at the team announcement that a win on Friday would go some way in making up for the disappointment of the Wallabies' semi-final loss to rivals New Zealand.

"We want to come away with something to show from this tournament and a bronze medal would be great. To walk away with nothing would just compound the pain that we're already feeling now. We're going to get up and we're going to be ready to put on a good show.

"Hopefully we're going to be able to walk away with a bronze medal and say, 'Look guys, we were beaten by the best - we can handle that - but we still put in,'" said Deans.

Australia: Kurtley Beale; James O'Connor, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, Digby Ioane; Quade Cooper, Will Genia; James Slipper, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Salesi Ma'afu; James Horwill (capt), Nathan Sharpe; Scott Higginbotham, David Pocock, Ben McCalman.

Replacements: Saia Faingaa, Ben Alexander, Rob Simmons, Radike Samo, Luke Burgess, Anthony Faingaa, Rob Horne.