Australia v South Africa, Perth, The Rugby Championship
Deans hands debut to Shipperley
ESPN Staff
September 4, 2012
Reds winger Dom Shipperley celebrates a late try, Waratahs v Reds, Super Rugby, ANZ Stadium, Sydney, Australia, February 25, 2012
Shipperley starts for the Wallabies © Getty Images
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Players/Officials: Kurtley Beale | Dom Shipperley
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Australia coach Robbie Deans has handed a debut to Dom Shipperley for their match with South Africa on Saturday.

Shipperley comes into the team for the injured Drew Mitchell and Deans has also opted to start Kurtley Beale and Radike Samo. Beale starts at fullback with Adam Ashley-Cooper shifting to outside centre while Samo replaces Scott Higginbotham at No.8.

Beale was dropped for their second match against the All Blacks - which they lost 22-0 - after enduring a torrid time in their Rugby Championship opener. But Deans has backed Beale to re-find his best form against the Boks on Saturday.

"He's in a better space. I don't think you'll see a performance like that from Kurtley again," Deans said. "He's too good a player for a repeat of that.

"It was just one of those nights really. It goes from bad to worse and just compounds. It's in the past fortunately. I've seen a player that's very keen not to have a repeat."

Stephen Moore starts for the Wallabies and will become the most capped hooker in Australian Test history and will take over from Jeremy Paul who is on 72.

Australia: Kurtley Beale, Dominic Shipperley, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, Digby Ioane, Quade Cooper, Will Genia (capt), Benn Robinson, Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander, Sitaleki Timani, Nathan Sharpe, Dave Dennis, Michael Hooper, Radike Samo

Replacements: Tatafu Polota Nau, James Slipper, Scott Higginbotham, Liam Gill, Nick Phipps, Mike Harris, Anthony Fainga'a

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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