Australia v England, Perth, June 12
Hape debuts against recalled O'Connor
Scrum.com
June 10, 2010
England centre Shontayne Hape , England training session, Pennyhill Park Hotel, Bagshot, England, May 26, 2010
Shontayne Hape is to debut against the Wallabies © Getty Images
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Players/Officials: Shontayne Hape | James O'Connor
Tournaments/Tours: England tour
Teams: Australia | England

Shontayne Hape will make his Test debut on Saturday as England take on Australia in Perth.

The former New Zealand rugby league international has been named at inside centre for the showdown, in which England are chasing their first win on Australian soil since the 2003 Rugby World Cup final.

Hape partners Gloucester veteran Mike Tindall in midfield in the absence of Riki Flutey, while Jonny Wilkinson has been unable to force his way back into the starting XV. Toby Flood retains the No.10 jersey, outside scrum-half Danny Care.

There are three further changes to the side that narrowly lost to France in the final game of the Six Nations, with Stade Francais lock Tom Palmer and Leeds-bound hooker Steve Thompson both returning. The final change comes in the back-row, where British & Irish Lions flanker Tom Croft returns alongside skipper Lewis Moody and No.8 Nick Easter.

James O'Connor returns at fullback for Australia after scoring a hat-trick for the Australian Barbarians in midweek. Quade Cooper has again been entrusted with the playmaking duties at fly-half, with Berrick Barnes at inside-centre following an injury to Matt Giteau. Luke Burgess starts at scrum-half, with Reds No.9 Will Genia only fit enough for a place on the bench after an injury layoff.

The main concern for the Wallabies comes in the front-row, where injuries to Benn Robinson, Ben Alexander and Stephen Moore have left them short of options. Reds prop Ben Daley will make his debut in a trio boasting only two Test caps, with Salesi Ma'afu and Saia Faingaa having made their bows against Fiji last weekend.

England: B Foden (Northampton); M Cueto (Sale Sharks), M Tindall (Gloucester), S Hape (Bath), C Ashton (Northampton); T Flood (Leicester), D Care (Harlequins); T Payne (Wasps), S Thompson (Brive), D Cole (Leicester), S Shaw (Wasps), T Palmer (Stade Francais), T Croft (Leicester), L Moody (Leicester, capt), N Easter (Harlequins).

Replacements: G Chuter (Leicester), D Wilson (Bath), C Lawes (Northampton), J Haskell (Stade Francais), B Youngs (Leicester), J Wilkinson (Toulon), M Tait (Sale Sharks)

Australia: J O'Connor (Western Force); D Ione (Queensland Reds), R Horne (NSW Waratahs), B Barnes (NSW Waratahs), D Mitchell (NSW Waratahs); Q Cooper (Queensland Reds), L Burgess (NSW Waratahs); B Daley (Queensland Reds), S Faingaa (Queensland Reds), S Ma'afu (ACT Brumbies), D Mumm (NSW Waratahs), N Sharpe (Western Force), R Elsom (ACT Brumbies, capt), D Pocock (Western Force), R Brown (Western Force).

Replacements: H Edmonds (ACT Brumbies), J Slipper (Queensland Reds), M Chisholm (ACT Brumbies), M Hodgson (Western Force), W Genia (Queensland Reds), P Hynes (Queensland Reds), K Beale (NSW Waratahs)

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