Qantas Wallabies named for historic Barbarians clash

18-year-old James O'Connor will start at fullback against the Barbarians.

Australia’s second youngest Wallaby will start in his first match for his country after James O’Connor was today named in the Qantas Wallabies side for tomorrow night’s (Thursday morning 6.45am AEDT) commemorative match with the [British] Barbarians club at London’s Wembley Stadium.

The match, which will be played at the host venue of the 2012 Olympic Games, celebrates the Olympic Gold Medal won by the Wallabies at the 1908 London Games.

At 18 years and 126 days, O’Connor was the second youngest player ever to play for Australia when he became Wallaby number 832 in making his Test debut against Italy at Padova last month.

Last year’s Australian schoolboy’s representative now makes his first start in the Wallaby jumper, being positioned at fullback by Wallabies coach Robbie Deans.

The Barbarians have traditionally fielded one uncapped player in major matches, and the Wallabies have today followed suit with the naming of the uncapped Brumbies lock Peter Kimlin among the run on reserves.

A replacement for injured Queensland second rower James Horwill from the original touring party, Kimlin will play his first, albeit non-cap, match for the Wallabies if called into the action at Wembley.

Waratahs halfback Brett Sheehan also gains his first appearance of the tour as Deans fulfils his promise to give every member of the Spring Tour squad playing time.

The pair are among 10 players not required for last weekend’s 18-21 loss against Wales at Cardiff who will front in the match night squad against the Barbarians.

In the absence of injured tour skipper Stirling Mortlock, the Wallabies will be led by flanker George Smith. Smith, who finished last Saturday’s match as the Wallabies’ on-field captain, deputized for an unavailable Mortlock in July, when Australia won the opening Bledisloe Cup Test of the year against the All Blacks at Sydney.

Mortlock (head knock) and fellow senior players; Matt Giteau (shoulder and ankle injuries) and Nathan Sharpe (fractured thumb), were not considered for selection due to injury.

Deans has also opted to share the work load by omitting hooker Stephen Moore, winger Peter Hynes and props Al Baxter and Benn Robinson, who have all had a busy year in the Wallaby jersey.

Giteau and Moore were the only two players who featured in all 14 Tests played by the Wallabies in 2008, while Mortlock, Baxter and Hynes missed just one match each.

Winger Lote Tuqiri, who replaced Hynes after 33 minutes at the Millennium Stadium last weekend, makes his long awaited return to the starting XV after working his way back to full fitness following knee surgery at the conclusion of the Tri-Nations.

In the absence of Giteau, Quade Cooper takes over at flyhalf, after performing well from inside centre off the bench for 78 minutes of the Welsh Test.

Another feature of the combination is the selection of Adam Ashley-Cooper at inside centre, partnering Ryan Cross.

Eleven of Ashley-Cooper’s previous 13 Wallaby appearances for the Wallabies this year have been from fullback, after he started the season as Tuqiri’s wing-replacement during the first Test against France in the Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series. The versatile 24-year-old then deputized for Cross at centre during the win against France in Paris two weeks ago.

The Qantas Wallabies team to play the Barbarians at Wembley Stadium in London on Wednesday 3 December (7.45pm kick off, local, 6.45am, 4 December, AEDT), is:

15. James O’Connor            (Western Force)

14. Lote Tuqiri                       (NSW Waratahs)                    

13. Ryan Cross                     (Western Force)

12. Adam Ashley-Cooper    (Brumbies)

11. Digby Ioane                     (Queensland Reds)

10. Quade Cooper                (Queensland Reds)

9. Brett Sheehan                   (NSW Waratahs)

8. Richard Brown                  (Western Force)

7. George Smith                    (Brumbies, captain)

6. Dean Mumm                      (NSW Waratahs)

5. Hugh McMeniman             (Queensland Reds)

4. Mark Chisholm                  (Brumbies)

3. Matt Dunning                     (NSW Waratahs)

2. Tatafu Polota-Nau             (NSW Waratahs)

1. Sekope Kepu                    (NSW Waratahs)

Run on reserves:

16. Adam Freier                    (NSW Waratahs)

17. Ben Alexander                (Brumbies)

18. Peter Kimlin                    (Brumbies)

19. David Pocock                 (Western Force)

20. Luke Burgess                  (NSW Waratahs)

21. Lachie Turner                  (NSW Waratahs)

22. Drew Mitchell                  (Western Force)

Australia v Barbarians – Historical Notes

+ This is the 10th match between Australia and the Barbarians since the foundation game in 1948 at Cardiff Arms Park. The Barbarians won on that occasion, 9-6.

+ Australia has won its last fives matches against the Barbarians, and has won six of the nine games that have been played. The most recent match was at the end of the 2001 tour when the Wallabies prevailed 49-35 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.

+ Tomorrow’s match continues the strong association that exists between the Barbarians club and the three Tri-Nations countries of the SANZAR alliance. As well as its record against Australia, the Barbarians have played New Zealand on nine occasions (for a solitary victory, alongside a draw and seven losses), and South Africa six times – for three wins apiece. The Baabaas most recent outing against the Springboks was last year, when they beat the newly crowned Rugby World Cup champions. Jake White, who prepared the Boks for that match, is the Barbarians coach this time.