Stirling Mortlock has been passed fit to captain a full-strength Australia side in their opening World Cup clash with Japan on Saturday.

Australia head coach John Connolly admitted choosing his most potent backline is proving troublesome after naming another revamped team for Sunday’s clash with Ireland.

Australia captain Stirling Mortlock will start in the unfamiliar role of inside centre for Saturday’s clash with Ireland.

AUSTRALIA have called up hulking prop Rodney ‘Rodzilla’ Blake to face the All Blacks in Brisbane on Saturday, the only change to the side that handed South Africa a record thrashing two weeks ago.

THREE gruelling battles in consecutive weeks took their toll as Ireland capitulated to a stronger Australian side at Subiaco Oval, Perth, on Saturday.

AUSTRALIA have included nine uncapped players in a new-look 33-man squad.

PROP Matt Dunning might be the only change to the Australia side for the clash against Wales at the Millennium Stadium tomorrow - but it is a significant one.

Australia head coach Eddie Jones has axed tight-head prop Al Baxter for Saturday’s clash with Ireland at Lansdowne Road and gambled on an inexperienced front row.

FIVE newcomers are included in the 31-man Australian squad for next month’s four-nation European tour, during which the Wallabies will face Ireland.

Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio will lead the northern hemisphere team in Saturday’s IRB Rugby Aid tsunami fund-raising game against their southern counterparts at Twickenham.

CLIVE WOODWARD yesterday announced his northern hemisphere squad for the Tsunami rugby aid match against the southern hemisphere at Twickenham on March 5.

Clive Woodward today announced his northern hemisphere squad for the Tsunami rugby aid match against the southern hemisphere at Twickenham on March 5.

BARBARIANS coach Bob Dwyer yesterday gave an interesting glimpse into the future of Australian rugby by selecting Wallabies winger Lote Tuqiri at outside centre and Matt Giteau at fly-half for tomorrow’s Gartmore Challenge against New Zealand at Twickenham.

Elton Flatley, who so nearly dashed England’s dreams in the World Cup final a year ago, has returned to the Australia side for their defence of the Cook Cup at Twickenham on Saturday.

Australia coach Eddie Jones has named an unchanged side for the winner-take-all Tri-Nations decider with South Africa in Durban on Saturday.

Hooker Brendan Cannon will return from suspension to be the only change in personnel for Australia’s assignment at home to New Zealand on Saturday.

Australia were today forced to reshuffle their replacements for Saturday’s World Cup final rematch against England after winger Mark Gerrard and hooker Jeremy Paul sustained injuries in training.

Inside centre Matt Giteau returns to the Australia team to play England in Saturday’s World Cup final rematch after shaking off the flu that kept him out of last weekend’s victory over Scotland.

Scotland will have to brace themselves for the return of Stirling Mortlock and Phil Waugh to the Australia side after Eddie Jones today named his starting line-up for Saturday’s second Test in Sydney.

Scotland will face a new-look Australia side in Sunday’s first Test after Wallabies coach Eddie Jones awarded Clyde Rathbone and Radike Samo their international debuts.

Chris Whittaker will lead Australia for the first time after Wallabies coach Eddie Jones made the expected sweeping changes to his starting line-up for his team’s World Cup pool match against Namibia in Adelaide on Saturday.

Eleven of Australia’s key players will go into the defence of the World Cup without having played a match in eight weeks.

The continuing misfortunes of Andrew Mehrtens and Jonah Lomu continue to dominate the build-up to New Zealand’s Tri-Nations clash with Australia on Saturday.

John Mitchell returned to his strongest possible line-up for New Zealand’s twin assault on the Bledisloe Cup and the world number one ranking this weekend.

Chris Latham’s international season went full circle on Wednesday when he was re-instated to the Australia side for this weekend’s Tri-Nations Test against South Africa.

SUPPORT for banned Irish rugby international Frank Sheahan mounted yesterday when his club called for full clarification on the use of asthma inhalers.

AUSTRALIA coach Eddie Jones has called for Irish referee Dave McHugh to strictly police the breakdown and clamp down on any infringements in order to promote the fast, running rugby style he wants to play against England on Saturday.

Phil Waugh has replaced George Smith as Australia’s openside flanker for Saturday’s international against Wales at the Telstra Stadium in Sydney.

Australia 45

Ben Tune's reversal of fortune was complete today when he was named on the Australian side to meet South Africa in the Tri-Nations decider on Saturday.

Australia have made one change for the Tri-Nations Series clash with South Africa in Perth on Saturday night.

Australia have lost two key players for Saturday's deciding third Test against the Lions at Stadium Australia in Sydney.

Teams for Australia versus the Lions, second Test, Colonial Stadium, Melbourne, tomorrow, kick-off 10am (Irish time).

Australia have made three changes for the second Test against the Lions at Melbourne’s Colonial Stadium on Saturday following last weekend’s 29-13 loss in Brisbane.

Coach Rod Macqueen today named uncapped props Nick Stiles and Ben Darwin in a 22-man Wallabies squad for Saturday’s first Test against the Lions.