Jones makes sweeping changes

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.

Whittaker will make just his third start for his country, taking over both the scrum-half duties and the captaincy from George Gregan, who is resting a thigh injury.

David Giffin will be on the bench just 15 days after suffering head and shoulder injuries in the tournament opener against Argentina, provided he gets through an afternoon training session today.

Jones has handed a Test debut to Matt Dunning, a reward for his rapid development as Bill Young’s understudy at loosehead prop.

John Roe, who is also uncapped, has been named on the bench and will almost certainly come on for number eight David Lyons at some stage.

Fullback Chris Latham will get a chance to press his claim to the number 15 jersey after missing the start of the tournament through illness.

Mat Rogers, who took over the fullback role and scored a hat-trick against Romania has been shifted to the left wing to give Latham his run out, while Lote Tuqiri is on the right wing.

Nathan Grey, who played at fly-half for the Wallabies against England in June because of an injury to Stephen Larkham, will start at inside centre alongside Stirling Mortlock against Namibia.

Openside flanker David Croft will start, while centre Morgan Turinui comes onto the bench.

Utility Matt Giteau makes his first start for the Wallabies, playing at fly-half in place of Larkham, while Jeremy Paul is named at hooker and Ben Darwin gets a run at tighthead prop to create all-new front row.

Australia team to play Namibia in Adelaide on Saturday, October 25 (0700):

C Latham (Queensland); L Tuqiri (New South Wales), S Mortlock (ACT), N Grey (New South Wales), M Rogers (New South Wales); M Giteau (ACT), C Whittaker (New South Wales, captain); M Dunning (New South Wales), J Paul (ACT), B Darwin (ACT), J Harrison (New South Wales), N Sharpe (Queensland), G Smith (ACT), D Croft (Queensland), D Lyons (New South Wales).

Reserves: B Cannon (New South Wales), B Young (ACT), D Giffin (ACT)/D Vickerman (New South Wales), J Roe (Queensland), M Cockbain (Queensland), M Turinui (New South Wales), M Burke (New South Wales).