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White leads six Wallabies in Force side to face Lions, but no Beale / Photo: © AFP
White leads six Wallabies in Force side to face Lions, but no Beale
Western Force coach Simon Cron named six current Wallabies Thursday in his starting side to face the British and Irish Lions, but in a setback veteran Kurtley Beale was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
The tourists open their nine-game Australian itinerary in Perth on Saturday, desperate to make a winning start after a shock 28-24 loss to Argentina in a warm-up in Dublin last week.
They will face a side skippered by experienced scrum-half Nic White, who along with Nick Champion de Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson and Darcy Swain were all released from Australia's training camp in Sydney.
Team-mates Carlo Tizzano, Jeremy Williams and Harry Potter were not and will miss the game.
Beale, a 95-Test veteran, was set to play but picked up a hamstring niggle in training on Tuesday.
To compensate, Australia coach Joe Schmidt has allowed Wallabies playmaker Ben Donaldson to make a late dash to Perth.
White partners Alex Harford in the halves with Pietsch and Mac Grealy on the wings and Matt Proctor forming a midfield with Hamish Stewart. Donaldson will start at full-back.
Robertson will line up in the front row alongside Brandon Paenga-Amosa and retiring prop Ollie Hoskins.
Sam Carter will play his final game in Force colours partnering Swain, who last week earned his first Wallabies call-up since 2022, in the locks.
Will Harris, Champion de Crespigny and Vaiolini make up the back row.
The Force have played the Lions once before, losing 69-17 in 2013.
Western Force (15-1):
Ben Donaldson; Mac Grealy, Matt Proctor, Hamish Stewart, Dylan Pietsch; Alex Harford, Nic White (capt); Vaiolini Ekuasi, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Will Harris; Darcy Swain, Sam Carter; Ollie Hoskins, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Tom Robertson
Reserves: Nic Dolly, Marley Pearce, Tiaan Tauakipulu, Lopeti Faifua, Reed Prinsep, Henry Robertson, Max Burey, Bayley Kuenzle
R.Song--SG
