Wallabies turn to Taniela Tupou, Nic White for Lions finale

The Wallabies will be without star back-rower Rob Valetini for the third and final Test against the British and Irish Lions, but prop Taniela Tupou has earned a recall after Allan Alaalatoa’s injury.

Valetini has been on ice for the Accor Stadium clash in Sydney after he did not return for the second half of last week’s dramatic 29-26 loss to the Lions at the MCG.

But the Wallabies will have some power up front still, with Tupou set to give Australia another key ball-carrying option alongside Will Skelton.

Tupou has not played for Australia yet this season, but the prop showed glimpses of his best both at scrum time and general play in the First Nations-Pasifika XV’s narrow loss to the Lions last week.

Nic White will meanwhile bring down the curtain on his Test career after announcing his retirement from international rugby. White has been awarded a start in his Test swansong, with Jake Gordon dropping out of the matchday 23 altogether after playing 80 minutes last week.

Valetini’s spot has been taken by Brumbies forward Tom Hooper, who has been chosen ahead of Langi Gleeson in the No. 6 jersey.

Valetini last week turned in a superb first half in his first game since the Brumbies’ Super Rugby semifinal loss in mid-June, the two-time reigning John Eales medallist key in getting Australia on the front foot.

The back-rower ran for 28 metres on nine carries, which was only bettered for forwards by Lions back-rower Tadhg Beirne who played the full 80 minutes.

Schmidt revealed Valetini had “tightened up” at halftime and the Wallabies made the decision not to send him out for the second half as a result, the calf injury that saw him miss the first Test in Brisbane now set to scrub him from Saturday’s finale.

The Wallabies appear to have made a judgement call with a two-Test tour of South Africa to come a fortnight after the third Test with the Lions.

Australia have returned to a 5-3 bench split this week, with Andrew Kellaway adding extra backline cover after Tate McDermott was forced to play 55 minutes on the win in Melbourne.

Schmidt said the Wallabies were desperate to atone for last week’s heartbreaking defeat at the MCG.

“The squad was certainly deflated after the gut-wrenching end to last week’s Test in Melbourne, but they have started to gather momentum in the back half of the week and will be ready to go again on Saturday,” he said via media release.

“The support in Brisbane and Melbourne helped to lift the squad, and I know the support this weekend in Accor Stadium, will again help to lift the players in the high-pressure moments that we know are coming.”

Rugby Australia has meanwhile confirmed that Saturday night’s finale is a sell-out. There were fears that the Lions’ victory in Melbourne, which wrapped up the series, could make it tough for the final few thousand tickets to be moved.

But the governing body on Thursday confirmed that there were now no seats left at Accor Stadium, which will mean a crowd of around 82,000 will travel to the Olympic precinct this weekend.

WALLABIES TEAM FOR THIRD LIONS TEST

Tom Wright, Max Jorgensen, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Lynagh, Nic White; Harry Wilson [c], Fraser McReight, Tom Hooper, Will Skelton, Nick Frost, Taniela Tupou, Dave Porecki, James Slipper. Replacements: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Zane Nonggorr, Jeremy Williams, Langi Gleeson, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson, Andrew Kellaway.