Wallabies co-captain James Slipper is in doubt for their opening Rugby Championship Test against South Africa after suffering a knee injury at training.
Coach Eddie Jones sent an SOS to uncapped prop Blake Schoupp following Slipper’s mishap, which is a massive blow to Australia’s hopes of a first ever win in Pretoria.
The Wallabies only have seven players in the squad remaining from their last Test in South Africa in 2019, with 34-year-old Test centurion Slipper among them.
ACT Brumbies rising star Schoupp arrived on Wednesday night to be on standby, with the team for the Loftus Versfeld encounter to be announced Thursday night (Australian time).
When first selected in a preliminary Wallabies training squad this year Jones said the 23-year-old loosehead was the perfect prop prototype.
“He is built like a brick s—house isn’t he?” Jones said of the Wollongong product.
“He is perfectly built to be a prop.”
The Wallabies face a challenge against the massive Springboks pack with fellow props Angus Bell (toe) and Taniela Tupou (Achilles) unlikely to suit up after long-term injuries.
Matt Gibbon comes into the selection frame at loosehead, Allan Alaalatoa, who is also coming off a calf injury, on the tighthead side for the Saturday Test (local time).
Jones is predicted to throw up a few selection curveballs with former NRL star winger Suliasi Vunivalu tipped for his first Test start.
Uncapped Brumbies utility forward Tom Hooper is expected to wear the No.6 jersey with co-captain Michael Hooper (no relation) and Rob Valetini rounding out the back row.
Jones will confirm his matchday 23 on Thursday afternoon [AEST] as the Wallabies attempt to find a solution to an 0-7 winless record at Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld.
Saturday night’s Test might prove their best opportunity to end that run however, after South Africa opted to split their squad in two and name an advance party for next week’s Test against the All Blacks in Auckland.
“Our plan from the outset was to select a squad that we believe has what it takes to beat Australia while at the same time selecting a group of players that could travel to New Zealand to give us the best possible chance to do well in both matches,” Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber said in a media release on Tuesday.