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Australia v South Africa: international men’s rugby union Test – live
The Wallabies are set to face the Springboks in Perth, kicking off at 5.45pm local time. A major storyline for Australia is the ongoing challenge at the No. 10 position. Following Carter Gordon's leg injury against the Pumas, Ben Donaldson has been selected to start. This decision comes after coach Les Kiss considered more experienced options like James O'Connor and Bernard Foley. Notably, there is no specialist five-eighth on the bench, with Kiss opting for a 6-2 interchange split. This strategic choice is driven by a desire to upskill younger players and empower them to lead the game. Kiss emphasized providing "blue sky" for these emerging talents to take the team forward. He acknowledged the ability to fall back on experienced players if necessary. This approach contrasts with the recent All Blacks series, where a consistent team selection was favored to build momentum. The current strategy aims to evaluate new talent ahead of the Nations Championship and the World Cup.