Former NRL star winger Suliasi Vunivalu is set to make his Wallabies debut after being named on the bench for Australia's deciding clash with England.
Set to win his first Test cap, NRL recruit Suliasi Vunivalu is urging the Wallabies to adopt a State of Origin-type mentality and rip in against England on Saturday night.
The former Melbourne premiership winger has been named on the bench for the sold-out Sydney clash after he made the code switch following the Storm's 2020 grand-final triumph.
Returning to the SCG to play a Test for the first time since 1986, the Wallabies are looking to hoist aloft the newly minted Ella-Mobbs trophy, with the series locked at one win apiece.
Now playing for the Queensland Reds, Vunivalu watched their league counterparts go to war in Brisbane on Wednesday night and says the Wallabies need to start in the same frenzied fashion to "shut the Pommies up".
The Wallabies have got off to slow starts in both Tests so far and were able to peg back the advantage in Perth, but couldn't bridge a 19-point deficit in the last match in Brisbane.
"I think so - watching that game just made me look forward to the Saturday game," said Vunivalu, when asked about adopting an Origin intensity.
"That intensity right from the start, we've been lacking that with the Wallabies in the first 20 so if we can bring that up and shut the Pommies up we'll be doing a good job."
Persistent hamstring issues meant the 26-year-old's first international was a long time coming, so Wallabies coach Dave Rennie is eager to see what the Fijian-born finisher will bring to the Test arena.
"He's a hell of an athlete and so we're excited for him to get an opportunity on the weekend," Rennie said on Thursday.
"We can see him getting some reasonable minutes and hopefully stamping his authority on rugby at this level."
Rennie made four changes to the starting side from Brisbane with Reds backrower Harry Wilson and Melbourne fullback Reece Hodge included for the first time this series.
Hodge is the Wallabies' third starting fullback in as many games with Tom Banks and Jordan Petaia sidelined with injury.
Wilson will start at blindside flanker with Rob Leota covering backrow and lock from the reserves.
Lock Nick Frost will make his starting debut while loosehead prop James Slipper has swapped places with the benched Angus Bell.
With Hodge able to cover a number of roles, there was no room in the reserves for veteran playmaker James O'Connor with Rennie instead opting for outside back Len Ikitau.
Rennie said 22-year-old Wilson had trained the house down and deserved an opportunity.
"Harry's gone very well, he's trained very well," Rennie said.
"He's pushed really close for selection over the last couple of weeks and it's great to give him his opportunity.
"It's been a pretty brutal series so far, as injuries on both sides will tell us, so Harry's fresh and ready to go and keen to rip in."
Among other new faces Reds skipper Tate McDermott has also won his first selection, replacing Jake Gordon as the reserve halfback.
Rennie said the team was disappointed with their 25-17 loss last Saturday and said a possible series win over England would be massive.
"We were disappointed with last week, we're better than that, we've got to be more clinical."
Wallabies: Reece Hodge, Tom Wright, Hunter Paisami, Samu Kerevi, Marika Koroibete, Noah Lolesio, Nic White, Rob Valetini, Michael Hooper, Harry Wilson, Nick Frost, Matt Philip, Taniela Tupou, David Porecki, James Slipper. Reserves: Folau Fainga'a, Angus Bell, Allan Alaalatoa, Rob Leota, Pete Samu, Tate McDermott, Len Ikitau, Suliasi Vunivalu.
