WALLABIES NAME MEREDITH FOR FRANCE TEST AMID INJURY CRISIS

Declan Meredith will make his Test debut at flyhalf for Australia against France on Saturday at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The ACT Brumbies player takes the No 10 jersey after injuries to the first and second-choice options. Carter Gordon has been ruled out of the next two Tests against France and Italy with a calf injury, whilst Ben Donaldson sustained a similar calf injury in Australia's two-point loss to Ireland. Jock Campbell, who played fullback in that match, has been redeployed as a bench playmaking option, with Tom Wright replacing him in the starting XV.

Australia faces back-to-back Six Nations champions France without influential flanker Tom Hooper, who suffered a shoulder injury. Meredith, aged 25 from Cairns, impressed in Super Rugby Pacific this season with the Brumbies. Coach Joe Schmidt held discussions with Campbell before training, viewing the fullback as a potential flyhalf option despite him never starting in that position for Queensland. Filipo Daugunu and Nick Champion de Crespigny were added to the bench in the only other changes to the squad.

Schmidt has not yet named a replacement for Gordon in the broader squad, though former Reds flyhalf Harry McLaughlin-Phillips trained with the side this week without selection consideration. Tom Lynagh, who started at No 10 in all three Tests against the British and Irish Lions last year, continues recovering from a leg injury. Bernard Foley, the veteran flyhalf who spent six years in Japanese club rugby, remains in consideration for Australia's Perth Test against Italy. The eighth-ranked hosts seek to avoid a sixth consecutive Test loss for the first time in a decade.