Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie admits the selection of super-sized lock Will Skelton for his Test debut on Saturday is more about breaking the All Blacks' Bledisloe Cup stranglehold than intimidating the French.
While the 203cm, 140kg second-rower will bring obvious power to the Wallabies pack, McKenzie says he picked Skelton for his brain not brawn.
Skelton replaces World Cup captain James Horwill as the Wallabies target a clean sweep of France in the final match of their three-Test series at Allianz Stadium.
But with bigger fish to fry than Les Bleus, McKenzie is hoping Skelton's vision and soft hands can provide the X-factor the Wallabies need to end the world champion All Blacks' 12-year trans-Tasman dominance.
"Everyone talks about his size, but I've been more impressed by the skill touches," McKenzie said.
"I've said for years now the thing that's defined the All Blacks is the forwards' contribution to passing in the game.
"You'll find that the All Blacks, their forwards might make up to 25 per cent of the passing in the game. Most other countries are around the 12 per cent mark.
"So having forwards who can create opportunities creates lots of diversity in the game.
"It's easy to crash the ball up. It's knowing when to do that and when to create opportunities for someone else and I've seen him do that a number of times this year and that's the thing that has impressed me the most.
"He's just got a good instinct for the game. Anyone who's been watching the Waratahs all year will know what he's capable of doing.
"They're things that we want to see if we can incorporate into our game and get some value out of that."
The inclusion of 22-year-old Skelton in the Wallabies' last Test before tackling the All Blacks in Sydney on August 16 is one of two changes from Australia's starting XV that beat France 6-0 last Saturday.
Skelton's NSW Waratahs teammate Wycliff Palu returns at No.8 at Ben McCalman's expense after missing the second Test in Melbourne with a minor ankle injury.
There are two changes to the bench, with Brumbies prop Scott Sio and Waratahs outside back Rob Horne getting their first opportunities in the match-day squad for this season.
Horne comes in for Pat McCabe, who has suffered a nerve compression injury to his shoulder, while Sio replaces the Western Force's Pek Cowan on the bench.
Saturday's victory over France was Australia's sixth consecutive win, a feat last achieved by a Wallabies team in 2005.
The Wallabies haven't won seven straight Tests in 15 years.
Australia: Israel Folau, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Toomua, Nick Cummins, Bernard Foley, Nic White, Wycliff Palu, Michael Hooper (capt), Scott Fardy, Will Skelton, Rob Simmons, Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, James Slipper. Reserves: Nathan Charles, Scott Sio, Laurie Weeks, James Horwill, Ben McCalman, Nick Phipps, Kurtley Beale, Rob Horne.
AAP djw/rw
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