Queensland Reds fly-half Tom Lynagh will get the chance to pull on the gold jersey for the first time, following in his father's footsteps.
Lynagh, who is the son of Wallabies legend Michael and younger brother of Harlequins star Louis, is joined by Western Force prop Marley Pearce and Brumbies debutant Klayton Thorn.
The squad is largely similar to the one that went to New Zealand at the start of the month and split the two-Test series against their Kiwi counterparts, with Western Force winger Ronan Leahy retaining his spot after a first Test hat-trick following his late inclusion. Junior Wallabies head coach Nathan Grey said: “After completing a successful tour to New Zealand, we are excited to represent Australia in Cape Town and test ourselves against the rest of the world.
“All players who have been part of the program this year have worked extremely hard together to give our team the best opportunity for success.”
Waratahs scrum-half Teddy Wilson, son of Reds and Wallabies legend David Wilson, will captain the side and is deputised by Western Force back row Ned Slack-Smith and Reds hooker Max Craig.
The team assembled in Sydney for a final hit-out against a Barbarians outfit on Wednesday before departing for Cape Town yesterday.
“It will take a squad effort to deliver performances we are proud of and achieve our goal of winning the tournament,” Grey added.
“The Barbarians game will be the final piece in the preparation puzzle, getting us match-ready and physically prepared for what we will face in South Africa.”
Runners up in 2010 and 2019, Australia lost out to champions France 24-23 four years ago and Grey will be hoping his side go one better this year.
He said: “They're playing against some of the best players in the world and learning to perform under pressure.
“They build resilience and toughness, and it helps to grow their confidence when they come back to this environment.
“They have a great opportunity to test themselves against some of the best players in the world but at a similar age to themselves.”
Squad
Taj Annan, Nick Baker, Nick Bloomfield, John Bryant, Max Craig, Trevor King, Tom Lynagh, Harry McLaughlin-Phillips, Tim Ryan, Harrison Usher, Ronan Leahy, Jhy Legg, Marley Pearce, Ned Slack-Smith, Liam Bowron, Massimo De Lutiis, Lachlan Hooper, Toby Macpherson, Klayton Thorn, Mason Gordon, Darby Lancaster, Daniel Maiava, Leafi Talataina, David Vaihu, Jack Barrett, Jack Bowen, Ollie McCrea, Henry O'Donnell, Jackson Ropata, Teddy Wilson (c)
