Adnaan Mohamed

Brisbane - Australia boasts a strong historical dominance over South Africa from past matches in Brisbane, but their coach Robbie Deans doubted that would count for anything this weekend, aside from perhaps offering additional motivation for the visitors.

“It will be about the here and now – as it always is,” said Deans at the team Hotel on Monday.

“Our team is significantly different even from that which played (against South Africa) in Brisbane last year, as is theirs. The players who were involved on our side from that occasion can take confidence from that experience, but it won’t be worth any points for us on the score board once this game starts,” he explained

There are three new faces and a further positional change in the Wallabies side that has been named on Tuesday for Saturdays Tri-Nations clash against South Africa at the Suncorp stadium in Brisbane.

Prop Benn Robinson and lock Nathan Sharpe add their considerable expertise to the forward pack, while Will Genia returns to set alight the backline, in the personnel changes from the Qantas Wallabies starting line-up that headed off Ireland 22-15 in the city last month.

A further switch sees Adam Ashley-Cooper and James O’Connor swap positions in the Australian back three, with Ashley-Cooper reverting to fullback, while O’Connor will run from the wing for the first time in his 18-Test career.

Robinson, who will feature in his 32nd Test match, appears for the first time in 2010 after being sidelined since early May due to a broken arm.

Prior to injury, the highly regarded prop, who celebrated his 26th birthday yesterday, had missed just three of the 28 Tests played by Australia dating back to the start of 2008.

Sharpe is also coming off an enforced layoff, albeit of just one match, after having been forced to withdraw from last month’s win over Ireland three days prior to the game due to a back strain.

After a steady build up which included a full involvement in all national squad training prior to the team’s arrival in Brisbane, Robinson also had a strong hit out with 60 minutes for his Eastwood club in Sydney last weekend.

Genia, who was forced to miss Australia’s last outing due to a fractured hand that was sustained during the second Cook Cup Test against England in June, also featured in club rugby last weekend to confirm his readiness for a Test return.

The Reds skipper from this year’s Investec Bank Super 14 Series will play the 13th Test of his career at the weekend, after having made his first run on start for the Wallabies in the corresponding game against South Africa at Suncorp Stadium last season.

“It’s really good to have a few of the troops back who have been unavailable to us, and Benn and Stephen especially, given that we haven’t had access to them thus far during our programme,”  said Deans.

“Benn has had a little bit more background than Stephen, in terms of having been able to get underway a little bit earlier after his injury, which is why he’s ready to start while we are easing Stephen back in off the bench,” he added.

Wallabies:  Adam Ashley Cooper, James O’Connor, Rob Horne, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell, Quade Cooper, Will Genia, Richard Brown, David Pocock, Rocky Elsom (captain), Nathan Sharpe, Dean Mumm, Salesi Ma’afu, Saia Fainga, Benn Robinson.

Substitutes: Stephen Moore, James Slipper, Rob Simmons, Matt Hodgson, Luke Burgess,  Berrick Barnes, Kurtley Beale.