Mortlock rested against Italy in 2nd test

Australia coach Robbie Deans continued his policy of rotating players at will, resting Stirling Mortlock, handing veteran flanker George Smith his third match as Wallabies captain and making eight changes overall for the second rugby test against Italy.

Centers Ryan Cross and Quade Cooper, winger Peter Hynes, flankers David Pocock and Peter Kimlin and the front row of Ben Alexander, Tatafu Polota-Nau and Pek Cowan are the new faces in the starting XV from the team which beat Italy 31-8 in the first test last Saturday in Canberra.

The most significant changes were in the backline, where outside center and skipper Mortlock was given the week off and regular flyhalf and goalkicker Matt Giteau was named to the substitutes' bench on Tuesday.

In the forward reshuffle, the 23-year-old Cowan will become the 15th new player to be introduced to the Wallabies since Deans took over as national coach last year.

"We've got potentially 14 test matches to play this year, as well as the Barbarians game we've already had," Deans said. "Not only would it be unrealistic to focus that entire work load on the same players, a policy like that would also deny us the opportunity to develop others."

James O'Connor, the 18-year-old fullback who scored three tries in his starting debut last week, was retained in a reshaped backline that includes one positional and three personnel changes.

With Mortlock and Giteau out of the starting lineup, Berrick Barnes was moved from inside center to flyhalf to give Cross and Cooper a run in midfield.

Smith has been switched from the openside flank to No. 8 to allow Pocock his run-on debut on the side of the scrum. The game's most capped loose forward became Australia's 75th test captain when he led the side against Canada at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Both Polota-Nau and Alexander appeared off the bench last weekend but have come in for Stephen Moore and Benn Robinson, who are listed on the bench for the Melbourne match.

Last week's tighthead prop Al Baxter and No. 8 Richard Brown are being rested, while New South Wales Waratahs flanker Phil Waugh was recalled to the squad to take a place on the bench.

Deans said the changes were related to workload and opportunity issues. Australia plays France in Sydney on June 27 and the Tri-Nations against South Africa and New Zealand begins in mid-July.

"The changes should not be seen as a slight on the blokes who have missed out after last weekend," Deans said. "It's quite the opposite. We were happy with the way the guys played.

He said Italy provided strong competition last weekend and he is expecting more of the same in Melbourne.

"They will have got a lot out of that performance," Deans said. "They have shown in their last two test matches against us that they are not too far off taking out a major nation."

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Australia: James O'Connor, Lachie Turner, Ryan Cross, Quade Cooper, Peter Hynes, Berrick Barnes, Luke Burgess; Pekahou Cowan, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Ben Alexander, James Horwill, Dean Mumm, Peter Kimlin, David Pocock, George Smith. Replacements: Stephen Moore, Benn Robinson, Nathan Sharpe, Phil Waugh, Josh Valentine, Matt Giteau, Adam Ashley-Cooper.