Cooper takes centre stage

Cooper: Starts in the centres

There's no balance to be struck between rebuilding and winning - we want to do well on Saturday. Our squad isn't experienced but we've selected the team to do well on the weekend

Robbie Deans
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Australia coach Robbie Dean has named a much-changed back line for Saturday's clash with England at Twickenham.

Quade Cooper and Drew Mitchell have been rewarded with starting berths following impressive displays in Tuesday's 36-5 win over Gloucester.

Cooper scored 16 points playing at fly-half in the tour fixture at Kingsholm but switches to inside centre this weekend.

Winger Mitchell, who scored two late tries against the Cherry and Whites, takes over out wide from Digby Ioane, who moves to outside centre having started on the wing in last week's 32-19 loss to New Zealand.

Adam Ashley-Cooper moves to full-back while Ryan Cross and James O'Connor, who both started against the All Blacks in Tokyo, have been dropped to the bench.

Smith returns

The only change in the pack sees George Smith return at openside flanker in place of David Pocock, who is amongst the replacements.

The Wallabies won 28-14 on their last visit to Twickenham but there are just eight survivors in the starting VX from that match last autumn.

Deans is without the services of injured trio Berrick Barnes, Nathan Sharpe and Phil Waugh for the duration of the tour, while Stirling Mortlock is still nursing a calf strain. He is expected to be back for the game against Ireland.

"Saturday is the toughest game because it's England at Twickenham - that's the way it is," the Wallabies coach said.

"We'll have to earn everything we get. We've prepared to win the match and that's what we're aspiring to do.

"England will expect to win and we have an opportunity to chase that result, but we're presuming nothing.

"There's no balance to be struck between rebuilding and winning - we want to do well on Saturday. Our squad isn't experienced but we've selected the team to do well on the weekend.

"It's not as though we've left a lot at home. This is our best crew, England have selected their best crew."

Australia team: A Ashley-Cooper (Brumbies); P Hynes (Queensland Reds), D Ioane (Queensland Reds), Q Cooper (Queensland Reds), D Mitchell ((NSW Waratahs); M Giteau (Brumbies), W Genia (Queensland Reds); B Robinson (NSW Waratahs), S Moore (Brumbies), B Alexander (Brumbies), J Horwill (Queensland Reds), M Chisholm (Brumbies), R Elsom (Brumbies, capt), G Smith (Brumbies), W Palu (NSW Waratahs)
Replacements: T Polota-Nau (NSW Waratahs), M Dunning (Western Force), D Mumm (NSW Waratahs), D Pocock (Western Force), L Burgess (NSW Waratahs), R Cross (Western Force), J O'Connor (Western Force)