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Dean Mumm to captain new-look Australia side against Uruguay

Dean Mumm in action for Australia against Argentina
Image: Dean Mumm will become the 84th player to captain Australia on Sunday

Australia coach Michael Cheika has made 14 changes to his starting XV for Sunday's World Cup match against Uruguay at Villa Park in Birmingham.

Cheika is keen for every member of his 31-man squad to get an early taste of the action as the Wallabies build up to their crucial Pool A showdowns with England and Wales.

A blow to the head of replacement prop James Slipper during Wednesday's 28-13 win over Fiji means loosehead Scott Sio is the only starter from that game in Cardiff.

The overhaul sees Sean McMahon make his fifth Test start at openside flanker, while No 8 Wycliff Palu plays his third Test of the year at the rear of the scrum.

In the back line, Nick Phipps and Quade Cooper are the half-back pairing and Henry Speight, who usually plays on the wing, gets another chance to impress at outside centre.

Lock Dean Mumm has been handed the honour of captaining the side with Stephen Moore dropping to the replacements' bench.

"It's an incredible honour to lead this group of players," said Mumm, who will be playing in his 39th Test as he leads a side with over 800 caps to their name.

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"Stephen Moore, Michael Hooper and Adam Ashley-Cooper have done an outstanding job as a leadership team this season and I'm extremely grateful to have the opportunity to contribute to what they've created and lead the team on Sunday.

"This is a really important match in our campaign and four players are getting the opportunity to play in their first World Cup match, so it is a significant occasion for those players and a chance for us to build on the performance against Fiji."

Cheika said: "We really want the entire squad to get a touch of the ball early at this World Cup and get everyone into match mode. We will need all 31 players ready for action throughout the tournament and this is the first chance to do that for many of this team.

"We've had a solid preparation for this match considering that we've had to play two games in five days and we're very happy with where the players are at. It's important we continue to improve each day as a collective."

Uruguay coach Pablo Lemoine has freshened up his pack and brought experienced winger Leandro Leivas into the backline to face the Wallabies.

Leandro Leivas of Uruguay runs with the ball during the friendly against Japan
Image: Leandro Leivas of Uruguay runs with the ball during the friendly against Japan

Los Teros opened their tournament in Cardiff last Sunday with a battling performance in a 54-9 defeat by Wales.

Lemoine has changed two thirds of his front row, bringing loosehead prop Mateo Sanguinetti and hooker German Kessler off the bench to replace Alejo Corral and Carlos Arboleya.

Franco Lamanna comes into the second row for Jorge Zerbino and Juan De Freitas will play at blindside flanker, allowing Juan Manuel Gaminara to move to No 8.

The half-back pairing of scrum-half Agustin Ormaechea and Felipe Berchesi, which impressed against the Welsh, is retained with the only change to the backline Leivas's inclusion in place of Santiago Gibernau.

Australia: 15 Kurtley Beale, 14 Joe Tomane, 13 Henry Speight, 12 Matt Toomua, 11 Drew Mitchell, 10 Quade Cooper, 9 Nick Phipps; 1Scott Sio, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 3 Toby Smith, 4 Dean Mumm (c), 5 Will Skelton, 6 Ben McCalman, 7 Sean McMahon, 8 Wycliff Palu.

Replacements: 16 Stephen Moore, 17 Sekope Kepu, 18 Greg Holmes, 19 Kane Douglas, 20 Rob Simmons, 21 Will Genia, 22 Bernard Foley, 23 Tevita Kuridrani.

Uruguay: 15 Gaston Mieres, 14 Leandro Leivas, 13 Joaquin Prada, 12 Andres Vilaseca, 11 Rodrigo Silva, 10 Felipe Berchesi, 9 Agustin Ormaechea; 1 Mateo Sanguinetti, 2 German Kessler, 3 Mario Sagario, 4 Santiago Vilaseca (c), 5 Franco Lamanna, 6 Juan De Freitas, 7 Matias Beer, 8 Juan Manuel Gaminara.

Replacements: 16 Nicolas Klappenbach, 17 Oscar Duran, 18 Carlos Arboleya, 19 Alejandro Nieto, 20 Diego Magno, 21 Fernando Bascou, 22 Alejo Duran, 23 Alberto Roman.

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