There are four personnel changes and one positional alteration in the Wallabies starting XV that will tackle the All Blacks in the final Bledisloe Cup encounter of the year, in Tokyo on Saturday.

Wings Digby Ioane and Peter Hynes, centre Ryan Cross and No.8 Wycliff Palu are the new faces from the run-on combination which lost the closing Tri-Nations match in New Zealand last month.

Adam Ashley Cooper has reverted from centre to fullback in the place of James O'Connor.

O'Connor is listed among the replacements, alongside discarded captain George Smith.

Matt Dunning also makes his return from injury among the replacements. He and Ioane, who have both been sidelined by injury this year, have not featured for Australia since last year's year-end tour of Europe.

Ashley-Cooper has started 13 Tests for Australia in the No.15 jersey over the past two seasons - the most recent of which was against South Africa in Cape Town in the second match of the Tri-Nations. His last four Test appearances have all come in the midfield, three at outside centre, and one at inside centre.

"Returning Adam to fullback helps with the balance of the side," Wallaby coach Robbie Deans said.

"It is not a slight on the performance of James O'Connor at all. He's already had a big year, which it must be remembered has been his first at this level. We're wary of over exposing James and will be looking to manage his involvements through this tour."

Ashley-Cooper's relocation, plus the absence of former captain Stirling Mortlock due to a torn calf, has opened the way for Cross to return at centre, where he played during the Test win over the All Blacks in Sydney last year.

Saturday will be his 16th Test, and his third start of the year, after Cross previously featured in the run on XV against Italy at Melbourne and South Africa at Perth.

"Ryan has worked hard on the training paddock to gain this opportunity," Deans says.

Likewise Hynes and Palu gain their third starts of the campaign, with Hynes having featured in the run on XV against Italy (Melbourne) and South Africa (Perth), while Palu started in the first two Tri-Nations matches in Auckland and Cape Town.

The addition of Cross and Palu provide the Wallabies with added size in the midfield, and amongst the loose trio, where Palu has swapped duties with Smith from the Wellington Test.

He will combine with openside David Pocock and the new Wallabies skipper Rocky Elsom, who becomes Australia's 76th Test captain.

While the match will be a big occasion personally for Australia's new skipper, he says it is a massive event for the entire touring party.

"None of us were happy with our most recent performance," Elsom said.

"This is the first Bledisloe Cup Test to have been played in Japan and our final opportunity against the All Blacks for the year, so it's vital for us to produce a complete performance."

Elsom added it was important for the confidence of his touring group that it maximized its opportunities this weekend.

"That's not something we have done of late, and we know more than anyone that it is critical," Elsom said.

Deans echoed his skipper's sentiments, saying there was still plenty for the Wallabies to play for even though the Bledisloe Cup could no longer be won by Australia this year.

"The significance of the occasion – with it being the first Bledisloe Cup game to be played in front of a Japanese audience – demands a spectacle, and I'm sure that you will see that," Deans said.

"These are two proud nations, and the players are proud to be putting on their national jumpers. I'm sure that will reflect in their performance."

Meanwhile, it was announced that Waratahs centre Rob Horne is returning home after injuring his hamstring at training on Tuesday in Tokyo. He is being replaced by Brumbies centre Tyrone Smith, who departs for Japan on Tuesday.

Australia: 15 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 14 Peter Hynes, 13 Ryan Cross, 12 Berrick Barnes, 11 Digby Ioane, 10 Matt Giteau, 9 Will Genia, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 David Pocock, 6 Rocky Elsom (captain), 5 Mark Chisholm, 4 James Horwill, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 Stephen Moore, 17 Matt Dunning, 18 Dean Mumm, 19 George Smith, 20 Luke Burgess, 21 Drew Mitchell, 22 James O'Connor.

Date: Saturday, October 31
Venue: National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
Kick-off: 17.35 (08.35 GMT)
Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Craig Joubert, Taizo Hirabayashi (Japan
TMO: Akihisa Aso (Japan)

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