Australia change 13 starters, Champion de Crespigny captain for Japan test

TOKYO :Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has rested a host of stalwart campaigners and changed all but two of his starting side for Saturday's test against Japan, which opens Australia's end-of-season tour.

Schmidt retained only halfbacks Tane Edmed and Jake Gordon from the team that lost to New Zealand at the end of the Rugby Championship with flanker Nick Champion de Crespigny captaining the new-look side in his third test.

New Zealander Schmidt said that although he had a healthy respect for Japan, there was a limit to what he could ask of players with tests against England, Italy, Ireland and France to come before the end of November.

"We have already had 10 test matches, three against a big team like the British and Irish lions, the Rugby Championship, all big teams, and Fiji, who are very physical, so there is a degree of fatigue," Schmidt told a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday.

"I think it's just trying to get everyone to the finish line. I know last year, by the time we got to the second half of the Irish test match, the players were willing, but energy levels were just starting to taper a little bit.

"There's definitely a risk and I guess part of the job of the coaching staff is to manage the risk as best we can."

Schmidt said Champion de Crespigny was already part of the squad's leadership group and won out over Gordon as captain because the scrumhalf was focused getting his game right after his recent return from injury.

Regular skipper Harry Wilson was named on the bench with Rob Valetini coming into the back row at number eight alongside Carlo Tizzano, who stands in for Fraser McReight at openside flanker.

Hunter Paisami and Josh Flook form a new-look centre partnership in the absence of Joseph Suaalii, who is