Australia vs England teams: Michael Cheika names towering centre pair as Samu Kerevi handed debut

The Wallabies show three debutants for the first Test against England in Brisbane

Dane Haylett-Petty (L), Nick Frisby (C) and Samu Kerevi (R) will make their Australia debuts (Getty)

Australia coach Micheal Cheika opted for size in his team for this weekend's first test against England on Thursday, including hulking centre Samu Kerevi and towering lock Rory Arnold among three new caps for the match at Lang Park in Brisbane.

Kerevi will partner Tevita Kuridrani in a midfield with a combined weight in excess of 200 kgs, while the 208-cm tall Arnold will provide the grunt to complement Rob Simmons' organisational ability in the second row.

In the selection of outside back Dane Haylett-Petty, the third debutant, Cheika resisted the temptation to unleash another big rookie back on the English and Fiji-born Taqele Naiyaravoro misses out on the matchday squad altogether.

Haylett-Petty, who plays at full-back for the Western Force, starts on the wing with Israel Folau retaining the number 15 jersey despite talk that he might move into the centres.

The midfield partnership was Cheika's biggest selection conundrum given the absence of Kurtley Beale and Matt Toomua through injury and incumbent inside centre Matt Giteau because of his French club commitments.

In opting for the Kerevi-Kuridrani partnership, he has given up the second receiver that Australia have locked in at inside centre for the last few years in favour of defensive solidity and potential line-breaks in attack.

Christian Lealiifano would have offered the second playmaker option but has been absent from the Wallabies training camp to be with his wife for the birth of their child and he starts on the bench as back-up to fly-half Bernard Foley.

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Scrum-half Nick Frisby is a fourth potential debutant, having earned a place among the replacements for the match at his home ground with some fine form for the Queensland Reds this season.

Arnold aside, Cheika has stuck largely with the pack that earned plaudits at last year's World Cup with David Pocock at number eight alongside Michael Hooper at openside flanker.

Tighthead prop Sekope Kepu arrived late to the training camp and is relegated to the bench with Greg Holmes getting the start in the front row alongside skipper Stephen Moore and loosehead Scott Sio.

England coach Eddie Jones names his team later on Thursday.

Australia team to play England:

Israel Folau; Dane Haylett-Petty, Tevita Kuridrani, Samu Kerevi, Rob Horne; Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps; Scott Sio, Stephen Moore, Greg Holmes; Rory Arnold, Rob Simmons; Scott Fardy, Michael Hooper, David Pocock.

Replacements: Tatafu Polota-Nau, James Slipper, Sekope Kepu, James Horwill, Dean Mumm, Sean McMahon, Nick Frisby, Christian Lealiifano

Reuters