A mounting injury toll has forced the Australian selectors to choose an expanded 26-man squad for the Tri-Nations match with New Zealand.
The stand-in hooker Brendan Cannon has been ruled out of the July 13 game in Christchurch after injuring his knee in Australia's second Test win over France on Saturday, and five who would be automatic choices - the regular hooker Jeremy Paul, Matthew Burke, Toutai Kefu, Ben Tune and Ben Darwin - are in doubt.
The Wallabies' coach Eddie Jones said the squad would be trimmed back to 22 once the injury situation became clearer, with the starting XV finalised on July 10.
Burke, the vice-captain, is hopeful of playing despite leaving the field against the French with a shoulder problem. Jones said Burke was taken off as a precaution and the injury showed signs of improving in yesterday's training session.
"Matthew Burke looked good this morning but Brendan Cannon is facing a longer period on the sidelines with a strained medial," he said.
Cannon earned his first starting spot on Saturday after Paul injured his ribs in the first Test victory in Melbourne a week earlier, but he left the field before half-time with a knee injury.
Paul has been added to the squad in the hope that he will be fit to play the All Blacks, with Sean Hardman, who made his Test debut on Saturday as Cannon's replacement, retained as back-up hooker.
The No8 Kefu was also recalled after breaking his left hand in the first match against the French, and the wing Tune and prop Darwin were included after being injured before the season started.
Despite fielding an under-strength team the Wallabies followed their 29-17 first Test win with a 31-25 victory to complete a 2-0 series clean sweep over the Six Nations champions.
The hosts built a 13-0 lead after 29 minutes and, although France hit back with 18 unanswered points by the 46th minute, Australia went 31-18 ahead despite not dominating.
France, who had made six changes to the side that lost the first Test, had started well but Australia made the breakthrough on 17 minutes when French hands in the ruck gave Burke the opportunity to register three points.
That marked a spell of pressure from the Wallabies, and six minutes later Stephen Larkham's chip and run was gathered by the full-back Chris Latham, who found Stirling Mortlock for the day's first try.
Burke ran in the Wallabies' second only for Aurelien Rougerie to pull a try back, jumping on Nicolas Brusque's grubber kick.
Either side of half-time Gérald Merceron added a penalty and Sylvain Marconnet finished off a powerful attack with his first international try, but Australia bounced back with Mortlock feeding the wing Wendell Sailor, who passed to Daniel Herbert to score at the corner.
The Wallaby captain George Gregan then stretched the lead to a converted try with his first international drop goal, and Owen Finegan supplied Mortlock for Australia's fourth try before Rougerie scored his second try for the French with barely four minutes left.
France, who also lost a Test in Argentina last month, have been a shadow of the side that won a grand slam in style this spring. Their coach Bernard Laporte said his team's disappointment would be short-lived: "That was a much better game than last Saturday and we have learnt a lot from this tour."
Australia Tri-Nations squad:
Backs: Gregan (capt), Whitaker, Larkham, Flatley, Burke, Sailor, Rogers, Herbert, Tune, Latham, Walker, Mortlock. Forwards: Young, Noriega, Moore, Darwin, Paul, Hardman, Sharpe, Harrison, Vickerman, Finegan, Cockbain, Lyons, Kefu, Smith.
