'The biggest friend for Eddie': Joe Schmidt names a shock new Wallabies captain for Saturday's dangerous date with Japan

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has sprung a major surprise by naming Nick Champion de Crespigny as the 92nd captain of Australia against Japan in Tokyo on Saturday.

Regular skipper Harry Wilson has been named on the bench as Western Force flanker de Crespigny takes the reins in just his third Test.

Jake Gordon or Jeremy Williams, who captain their Super Rugby clubs, were more obvious candidates but Schmidt has instead placed his faith in the well travelled 29-year-old who is renowned for his brutal approach to training.

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"It's a surprise because I don't know the ins and outs of what's going on within the squad," Michael Hooper said on Stan Sport's Rugby Heaven.

"You know he's hard nosed, you know what he brings on the field. You know that this guy's going to approach training with a certain attitude, in a game, a certain level every week.

"But hasn't played much at that level, hasn't captained much at a high level, so in terms of decision making, in terms of guiding the team around, working with his nines and 10s, how's he going to go in that situation? A little bit of a surprise."

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Wallabies legend Tim Horan was also taken aback.

"I would have thought if Jake Gordon starts at nine, that Jake Gordon would have got the captaincy," Horan said.

Fellow Stan Sport analyst Morgan Turinui said Schmidt viewed captaincy differently to other coaches.

"What I find interesting around Joe Schmidt is that I don't think he's ever that obsessed with who the captain is," Turinui said.

"And I see Champion de Crespigny as a very similar profile to a Harry Wilson. He's in the engine room, he's up front physically. I suppose he'll give a performance that is a 'follow me' guy.

"I wouldn't think he'd be too worried about game calling and bits and pieces with the experience of a Jake Gordon and Tane Edmed there as well."

Carter Gordon's return to the Wallabies has been put on ice with Edmed named to start at No.10 and Hamish Stewart providing cover on the bench.

Schmidt has rested many of his big guns, including Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Fraser McReight and Max Jorgensen, for the first assignment of a gruelling five match tour.

Queensland's Zane Nonggorr has earned his first Test start in his 17th appearance for his country, while former All Blacks prop Aidan Ross is in line for his Wallabies debut off the bench.

Ross would become just the fifth man to represent both Australia and New Zealand in Test rugby.

"It was great to get the group back together late last week in Sydney, and to welcome in a couple of new faces," Schmidt said.

"The players have acclimatised well here in Tokyo and the whole squad is conscious of the threat the Brave Blossoms pose. They play hard and fast and are very tough to beat, especially at home."

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Former Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie said the changes gave Eddie Jones' Japan a sniff.

"I think the biggest friend for Eddie is going to be the Wallabies selections," McKenzie said in conversation with Jones on the Rugby Unity podcast, before the team was confirmed.

"In terms of Australia going in with different combos again, some of their strike players maybe not being there.

"I've been impressed with the Japanese efforts in the Pacific Cup, I think they've been pretty good. I'm sure Australia's looked at them, so I don't think there's any risk that their players won't be able to handle them. But I think that there's some good circumstances there for it to be an interesting game."

Jones often tries to get under the skin of his rivals but instead lavished praise on the Wallabies under his successor.

"I think that's the thing that's impressed everyone about Australia this year is their mental toughness, their ability to stay in the game and play good intelligent rugby to stay in the game – they've done that in nearly every Test," Jones said.

"Maybe in the last two New Zealand Tests they weren't as good in that area, but certainly for the vast majority of the season they've been very good in that area. And that goes down to Wilson's leadership. I think (Will) Skelton had a key role to play, particularly in the early Tests – and he'll be missed.

"It's great to see Australia doing well, it's great to see Australia move back to the top echelon of world rugby. And for us, it's a great opportunity for our young team to play against one of the best teams in the world.

"They've been really good, particularly at playing that half-pitch attack and playing off the nine (halfback). Their commitment to defence, their ability to scramble has been outstanding."

JAPAN (15-1): Yoshitaka Yazaki, Kippei Ishida, Dylan Riley, Shogo Nakano, Tomoki Osada, Lee Seung-sin, Shinobu Fujiwara, Michael Leitch, Kanji Shimokawa, Ben Gunter, Warner Dearns (c), Jack Cornelsen, Shuhei Takeuchi, Hayate Era, Kenta Kobayashi

Reserves: Kenji Sato, Ryosuke Iwaihara, Keijiro Tamefusa, Tyler Paul, Tiennan Costley, Kenta Fukuda, Charlie Lawrence, Sam Greene

WALLABIES (15-1): Andrew Kellaway, Corey Toole, Josh Flook, Hunter Paisami, Dylan Pietsch, Tane Edmed, Jake Gordon, Rob Valetini, Carlo Tizzano, Nick Champion de Crespigny (c), Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Jeremy Williams, Zane Nonggorr, Josh Nasser, Angus Bell

Reserves: Billy Pollard, Aidan Ross, Tom Robertson, Josh Canham, Harry Wilson, Ryan Lonergan, Hamish Stewart, Filipo Daugunu

Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)