Eddie Jones has resisted calls to throw young gun Carter Gordon into the playmaking hot seat as the Wallabies chase a desperately-needed Rugby Championship win over Argentina.
Jones has retained 35-year-old Quade Cooper at five-eighth for Saturday's Test in Sydney and reunited the veteran with midfield dynamo Samu Kerevi in a proven 10-12 axis following the season-opening 43-12 thumping from South Africa in Pretoria.
Gordon bagged a lovely long-range try on debut after being thrust into the action late at Loftus Versfeld after Cooper was starved of quality possession.
Gordon continues to excel after a stand-out Super Rugby campaign with the Melbourne Rebels but Jones admits it's a juggling act trying to develop a squad capable of winning this year's World Cup in France and field the best team to topple the Pumas.
"We're running a marathon this year and we didn't get off the start line like we wanted to, but we get another opportunity to find our rhythm this weekend against a tough Argentinian side," Jones said on Thursday.
"It's about winning but there's a couple of processes we've got. We've got the process of today, we've got the process of tomorrow. So that's a continual balancing act but obviously Saturday's the priority."
Jones typically offered up a couple more cross-sport analogies in explaining why he felt it was too soon to start 22-year-old Gordon.
"He's a great young player, but he's a young kid at the moment. He's finding his feet," he said.
"Would Quade have played like that in the last 10 minutes when there was plenty of space and there was a bit of quick ball?
"So you got to be careful of that. It's like a batsman coming in the second innings and there's no result on and he gets a quick 50 and they say, 'Oh shit, he should be playing next Test'.
"So Quade is coming back from a serious Achilles injury so we want to give him some time and Carter's coming through beautifully. Couldn't be happier with him.
"He's one out, one back, we're just holding him back at the moment and we'll let him go when we get over the rise but we're not at the rise yet."
Jones made five changes to his starting XV and two positional switches.
Fraser McReight has replaced Michael Hooper at openside flanker after the co-captain was ruled out with a calf strain.
Lock Richie Arnold has earnt his first Test start, replacing Nick Frost, while the other change in the well-beaten forward pack has Jed Holloway replacing the injured Tom Hooper in the No.6 jersey.
In the backs, winger Suliasi Vunivalu has made way for Mark Nawaqanitawase and the powerhouse Kerevi comes into the centres to partner Len Ikitau.
Jones has overhauled his finishers, bringing in props Angus Bell and Pone Fa’amausili while lock Matt Philip and the versatile Rob Leota have also been included among six reserve forwards.
Leota hasn't played since rupturing his Achilles in last year's Bledisloe Cup series while back-rower Josh Kemeny is in line for a Test debut.
Wallabies: James Slipper (capt), David Porecki, Allan Alaalatoa, Richie Arnold, Will Skelton, Jed Holloway, Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini, Nic White, Quade Cooper, Marika Koroibete, Samu Kerevi, Len Ikitau, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Tom Wright. Res: Jordan Uelese, Angus Bell, Pone Fa’amausili, Matt Philip, Rob Leota, Josh Kemeny, Tate McDermott, Carter Gordon.
Argentina: Thomas Gallo, Julian Montoya (capt), Francisco Gomez Kodela, Matias Alemanno, Tomas Lavanini, Pablo Matera, Santiago Grondona, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Gonzalo Bertranou, Santiago Carreras, Mateo Carreras, Jeronimo de la Fuente, Lucio Cinti, Rodrigo Isgro, Emiliano Boffelli. Res: Augustin Creevy, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Eduardo Bello, Lucas Paulos, Rodrigo Bruni, Lautaro Bazan Velez, Nicolas Sanchez, Matias Moroni.
