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Wallabies backrower Charlie Cale picked up a shoulder injury ahead of the clash with the Springboks and is now set to return to Canberra. One time Australia captain Nick Champion de Crespigny was called up to the team for the first time under Les Kiss.
Cale has endured a difficult injury run in recent seasons, having gone two years between appearances in Wallaby gold, before appearing in four Tests this season. But the loose forward suffered another setback, as the Wallabies confirmed in a squad update on Tuesday.
Cale, 25, will return to Canberra to begin his recovery, while Champion de Crespigny has been called into the squad. Champion de Crespigny was involved in Joe Schmidt’s plans for Nations Championship Tests in July but has not been named in two teams since then.
Champion de Crespigny made his debut for the Wallabies in the first Test against the British and Irish Lions last July, and would captain the national team for the first time three months later in a hard-earned win over the Brave Blossoms in Japan.
The 30-year-old featured in another Spring Tour match, adding a performance off the bench in the Test against England at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium, and went on to make a dozen appearances for Western Force during 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Champion de Crespigny brings a powerful skill set and experience to the Wallabies squad, having spent multiple seasons in France Top 14 with Castres before linking up with the Force ahead of the 2025 campaign.
The Wallabies remain unbeaten under coach Kiss after beating the Brave Blossoms twice and then the Los Cougars once. Their last game was a thrilling 28 draw against Los Pumas at the Malvinas Argentinas Stadium in Mendoza.
“South Africa are the best team in the world, so what better way to test what we’ve been doing and everything we’ve been working on than to do it against the best?” Force and Wallabies backrower Carlo Tizzano told reporters ahead of this weekend’s Springboks Test.
“It’s going to be unreal to get the win. I think we’ve grown a lot since we last played them in Perth.
“But it’s all about making sure we do all the things we talked about during the week. And if we do that, then we should get a good result.”
