Australia drop captain Genia
Back-rower Ben Mowen will become Australia's 80th Test captain in Saturday's Test against Argentina in Perth after Will Genia was dropped from the starting XV.
Mowen takes over the captaincy less than three months after debuting against the British and Irish Lions in June and in just his seventh Test for the Wallabies.
Mowen's ascendency comes earlier than expected with James Horwill currently sidelined through injury and Brumbies team-mate Nic White winning his first run-on Test cap at scrum-half in place of Genia.
Ben Mowen of the Wallabies takes a lineout ball during The Rugby Championship match between the Australian Wallabies and the South African Springboks at Suncorp Stadium on September 7, 2013 in Brisbane, Australia.
(September 6, 2013 - Source: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images AsiaPac)
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Messam returns to All Blacks to face physical Springboks
Rugged blindside flanker Liam Messam has returned to the New Zealand side following a hamstring strain as the All Blacks expect a tough encounter at the breakdown against South Africa in their Rugby Championship clash in Auckland on Saturday.
Liam Messam of the All Blacks is tackled by Jannie du Plessis during the Rugby Championship match between South Africa Springboks and the New Zealand All Blacks at FNB Stadium on October 6, 2012 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
(October 5, 2012 - Source: David Rogers/Getty Images Europe)
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Messam was a late withdrawal from the All Blacks side to face Australia in the opening contest of the tournament last month, allowing promising loose forward Steven Luatua to make his first start in a test match.
Luatua's impressive performances in the All Blacks' three victories so far in this year's southern hemisphere championship put extreme pressure on Messam to regain his starting role when he recovered from the injury.
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, however, said the 29-year-old Messam's experience and physicality had swung selection in his favour to help combat a massive Springboks loose forward trio of Duane Vermuelen, Willem Alberts and Francois Louw.
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