Rugby league convert Wendell Sailor was dropped to make way for Ben Tune when the Australian team was announced on Wednesday for the Tri-Nations rugby opener against New Zealand in Christchurch on Saturday.
Tune is fit again after a knee injury while another former league international Mat Rogers was named on the Wallabies' bench.
The Queensland Reds winger was one of three changes to the world champion Wallabies' starting lineup for the Tri-Nations Test.
The Wallabies take on a stronger look with the inclusion of forwards, Toutai Kefu, Jeremy Paul and Ben Darwin, pronounced fit after injury-enforced spells on the sidelines.
Number eight Kefu seemed certain to miss the start of the Tri-Nations series after surgery two weeks ago to insert a plate and pin into his broken left hand, but he has made a speedy recovery.
Hooker Paul damaged rib cartilage and tight-head prop Darwin injured an ankle in Australia's 29-17 first Test win over Six-Nations champions France in Melbourne on June 22nd. Darwin was named among the reserves.
Sailor expected to be dumped after some defensive and handling errors let him down in the Wallabies' 31-25 second Test win over France a week later.
Tune returns to Australian duty for the first time this year.
But Wallabies coach Eddie Jones came out in support of the dumped Sailor, saying he had not let Australia down in the three matches he had played.
"I think Wendell has served Australia well in Ben Tune's absence and he fully understands that he's being replaced by one of the world's best players," Jones said on Wednesday.
Matt Burke, who went off with shoulder trouble at halftime in the last match against the French, has recovered to take his place at outside-centre, meaning Stirling Mortlock, who moved in to the midfield in a man-of-the-match performance, stays on the wing.
Kefu will equal Tim Gavin's Australian record of 44 Test appearances at number eight against New Zealand. "My hand is fine and I'm ready to play," Kefu said. "There's nothing better than playing the All Blacks in New Zealand - it's the highlight of my year."
Kefu's return won't be welcomed by New Zealanders, who are haunted by last September's Tri-Nations decider here when he crashed through for the winning try in the final moments to steal a 29-26 win.
The result secured Australia back-to-back southern hemisphere titles, as well as the Bledisloe Cup for the fourth successive year.
Australia - Chris Latham, Ben Tune, Matthew Burke, Daniel Herbert, Stirling Mortlock, Stephen Larkham, George Gregan (capt), Toutai Kefu, George Smith, Owen Finegan, Justin Harrison, Nathan Sharpe, Patricio Noriega, Jeremy Paul, Bill Young.
Reserves: Brendan Cannon, Ben Darwin, Matt Cockbain, David Lyons, Chris Whitaker, Elton Flatley, Mat Rogers, Daniel Vickerman.