The Wallabies have been handed a timely injury boost with the news that a trio of players are fit to travel to South Africa.
Stephen Moore, Sitaleki Timani and Dom Shipperley have been given the go ahead to make the trip to Pretoria as Australia prepare to face the Springboks at Loftus Versfeld a week on Saturday.
The news comes after Quade Cooper became the latest high-profile Wallaby to be ruled out of the Rugby Championship with a knee injury.
Cooper joins James Horwill, David Pocock, Will Genia, Drew Mitchell, Joe Tomane, Cooper Vuna, Ben McCalman and Wycliff Palu on the sidelines so receiving some positive news on the injury front may have come as a bit of a shock to head coach Robbie Deans.
Moorewill become the most capped hooker in Wallaby history if he features against the Boks having missed this month’s back-to-back wins with a hamstring problem.
A similar complaint meant Timani sat out the clash with Argentina after picking up the man-of-the-match award in the 26-19 victory over South Africa in Round 3, with Kane Douglas of the Waratahs taking his place on the Gold Coast.
Shipperley has played in both games since the successive defeats to the All Blacks at the start of the tournament, with the Reds wing handed his chance after Mitchell suffered yet another ankle injury.
The 21-year-old injured his finger on Saturday and was a doubt for his first away Test in Wallaby colours but he says his desire to represent his country has ensured he is fit to feature.
"The bone was half out and through the skin, but when I found out from the doc it wasn't broken, it was a massive relief," said Shipperley.
"He put it back in so I could get out there for the Test again.
"The finger was a bit of a mess but it was cleaned up on Sunday and I reckon I'll be right for Pretoria.
"When playing for the Wallabies is your dream come true, it's not something you want to give up."
Waratahs prop Paddy Ryan and Western Force winger Nick Cummins are the only uncapped players named in Deans' 28-man squad for the away leg of the newly-extended Tri Nations.
The Lions’ next opponents leave for South Africa on Thursday as they look to cement second place in the standings ahead of their final competition clash with Argentina in Rosario on October 6.
Australia squad for away leg of the Rugby Championship
Adam Ashley-Cooper, Kurtley Beale, Digby Ioane, Dominic Shipperley, Nick Cummins, Ben Tapuai, Anthony Fainga'a, Pat McCabe, Berrick Barnes, Mike Harris, Nick Phipps, Brett Sheehan, Scott Higginbotham, Radike Samo, Michael Hooper, Liam Gill, Dave Dennis, Rob Simmons, Nathan Sharpe, Kane Douglas, Sitaleki Timani, Ben Alexander, Paddy Ryan, James Slipper, Benn Robinson, Saia Fainga'a, Stephen Moore, Tatafu Polota-Nau
