Head coach Eddie Jones and co-captain Michael Hooper have backed Australia debutants like Tom Hooper to take the fight to the Springboks on Saturday.

Hooper is one of four uncapped players named by Jones for the 2023 Rugby Championship opener between the Wallabies and Boks at Loftus Versfeld.

The Brumbies flanker headlines the new selections and will partner Hooper and club teammate Rob Valetini after impressing with a strong finish to the Super Rugby Pacific season.

Addressing the selection of 22-year-old Hooper in a Wallaby conference on Thursday, Jones told reporters: “Basically he rips in, mate. I went down to the Brumbies early in the season, and I know Stevie [Stephen Larkham] pretty well, and he said, ‘keep an eye out for this young fella’.

“He had a late start because of injury, and his first few games weren’t very impressive, and I was thinking, does Stevie know what he’s talking about here? But certainly towards the end of the season, he was an absolute standout.”

Skipper Hooper added: “In terms of our lead-up, we’ve been focusing a lot on ourselves and the debutants, what they bring is a ton of energy, from the day they walked in until the time they were selected, and that energy has seemed to go up a notch.

“We are away from home here, and we want to rip in, and having guys like that in the squad is right where we want to be.”

Jones, who succeeded sacked Kiwi Dave Rennie in January, is upbeat about his first Test back in charge of the Wallabies.

Known for his wit as much as his tactical nous, the wily Aussie on Thursday played his cards close to his chest in masterminding Australia’s first win at Loftus.

Asked by an Italian journalist how he planned to stop the Boks, the 63-year-old replied: “Buongiorno… I’ve been practicing my Italian, mate… Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Bella ciao ciao ciao. And that’s how we’re going to play on Saturday.

“We’re going to fight fire with fire, and when we get the opportunity, we’ll play quicker. We’re really only focused on ourselves, we’re a new team, we’ve come together, and we want to play our style here.

“And we know whatever [Bok] team runs out in Pretoria on Saturday is going to play with the pride of South Africa behind them, and we’re going to meet that challenge.”