Bath centre Shontayne Hape will make his England Test debut in Saturday's Cook Cup clash with Australia in Perth.

The New Zealand-born rugby league convert, 29, takes over at inside centre from the injured Riki Flutey.

Hooker Steve Thompson and lock Tom Palmer both start, and there is a return for Leicester flanker Tom Croft.

Jonny Wilkinson is on the bench, with Toby Flood retained at fly-half, while Danny Care holds off the challenge of scrum-half rival Ben Youngs.

Leicester hooker George Chuter and Northampton lock Courtney Lawes are both on the bench.

England are chasing their first victory over the Wallabies on Australian soil since the 2003 World Cup final - and only their third ever.

Hape will become the third former Kiwi rugby league international to play for England, following in the footsteps of Henry Paul and Lesley Vainikolo.

He's one of those guys that seems to have a bit more time than most, he's very composed

England manager Martin Johnson on Shontayne Hape

He was set to make his Test debut against Wales during the Six Nations, just weeks after qualifying for England on residency grounds, before falling ill on the eve of the game.

England manager Martin Johnson said: "I have been very impressed with him. He's a very smart carrier with the ball in hand.

"He's one of those guys that seems to have a bit more time than most, he's very composed."

Hape made his first England appearance in the non-cap game against the Barbarians at Twickenham before the squad left for Australia and has been preferred at inside centre to Bath team-mate Olly Barkley.

Thompson came on tour as first-choice hooker after Dylan Hartley was ruled out of the five-match trip through injury, while Palmer impressed off the bench against France in Paris at the end of March.

Croft, a star of the Lions tour 12 months ago, returns to the back row after missing the Six Nations with a knee injury.

Australia rugby coach Robbie Deans has made four changes from the team which beat Fiji last weekend for Saturday's match.
Shontayne Hape in training for England
Hape has shone for Bath since switching codes

James O'Connor displaces Kurtley Beale at full-back after scoring three tries for the Australian Barbarians team which drew 28-28 with England in Perth on Tuesday, and Drew Mitchell returns in place of the injured Adam Ashley-Cooper on the left wing.

Deans has opted for an inexperienced front row of props Salesi Ma'afu and Ben Daley and hooker Saia Faingaa.

Daley and Faingaa take places occupied by Benn Robinson and Huia Edmonds in the Fiji Test which the Wallabies won 49-3.

Quade Cooper remains at fly-half outside scrum-half Luke Burgess while Matt Giteau continues at inside centre in a midfield pairing with Rob Horne.

Rocky Elsom will captain the team as blind-side flanker.

England team:
B Foden; M Cueto, M Tindall, S Hape, C Ashton; T Flood, D Care; T Payne, S Thompson, D Cole, S Shaw, T Palmer, T Croft, L Moody (capt), N Easter.
Replacements: G Chuter, D Wilson, C Lawes, J Haskell, B Youngs, J Wilkinson, M Tait.

Australia team:
J O'Connor, D Ioane, R Horne, M Giteau, D Mitchell, Q Cooper, L Burgess; R Brown, D Pocock, R Elsom (capt), N Sharpe, D Mumm, S Ma'afu, S Faingaa, B Daley.
Replacements: H Edmonds, J Slipper, M Chisholm, M Hodgson, W Genia, B Barnes, K Beale.