Little-known Australian Luke McLean has been thrown into the "deepest of deep ends" with a shock selection at five-eighth for Italy against Rugby World Cup champions South Africa.

Only eight months ago Queenslander McLean was playing fullback for Perth Spirit in the Australian Rugby Championship but the 20-year-old will Saturday line up for an unlikely Test debut.

Italy's former Springboks coach Nick Mallett has looked to the future by punting on the former Australian under-19 representative for the Azzurri's playmaking role at Newlands in Cape Town.

It promises to be a baptism of fire for McLean, who qualifies through an Italian-born mother and hasn't played flyhalf since high school in Brisbane.

But Italy are on tour without 13 first-choice players due to injury and French club commitments, and Mallett said he had little choice but to name an inexperienced side and look ahead to the 2011 World Cup.

Mallett likes McLean's size and kicking game and backed him to step up against the world champions after five-eighth incumbent Andrea Masi asked to be moved to the centres.

"Because we have four years (to the World Cup) to try and find a flyhalf, I think this is a good opportunity (to try McLean)," the coach told reporters in Cape Town.

"I mean we're throwing the guy in the deepest of deep ends, against South Africa.

"He's got the size to be there, he's 93 kilograms, and he's very quick. And he has a very good left foot.

"He'll have to show that he has a good head on his shoulders, that he can organise a backline and not get too flustered. I'll be very pleased if he can do that."

After helping the Spirit into the now defunct ARC semi-finals last October, McLean linked with Calvisano in Italy and has since impressed at fullback.

Flyhalf has been a problem for Italy since Diego Dominguez retired in 2003.

Seven of Italy's starting team have played less than eight Tests each.

"It's not ideal for a young Italian development side to play the world champions," Mallett said.

"But the challenge is to make sure that whatever happens, however many tries get scored, that the team puts that try behind them and play as hard as they can for the next 10 minutes."

Italy: Andrea Marcato, Kaine Robertson, Andrea Masi, Gonzalo Garcia, Matteo Pratichetti, Luke McLean, Simon Picone; Josh Sole, Robert Barbieri, Alessandro Zanni, Carlo Antonio Del Fava, Santiago Dellape, Carlos Nieto, Leornardo Ghiraldini (capt), Michele Rizzo. Res: Fabio Ongaro, Ignacio Rouyet, Jaco Eramus, Tommaso Reato, Pablo Canavosio, Enrico Patrizio, Riccardo Pavan.

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