Turner set for Test start
Lachie Turner is expected to be pulled out of the Wallabies' midweek side to prepare for his latest Test start, with winger James O'Connor on his way to a funeral in Australia.
Turner was named at fullback for the second string Australian side's tour match against powerhouse Irish province Munster but is now unlikely to be risked in Limerick as Australia prepare for this weekend's Test against Italy in Florence.
The NSW Waratahs star has held down one of Australia's bench spots in each of the three Tests on the spring tour after an impressive performance as Drew Mitchell's replacement in the final Tri-Nations match against the All Blacks in Sydney.
O'Connor will miss Saturday's (Sunday morning AEDT) Test after flying home to attend a friend's funeral.
The 20-year-old wore a black armband in his friend's honour in the 35-18 loss to England at Twickenham on Saturday and left the tour squad on Sunday.
He will return for the match against France in Paris a week later.
Another option on the Wallabies' wing is Queenslander Peter Hynes, who started regularly in coach Robbie Deans' first two seasons in charge before suffering a serious knee injury.
Hynes played well in the Wallabies' win over English club side Leicester last week and has been named on the bench for Tuesday night's (Wednesday morning AEDT) clash with Munster.
Australia are not short on wingers on this tour with Reds speedster Rod Davies and the uncapped Pat McCabe and Luke Morahan also available.
O'Connor's compassionate leave means fullback Kurtley Beale, five-eighth Quade Cooper or former goalkicker Matt Giteau will be handed the troubled kicking responsibilities.
Beale has been considered a long-range option but, after his heroics to win an historic Test in Bloemfontein, struggled the last time he was used, in the Hong Kong win over New Zealand.
Giteau relinquished the duties two weeks ago, while Cooper continues to practice and benchman Berrick Barnes also kicks goals.
Luke Burgess could be another to see less game-time midweek with first choice halfback Will Genia being monitored with a rib injury.
Genia was replaced early in the second half at Twickenham but medical staff haven't seen the need for an X-ray, believing it is a cartilage problem or bone bruising and pain management will be the issue.
He was due for a light day on Monday, with the midweek team to train.
Genia is widely considered a Wallabies captain in waiting and the No.9 was scathing of Australia's performance in the record loss to the old enemy.
"It sucked," he said. "We were terrible, that's the bottom line.
"To be brutally honest, we were pretty poor in everything we did."
Genia said the Wallabies had tried to go wide without doing the hard work first.
"We were getting a lot of momentum going directly through them and then when we tried to go wide we just were very lateral," he said.
"We probably, in hindsight, should have just kept going through them because we were making easy metres."
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