Australia full-back Adam Ashley-Cooper failed to hide his surprise after reclaiming the number 15 jersey for Saturday's clash against France from teenager James O'Connor.

Ashley-Cooper was forced to come off the bench in both matches against Italy as coach Robbie Deans looked to expose O'Connor to the international stage. But a spectacular man-of-the-match performance as a replacement in Melbourne last weekend was enough to earn the 25-year-old a recall.

"It's a bit of a surprise," Ashley-Cooper said.

"(I wasn't) sure where Robbie wanted me this week so I am very happy to get the start and very excited about the challenge."

The Brumbies utility was at a loss when asked why he felt he had been given the nod.

"No idea. I guess Robbie was happy with the impact I've had off the bench in the last two games," he said.

Asked why he was so surprised, Ashley-Cooper explained: "Because he's (Deans) been playing his cards really tight to his chest.

"There wasn't any heads-up or nods during the week, so I really (had) no idea who was going to play full-back this week."