James Lentjes will wear the No 7 jersey replacing the injured Dan Pryor in the only change to the starting side which beat the Chiefs last week.
It was down to a straight choice between Lentjes and Shane Christie for the openside flanking role and the Otago tearaway won the jersey.
Christie is a class operator but has played no rugby at this level so far this year after being nagged by a hamstring injury for most of the season.
He has recovered from the injury now but with only club rugby to call on, Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph has decided to go with Lentjes.
Lentjes (24) played four games for the Highlanders in the middle of the season, after both Christie and John Hardie were injured.
There may have been a temptation to put Elliot Dixon on the openside and bring Gareth Evans into the starting side or even start Evans on the openside.
But the Highlanders see Evans as strictly a blindside flanker and Dixon has had limited time on the other side.
Lentjes has been playing club rugby over the past few weeks and it is a big ask for him to go from that to the white hot intensity of a Super Rugby semifinal. But he is a level-headed character who should take it in his stride. His battle with Wallabies skipper Hooper will be interesting.
There are a couple of changes in the reserves.
Lock Joe Wheeler comes into the side after a two month spell out with a knee injury, replacing Joe Latta.
Also coming back into the reserves is outside back Trent Renata, who replaces Marty Banks. Banks picked up a concussion at training in the past few days and is still working through concussion protocols.
The Waratahs have named a powerful looking side although potent game-breaker Kurtley Beale is missing.
Beale has been nursing a quad injury and had only a limited training in Sydney yesterday.
The strong-running Matt Carraro comes into the team at second five-eighth but Beale's guile and craft will be sorely missed by the Waratahs.
However, Waratahs coach Michael Cheika plays the cards close to his chest and it would be no surprise is Beale ran out with the side tomorrow night.
The home side has a monster pack with the likes of Will Skelton and Tatafu Polota-Nau and has 13 internationals in its starting squad.
The side has named nine reserves and one of the forwards - either Stephen Hoiles or Patrick McCutcheon will be omitted.
Highlanders v Waratahs
Sydney, tomorrow, 9.55pm
Highlanders: Ben Smith, Waisake Naholo, Malakai Fekitoa, Richard Buckman, Patrick Osborne, Lima Sopoaga, Aaron Smith, Nasi Manu, James Lentjes, Elliot Dixon, Mark Reddish, Alex Ainley, Josh Hohneck, Liam Coltman, Brendon Edmonds.
Reserves: Ash Dixon, Daniel Lienert-Brown, Ross Geldenhuys, Joe Wheeler, Gareth Evans, Fumiaki Tanaka, Trent Renata, Shaun Treeby
Waratahs: Israel Folau, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Matt Carraro, Rob Horne, Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps, Wycliff Palu, Michael Hooper, Jacques Potgieter, David Dennis (capt), Will Skelton, Sekope Kepu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson.
Reserves: Jeremy Tilse, Paddy Ryan, Mitchell Chapman, Stephen Hoiles, Patrick McCutcheon, Brendan McKibbin, Jono Lance, Peter Betham.
