Brumbies coach Jake White is flabbergasted by Ben Mowen’s continued absence from Wallabies squads after his captain was again overlooked by Robbie Deans on Sunday night.
While eight Brumbies players, including five uncapped improvers, rode off the back of the ACT franchise’s terrific Super Rugby rise, No.8 Mowen was unlucky to be left out of the 39-man training squad.
Mowen was still ignored despite three 2011 World Cup back-row selections – Rocky Elsom, Radike Samo and Matt Hodgson – all being omitted by Deans’ selection panel.
The 27-year-old lost out with former NSW Waratahs teammates Dave Dennis and Wycliff Palu and Western Force No.8 Ben McCalman preferred ahead of the Brumbies skipper.
The decision is one which former World Cup-winning South Africa coach White can’t get his head around considering Mowen’s form and leadership value for the Australian conference leaders.
“I must be honest, I’m not just saying it because it’s Ben, I just don’t understand why he has never been picked,” White said.
“The reality is he’s versatile, he’s a great leader, he’s captained a lot of these players at junior level.
“I think he’s showed he’s got something special, not just the way he’s led the team but the way he’s played.”
A surprise choice as captain by White, Mowen has impressed at both No.8 and blind-side flanker for the Brumbies who remain five points ahead of defending champions Queensland despite their 13-12 loss to the Reds on Saturday night.
The unexpected rise of White’s team has seen prop Dan Palmer, open-side flanker Michael Hooper, halfback Nic White, winger Joe Tomane and fullback Jesse Mogg all selected for their first Test squads.
With World Cup trio Stephen Moore, Ben Alexander and Pat McCabe, the Brumbies tally of eight is three less than both Queensland and NSW.
The Reds would have had 13 if not for deflating injuries to captain James Horwill (hamstring) and utility back Ben Lucas (groin).
Horwill will undergo scans on Monday while star back Kurtley Beale will receive results of scans on an ongoing shoulder problem.
Beale exacerbated the injury in the Melbourne Rebels 66-24 loss to the Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday and he’s in doubt for the opening Tests of the year against Scotland (June 5) and Wales (June 9).
Despite just 120 minutes of rugby in his return from a knee reconstruction, Quade Cooper was included in the squad due to injuries to Beale, James O’Connor, Christian Lealiifano and Lucas.
NSW duo Berrick Barnes and Bernard Foley also loom as five-eighth candidates.
The biggest bolter of the squad is Rebels lock Cadeyrn Neville, a 202cm former AIS rower who only started playing fourth grade with Manly in 2009 and made his Super Rugby debut in the past month.
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The Waratahs gave up possession five metres out from the Brumbies line while trailing by eight points.
The Tahs cut the lead to just eight points midway through the second half thanks to Joey Walton's try.
The Tahs' prop injured his leg in the tackle late in the first half, which forced him from the field.
Some of the Brumbies may have been expecting a knock-on call and not playing to the whistle, and the Tahs' skipper took full advantage.
