The Wallabies are still waiting for veteran playmaker Matt Giteau to join their ranks as they build toward their opening Rugby Championship Test next month.
All of the other main overseas-based stars who missed the recent series with England are back home, including backs Drew Mitchell, Will Genia, Quade Cooper and Adam Ashley-Cooper.
Around 40 players are currently training in Sydney, with coach Michael Cheika expected to cull that to around 30 by the end of next week.
The 33-year-old Giteau, a veteran of 102 Tests, last played for Australia in the 2015 World Cup final and then returned to his French club Toulon.
He has been spending time with his family, but there’s no suggestion he won’t be part of the setup for the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship campaign.
Giteau was perhaps the player most missed by the Wallabies when swept by England in their June three-Test series.
Cheika was unable to go with dual playmakers for most of the England series, because of a dearth of fit and available players.
Instead he opted for the direct running of the previously-uncapped Samu Kerevi at inside centre for the first two games.
Injuries rendered Kurtley Beale unavailable for all three Tests and Matt Toomua for the first two, while Christian Lealiifano had a delayed start to the series after waiting for the birth of his child.
Among the uncapped players training in Sydney currently is highly-rated NSW Waratahs prop Tom Robertson. he 21-year-old front rower made a good impression in his first senior season with the Tahs and is widely considered a Test player of the near future.
Others include newly-signed Western Force centre Bill Meakes and Rebels back-rower Lopeti Timani.
The Australian Rugby Union finally confirmed on Wednesday that the Wallabies will have a training camp on the NSW Central Coast prior to their first Rugby Championship/Bledisloe Cup Test against New Zealand in Sydney on August 20.
They will be based there from August 8-12 and split their time between Central Coast Stadium in Gosford and the nearby gym facilities at Central Coast Leagues Club.
It will represent a return home for at least one senior Wallaby, with veteran back Adam Ashley-Cooper hailing from the region.
“The only reason I’ve returned from France is because they finally followed through on my request to have camp on the coast,” Ashley-Cooper quipped.
“I am always proud and honoured to say that I was born and raised on the Central Coast. The people, culture and beaches are some of the best in the world.
“I know Wallabies players love getting out and about around the country and visiting towns out of the major cities, but I guess this one is extra special from me because I’m returning home.”
puff
Guest
Jack, there is no argument from me, as we all noted during the English series; he displayed a degree of ignorance. Under estimating the opposition and not once finding the correct balance in the run on Wallaby 15. In my opinion the AB’s are much more unforgiving.
Seb V
Guest
That's very disappointing to hear. He is really shaping up to be in the Nonu mould if he were persisted with at 12.
Jack
Guest
Josh it`s called a talented team and a committed team.. Any WALLAABY team with Gitaeu and Mitchell in it over the years has been average to horrendous ..Those two for 75 percent of the time have been the weakest links in the team. 10 years for Drew 12 years for Gitaeu
Richard
Guest
Gitaeu is way below test footy standard ,we saw how bad he was in 2015 RWC,,i hope he takes the coin and stays at Toulon...He offers nothing to the Wallabies ..
Jack
Guest
It wont happen Puff, Checka will continue to pick Hooper out of position at 7 leaving our best 7 playing at 8 ( which he is not ) Slow Rob Horne (VC) on one wing, old blokes at 12 and 14 , Foley and Phipps as our halves.. He doesn't learn... I guarantee you that backline and Hooper at 7 will be playing the first test against the ABS in 3 weeks... Andrew Ready needs to be in the team, but he wont be , because Checks has Moore and TPN...Oh dear
Jack
Guest
TWAS, Checka said Kerevi is a 13.. Nothing more... He said it on rugby 360 two weeks ago
R2D2
Guest
" many are in their prime when they go over"...Gits, Mitch AAC, QC, and ex ABs enjoying retirement DC , CS ,MN, TU, and not forget all the ex SA players...all at their prime.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
It's 7/60. The only eligible player lost since it was introduced was Beale. Kepu, Horwill, Giteau, Ashley-Cooper, Mitchell, Genia, etc. were all signed before it came through.
canadiankiwi
Guest
My view, regardless of whether you are a South African, Australian, or Kiwi, is that French and English clubs who are paying enormous salaries as employers have every right to refuse FOREIGN players release to play for their national team- if the playersuffers a long-term injury playing Test rugby, Toulon still has to pay his contract. If a player wants to play Test rugby, don't go overseas. If a national rugby union wants to discourage players from signing overseas contracts and to continue to play for their domestic teams, do NOT select overseas players- no exceptions. Is it really a surprise that Australian rugby is in a crisis in 2016 after bringing in the 7/50 rule in 2015? Is it really surprising SA has one good Super Rugby team in 2016 after opening Springbok selection to overs as players in 2012? Some national unions are cutting their own throats due to short-term decisions absent of long-term planning.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Jez imagine 9. Frisby 10. Foley 11. Hodge 12. Kerevi 13. Kuridrani 14. DHP 15. Folau Plenty of size. Bash options in the centres whilst Kerevi can distribute. Plenty of wheels out wide. 3 kicking options plus Frisby. Good players to draw defenders for Izzy to run off and wheels to link with.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Hodge definitely EOYT and 2017. A good option to start on the wing with his skill set but can probably settle at 12-15
Jibba Jabba
Guest
That'll be the one, ta
Smallfrog
Guest
There was a Wally Meeks played rugby at centre for Manly and NSW in the 70s. Don't know if he was a Wallaby ever. Like Michael Hooper, Wally Meeks was a beach sprint champion.
Seb V
Guest
I'll elaborate. Gits is very effective at being used as another kicker for exiting our own half. A left foot kicker has an advantage onthe right hand side of the field via the natural swing of the ball. Gits was used often as a kicker to exit our own half during the RWC. He effectively took a lot of kicking pressure off Foley. Compared to the next best contender -Toomua who I believe is a better runner, tackler, just as good at passing however he ain't as good at kicking as Gits. Certainly did not relieve any kicking pressure off Foley during the England test 3 where we struggled to exit our own half. Gits kicking is his point of difference - which is a huge one given exiting our own half has been a huge problem during the England series.
Cynical Play
Roar Rookie
I agree that Kerevi should be persisted with now that he's blooded and shows promise at the test level. I hope Hodge gets a run on the EOYT.
jeznez
Roar Guru
I saw enough from Kerevi in his first test that suggest he should be persisted with, the Wallabies scored four tries to three in one of their more threatening backline displays in recent memory. I think that most would agree that kicking is an issue for the Wallabies but Reece Hodge would do more for our ability to clear our way out of trouble if put on the wing for Horne than any other selection available in Aussie rugby.
Josh
Guest
none of these players won any such thing. their teams did.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
CUW the 2008 Aus U20s was quite handy: 15 future Wallaby Reps, a Tongan and a Fijian: Beale, Betham, Charles, Cooper, Daley, Faulkner, Genia, Hanson, Haylett-Petty, Horne, McCalman, Nadolo, Palmer, Pocock, Simmons, Su'a, Tapuai. Aus 7s players Richard Kingi and Alfi Mafi were there. Also future Super Rugby players Albert Anae, Blair Connor, Ben Coridas, Tom Murday and Sam Wykes. The only players that didn't seem to kick on to a high level was Andrew Rossiter. 2010 Aus U20s had some pretty good players too. 9 Test Reps, 22 Super Rugby Players, and 1 that has made Aus 7s so far. Not quite the same class by certainly decent! It will be very interesting to see how far that 2013 team goes (specifically those that haven't played Super Rugby as yet) if we look back in another 5 years time.
Jack
Guest
I think you`ll find Drew has scored a lot of tries ( maybe 20 ) against minnows in world cups and he has never won a World cup or Bledisloe unlike Chris Latham and Campo.. He has been part of one win in the rugby championship 2015 as he was injured before the other win in 2011..He`s won nothing from 2005 to 2015 It makes makes me cringe when you speak about Mitchell in the same breath as those two LEGENDS .. Drews overall try tally is 34 in 70 tests at 0.486 Latham is 40 in 78 tests 0.513 So overall Latham scores a try more often than Drew and Latho actually wins games against the big guys ..
Jack
Guest
So Gitaeu has a left boot?? That's it ?? ..I see it now... Puurleeeeeeeeease