Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has dumped Kane Douglas from his squad for Saturday’s Test against Argentina in Canberra to make way for rookie lock Lukhan Tui.
Douglas started in the 2015 World Cup final for Australia but has battled to replicate that form since and has been sent back to the National Rugby Championship in search of game time.
The 28-year-old was lured back to Australian rugby at great expense two years ago but has been overtaken at the Queensland Reds and now in the Test pecking order by young guns Tui and Izack Rodda.
Tui, 20, has recently recovered from knee surgery and was called up for the first time by Cheika in June but is yet to make his Wallabies debut.
Rodda, 21, made his first appearance for Australia in last month’s Bledisloe Cup defeat in Dunedin.
With Adam Coleman and Rory Arnold now the clear first-choice lock combination for the Wallabies – and with Cheika keeping a close eye on Tui and Rodda – it seems a long road back for Douglas, who has not made a single Test appearance this year.
Meanwhile, former skipper Stephen Moore is back in the squad after sitting out Saturday’s 23-23 draw with South Africa for the birth of his third child, with hooker Tolu Latu dropping out.
The only other change is the expected exclusion of winger Dane Haylett-Petty who is ruled out for the rest of the year after undergoing biceps surgery.
Saturday’s clash at GIO Stadium is Australia’s first in Canberra since 2010, while Argentina haven’t played there for 17 years.
WALLABIES SQUAD
FORWARDS: Allan Alaalatoa, Rory Arnold, Adam Coleman, Jack Dempsey, Tetera Faulkner, Ned Hanigan, Michael Hooper (capt), Sekope Kepu, Adam Korczyk, Sean McMahon, Stephen Moore, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Tom Robertson, Izack Rodda, Rob Simmons, Scott Sio, Lopeti Timani, Lukhan Tui, Jordan Uelese.
BACKS: Kurtley Beale, Israel Folau, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, Reece Hodge, Samu Kerevi, Marika Koroibete, Tevita Kuridrani, Billy Meakes, Izaia Perese, Nick Phipps, Joe Powell, Curtis Rona, Henry Speight.
Roy King
Roar Rookie
Just don't get the Ned Hanigan thing. He seems to have good hands but at the moment has no impact anywhere, apart from jumping. Not enough to be an international player yet. Not good enough from Cheika as custodian.
Train Without A Station
Guest
Backing them and saying they throw everything into a game is not the same as what you said before.
Gepetto
Guest
Simmons is selected when it is important to win line-outs and deliver clean, fast ball to the half-back and defence needs to be reliable.
Scar82
Guest
Train without a station. I am backing these fijians early.being a fijian but a long proud wallaby supporter. They love rugby has a hobbie and a job. Being 1-1 atm I know is still early but if you look at it they playing with everything left out on the field. Watch carefully these Aussie teams will be playing the same way now just to show the same enthusiasm as these foreigners because after all as an Australian run comp it would be very sad n embarrasing if a foreign team from a third world country wins their comp matey. Beware.
jeznez
Roar Guru
except that Hardwick was dropped for Dempsey. A player coming back from injury who had no form line
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Philip isn't taller. They are both 198cm.
ScottD
Roar Guru
Why would you blood Tui? He isn't a dominant lineout option and he is basically a very young development option. As a 2nd rower you really need to be a bit older and hardened to play at highest level well imo. Personally if I was looking for a development option I would choose Matt Philip. Taller, good (but not great) lineout jumper, more agressive carry option, older and more experienced but still young enough to be a good development option for depth in 2019.
Paul D
Guest
For who? Not the Rising in the last 2 games.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
Nah you're mistaken mate. Definitely did not. Semisi Tupou started both games and Marika Koribete started the first game and Kitione Ratu the second.
Fionn
Guest
If Naivalu's injured then I probably still wouldn't throw Banks into starting (although I would be tempted to select him over Speight now that I think about it, especially given it is in Canberra...), but he should definitely get a run off of the bench.
PeterK
Roar Guru
he played in the nrc
Fionn
Guest
Think you might be onto something here, Jez. We saw Link drop his captain (Genia). Somehow, I can't see Hooper ever being dropped regardless of whether he suffers a big form decline.
K.F.T.D.
Roar Rookie
The Fijians could win this comp, they certainly bashed the Melbourne Rebels sorry ,Rising , and it wasn't all basketball. There were times where they were content to truck it up the middle for 16 phases or more before cutting loose. Their scrum was strong and their physical presence is felt around the paddock, I feel sorry for any team playing them in Fiji.
Sam
Guest
Ankle injury I think.
RT
Guest
Oh phew, Moore's back! Now I can rest easy.
Train Without A Station
Guest
I get the impression you've decided your view before actually watching. Hard to be ripping it up at 1-1. They beat a very young Rising team who did surprisingly well in the physicality. The difference was actually a couple of long range tries against the run of play by the Drua.
Train Without A Station
Guest
Naivalu is injured
PeterK
Roar Guru
great news that Banks has been added to the squad. Why hasn't Naivalu been reinstated? Banks would be a good player on the wallabies bench ahead of Rona.
Scar82
Guest
Aussies opening up the nrc to the fijian druas is a eye opener. All along they have been playing soft touch rugby sort of stuff which shows in the super rugby aussie teams when the tough gets going they wilt. This drua team is smashing them up making them think twice of how to carry the ball, how to tackle and how to bloody run. The drua team is ripping it in this comp and these are just ordinary working class blue collard men. Maybe aussie rugby should start sending these private school show pony kids to go play in the local under 20 fiji comp and rough them up for the future and know how hard they do it in the islands. This wallabies team players like hannigan dempsey timani even some of those backs need tobe sent to play in the local fiji comp.insure them well pay them to go and see how they fair in some of these playing fields they play in in fiji lol. I bet some would be asking for an early retirement. Wallabies need to harden up.ack aggression u could see it in the rucksin all there matches. Even in the nrc. Even worse they go in to matches thinking theycant afford to lose instead of we are going to win this. Good example the drua playing with nothing to lose y cos they going there with nothing to play for to begin with but appreciation of being given an opopportunity.
ThugbyFan
Roar Guru
KTFD, funny as I suggested in an earlier blog this morning that L.Tui should star at #8. He has mass, hits the rucks hard, tackles and runs well and knows his place in the forwards. It wouldn't take much to convert him into a solid #8 which would vastly improve the WB pack. Perhaps put S.McMahon at #6 and let Ned Flanigan battle it out with J.Dempsey and I.Rodda as reserve back rower. And will coach M.Cheika admit to his cr^p selections or make any unforced changes? Hell will freeze first! Cheika will blab on that L.Tui is only seen as a lock and N.Hanigan is a great sucess and no-one else in the squad could replace him (unsaid "because I selected the squad and made sure of no #6 alternatives bar my Tah boys").