The new three-man Wallabies selection panel has named their first squad of the year for the side’s opening Rugby Championship fixture against South Africa on July 20.
Brumbies flyhalf Christian Lealiifano headlines a number of returning faces in the 34-man squad, alongside Adam Ashley-Cooper and James Slipper, while there are three potential debutants, all in the forwards: Isi Naisarani, Liam Wright and Rob Valetini.
As expected, the returning James O’Connor isn’t in the squad just days after he linked up with the side for his first Wallabies training session since 2013, but there’s no room for NSW halfback Nick Phipps.
Phipps has been a regular back-up for Will Genia, but Joe Powell and Nic White have been named as the options at no.9 behind Genia for the trip to face the Springboks. It’s White’s first Wallabies selection since the lead-up to the 2015 World Cup, having since had a stint playing in Europe with the Exeter Chiefs.
Ned Hanigan and Quade Cooper are the other notable absentees alongside Phipps, while none of Adam Coleman, David Pocock and Pete Samu are in the squad as they continue their recovery from shoulder, calf and hamstring injuries respectively.
Cooper’s omission would indicate the Rebels flyhalf is little chance of making the Rugby World Cup squad later in the year, particularly given Lealiifano and Matt Toomua’s selections.
Tom Banks and Jack Maddocks both have a chance to add to their handful of Test Caps in South Africa, but with Marika Koroibete, Dane Haylett-Petty, Kurtley Beale and Reece Hodge also named, Michael Cheika and his selection panel can go a number of different ways with their backline make-up.
The tight five up front would seem to be a little more straightforward – on form, at least – with Brumbies quartet Allan Alaalatoa, Rory Arnold, Scott Sio and Folau Fainga’a all in the squad following excellent Super Rugby seasons.
Two other hookers have been named alongside Fainaga’a: youngsters Tolu Latu, whose 2019 has been marred by disciplinary issues both on and off the field, and Jordan Uelese, who missed the bulk of the Rebels season due to a knee injury sustained last year.
The squad will fly to South Africa on Sunday, a full two weeks before their Rugby Championship opener against the Springboks in Johannesburg. The Wallabies then face Argentina in Brisbane a week later and the All Blacks in Perth on August 10 to round out the shortened tournament.
Forwards
Allan Alaalatoa (32 Tests, Brumbies, 25)
Rory Arnold (19 Tests, Brumbies, 29)
Jack Dempsey (10 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 25)
Folau Fainga’a (7 Tests, Brumbies, 24)
Michael Hooper (c) (91 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 27)
Luke Jones (3 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 28)
Sekope Kepu (103 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 33)
Tolu Latu (12 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 26)
Isi Naisarani (uncapped, Melbourne Rebels, 24)
Tom Robertson (24 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 24)
Izack Rodda (17 Tests, Queensland Reds, 22)
Rob Simmons (94 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 30)
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (11, Queensland Reds, 22)
Scott Sio (55 Tests, Brumbies, 27)
James Slipper (86 Tests, Brumbies, 30)
Taniela Tupou (11 Tests, Queensland Reds, 23)
Jordan Uelese (2 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 22)
Rob Valetini (uncapped, Brumbies, 20)
Liam Wright (uncapped, Queensland Reds, 21)
Backs
Adam Ashley-Cooper (117 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 35)
Tom Banks (3 Tests, Brumbies, 25)
Kurtley Beale (83 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 30)
Bernard Foley (68 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 29)
Will Genia (100 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 31)
Dane Haylett-Petty (31 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 30)
Reece Hodge (33 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 24)
Samu Kerevi (25 Tests, Queensland Reds, 25)
Marika Koroibete (20 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 26)
Tevita Kuridrani (58 Tests, Brumbies, 28)
Christian Lealiifano (19 Tests, Brumbies, 31)
Jack Maddocks (7 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 22)
Joe Powell (4 Tests, Brumbies, 25)
Matt Toomua (42 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 29)
Nic White (22 Tests, Exeter Chiefs, 29)
terrykidd
Roar Pro
You misunderstand my comment. I never said English was not their best 13. I did say he could not nail down the position. Yes early in the season he was in the starting side, but from mid-season onwards he was not.
Jim
Guest
Michael O'Connor in playing for the Wallabies from 1979 -1982 was selected out of the ACT team or Queensland, he never played for NSW, he was allowed to play for NSW @ SOO because his first senior game of league was with St George
Lara
Guest
Great to see CLL in the squad.....congratulations .
Lara
Guest
Cheika got a lot more in than he should of. The starting 15 n reserves will be interesting.......I hope for the best , but I fair the worse.
Fox
Roar Guru
Yep people like your good self who seem to have blinkers on when comes to Coopers short falling under pressure. Foley is still more reliable in the D and until this year his goal kicking was better as well. He still has the better all round game as well IMO and clearly the new selectors do as well but but guess they know nothing about rugby to huh mate? spare me
Snoop Bloggy blog
Roar Rookie
How can you critique Coopers bad decisions under pressure when Foley has made so many more school boy errors than any 10 in Wallabies history. Some people have no idea about rugby.
Sam
Guest
Terrykid, I was not commenting an AAC v English. I was correcting your assertion he was not the Rebels best 13. He is visibly the best and most influential 13 the Rebels have had this season. Your assertion that he was not in the side during the Rebels early season run where you say"check the team sheets" is incorrect. I agree with you that AAC is more experienced and probably a yard faster and a bit more explosive. In my opinion AAC see is there because of that and because there are several youngsters like Banks and Maddocks who need his presence. They need to learn how to inject themselves into the game when the ball doesn't come to them. I think Hodge and Koroibete could also learn from him. The unlucky player in all this is Meakes. I honestly believe he was QCs Mr Reliable in the same Digny Ioane was at the Reds when they won the SR title.
Matt
Guest
Unfortunately experience doesn’t make up for ability.
Fox
Roar Guru
Opps I failed to mention I was talking about Tuipulotu
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
It’s 2019, not 2011.
rebel
Roar Guru
No worries, I do a good enough job of making myself look a bit slow. Now I have a random comment out there.
Fox
Roar Guru
The selections this year - apparently - were not just made by Cheika - it remains to be seen who stays after Coleman - Pocock - Samu all injured - and maybe O'Conner come back into the squad - some of these selection are replacements for injured players and anyway that fact the players you mentioned were picked still doesn't change the fact - nor have any relationship - to why Cooper wasn't picked. There are no injured 10's that were not picked for that reason and replaced by "stand-ins" until they are fit. Cooper was not picked because they deemed him as not the right choice and it wasn't because of his lack of talent in attack - of which he has plenty - but rest assured all the other aspects to his game and do not kid yourself that his history under pressure did not come into the conversation when decisions were being made.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
I’m not sure that pointing to selection decisions made by Michael Cheika (he also selected AAC, Toomua, Dempsey etc) to back up your argument on Cooper is quite the killer point you think it is.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
The edit was actually 2 minutes before your post. I feel bad, because your response was good.
Fox
Roar Guru
Yeah well the proof of my case is in the pudding my friend - he wasn't picked - I rest my case
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Yeah, it mainly relied on stuff that happened in 2011, referencing a book from 2013. It was unconvincing and unpersuasive.
Fox
Roar Guru
Yes an why I noted his game management under pressure against kiwi sides towards the end of the season and where he most definitely made crucial errors when the pressure was on - did you actually read it ? clearly not!
Fox
Roar Guru
Let's get something straight JP - nothing I said there is hating Quade by my opinion of his abilities as player and you clearly missed where I praised him as well
Jamie
Guest
O'Connor is a deadset NSW Welshman mate as he played state of origin rugby League for the NSW blues .He played club rugby in Brisbane for 1 year.
Phil
Guest
Actually,Terry,I don't think there is much between AAC and English as players,but you have to give it to AAC purely on experience.Although he may have lost a little speed(not that he was ever super fast)he did look the usual solid player this year. Overall,I really don't see why all the complaining about this squad.There is always going to be some unlucky ones and personal likes and dislikes.It will be much more telling when the match day 23 is announced.