The Wallabies have lost another veteran with prop Scott Sio ruled out of the France Test series with a hamstring injury.
The 29-year-old, who has 59 Test caps, suffered the injury at the Wallabies’ training camp last Friday.
After scans on the weekend it was decided he should return to Canberra for further treatment, ruling him out of the three-Test series, which gets underway in Brisbane next Wednesday.
Melbourne Rebels loosehead prop Cameron Orr has joined the squad at their Gold Coast base as a replacement.
The Australian team had already lost seasoned halfback Nic White after he hurt his knee at training.
Playmaker Matt Toomua, who has been battling a neck injury, returned to the squad on Tuesday after seeking treatment in Canberra, where Rugby Australia’s chief medical officer Warren McDonald is based.
You can always check out how the Wallabies squad looks in the lead-up to the first Test here on The Roar.
Olly
Roar Rookie
DR likes big bodies in his tight 5 and particularly in his front row. Just something we have to get use to as it is how he coaches a team.
Unca
Roar Rookie
And obviously I’d want Tupou on the field, I feel we need a workhorse to counter his higher impact involvement.
Unca
Roar Rookie
HJH should be there before Pone. He barely played TT as he was injured. Although he’s not as good a scrummager as the incumbents, HJH holds his side of the scrum up, makes plenty of tackles and does the grunt work at the breakdown that a team needs. Let’s hope Tupou or AAA don’t get hurt.
Unca
Roar Rookie
Agreed. He has big run metres because he runs leaguie lines off the 5/8. Whenever he gets penalised in a scrum it’s always someone else’s fault; the lock, the THP, the flanker not putting in, but when he gets carded or replaced the scrum magically holds up. DR will have to select centre’s who are good at clean outs and pick and go’s as he’s standing in their spot waiting for the ball. God forbid we have Tupou and Bell on the paddock at the same time.?
MO
Guest
I should have said "If Slipper is out". Just haven't seen him for a while but Slipper should be experienced enough to come back without too much rust.
Adsa
Roar Rookie
That would not hurt his development. Is Slipper out?
MO
Guest
Bell is our best impact loosehead but unfortunately he may be our best starter with Slipper out! Nick B said the French tight five are not that great so Bell may get some big minutes.
Perthstayer
Roar Rookie
Short sighted to select on kg alone. Either way he's proof it's inaccurate. He faced/bested the best AU/TT has to offer with some has beens and no current internationals behind him. But this is an opinion site and ours differ
Adsa
Roar Rookie
I like Cam Orr, good at scrum time, hope he gets a cap. Slipper and Bell would appear to have the inside running.
Mungbean74
Roar Rookie
I’m not sure if you’re taking the piss, or you have just really lost the plot. I disagree with everyone of your changes. So I’m guessing you’re just a really biased NSWelshman and you’re joking I hope.
Rolando
Guest
Fair comment. Neither Sio nor Slipper can hold up their side of a scrum in tests.
Bobbles
Guest
OH while where at it lets dump AAA and include HJH and while were at it why not Dump BPA for Porecki .oh and while were at it why not dump JOC for Harrison, oh and while were at it ,why not dump Banks for Maddocks, oh while were at it why not dump Naisirani for Dempsey, oh while were at it why not dump Daugunu for Nawaatssase.
terrykidd
Roar Pro
I want Slipper 0ut and R0berts0n in ..... Slipper is d0ne and has had his day
Diamond Jackie
Roar Rookie
A good opportunity for Shockand. Being a prop and given they play 3 tests in about a week he has a decent chance of wearing green and gold
terrykidd
Roar Pro
G00d .... I did n0t want Si0 in the squad .... I am happy t see 0rr get sme rec0gniti0n and further devel0pment ..... n0w lets dump Slipper als0
Laif
Guest
Robertson will never be a Wallaby again He failed in 20 tests as he is so tiny.
Bobbles
Guest
Bell has done nothing to anoint him as the 2nd best loosehead in OZ .The hype over him is astounding.
Rhys
Roar Rookie
Yep agreed. They've dug themselves and Coleman, however good he turns out, into a big hole. Just wondering if you happened to know anything more about him. Cheers mate
Brett McKay
Expert
It wouldn't all surprise me if it's essentially another pre-season, given the speed of the international game now..
Noodles
Roar Rookie
Sadly, I fear Scott has picked up a French virus. Their props used to imitate actual cauliflowers. Now they turn up everywhere like poppies in spring. In his last TT games he was actually sprinting into contact!