The Wallaby Spring Tour squad has been named by the selector’s this morning.
Yes, there’s a bolter like the good old days and the surprise selection of four members from the Australian Sevens team from the Commonwealth Games.
Australia’s Sevens captain Pat McCutcheon has been included alongside three of his team-mates from the just concluded New Delhi tournament – halfback Nick Phipps, winger Lachie Turner and winger/fullback Luke Morahan.
Twenty-one-year-old Phipps is the squad bolter, having won the third halfback position behind Will Genia and Luke Burgess
The evergreen Queensland Reds lock Van Humphries is celebrating his first Wallabies selection at age 34 and there’ll be a lot of Queenslanders happy about that. Humphries is one of seven uncapped players included for the tour.
Queensland Reds winger Rod Davies earns his spot after being unavailable for selection earlier in the year due to a torn hamstring sustained during the Reds’ match against the Hurricanes.
The two other uncapped players are Brumbies centre Pat McCabe and Queensland Reds loose forward Scott Higginbotham. Both were involved in Australia’s Tri Nations squad earlier in the year but didn’t play a match.
Brumbies second rower Mark Chisholm is included after making a miracle recovery from an injured knee sustained in club rugby last month.
Prop Ben Alexander is also back from an enforced layoff, having not featured since Australia’s 49-3 win over Fiji at Canberra in June due to a knee injury.
The makeup of the squad is: 12 Queensland Reds, 9 ACT Brumbies, 8 NSW Waratahs, 6 Western Force and 1 Melbourne Rebel.
Of some interest is the the configuration of the tight forwards: 3 hookers, 5 props and 5 locks (if you include Mumm). TPN was still injured. There are 7 loose forwards selected.
The squad looks light on established outside centres but I’d think McCabe, Morahan and Faingaa will provide cover in the first instance. Turner, Hynes and Mitchell have also played there.
The unlucky players to miss out are Nathan Charles, Mitch Chapman, Dave Dennis, Kane Douglas, Bracken Karauria-Henry, Sekope Kepu, Pat O’Connor, Richard Kingi and Matt Toomua.
The squad assembles in Sydney on Wednesday and departs for Hong Kong on Saturday 23 October.
| Ben Alexander | Prop | Brumbies | 25 | 19 |
| Adam Ashley-Cooper | Fullback-Wing-Outside Centre | Brumbies | 26 | 46 |
| Berrick Barnes | Inside centre-Flyhalf | NSW Waratahs | 24 | 26 |
| Kurtley Beale | Fullback | NSW Waratahs | 21 | 9 |
| Richard Brown | No 8/Loose Forward | Western Force | 26 | 22 |
| Luke Burgess | Halfback | NSW Waratahs | 27 | 27 |
| Mark Chisholm | Lock | Brumbies | 29 | 53 |
| Quade Cooper | Flyhalf | Queensland Reds | 22 | 19 |
| Rod Davies | Winger | Queensland Reds | 21 | Uncapped |
| Ben Daley | Prop | Queensland Reds | 22 | 3 |
| Huia Edmonds | Hooker | Brumbies | 29 | 3 |
| Rocky Elsom (c) | Flanker | Brumbies | 27 | 59 |
| Anthony Faingaa | Inside Centre | Queensland Reds | 23 | 4 |
| Saia Faingaa | Hooker | Queensland Reds | 23 | 9 |
| Will Genia | Halfback | Queensland Reds | 22 | 18 |
| Matt Giteau | Inside Centre | Brumbies | 28 | 87 |
| Scott Higginbotham | Loose forward | Queensland Reds | 24 | Uncapped |
| Matt Hodgson | Loose forward | Western Force | 29 | 4 |
| Peter Hynes | Wing | Queensland Reds | 28 | 22 |
| Van Humphries | Lock | Queensland Reds | 34 | Uncapped |
| Salesi Ma’afu | Prop | Brumbies | 27 | 10 |
| Pat McCabe | Centre/Wing/Fullback | Brumbies | 22 | Uncapped |
| Ben McCalman | Lock/Loose Forward | Western Force | 22 | 4 |
| Pat McCutcheon | Flanker | NSW Waratahs | 23 | Uncapped |
| Drew Mitchell | Wing | NSW Waratahs | 26 | 50 |
| Stephen Moore | Hooker | Brumbies | 27 | 51 |
| Luke Morahan | Wing | Queensland Reds | 20 | Uncapped |
| Dean Mumm | Lock/Loose-forward | NSW Waratahs | 26 | 29 |
| James O’Connor | Fullback | Western Force | 20 | 23 |
| Nick Phipps | Halfback | Melbourne Rebels | 21 | Uncapped |
| David Pocock | Flanker | Western Force | 22 | 25 |
| Benn Robinson | Prop | NSW Waratahs | 26 | 37 |
| Nathan Sharpe | Lock | Western Force | 32 | 88 |
| Rob Simmons | Lock | Queensland Reds | 21 | 4 |
| James Slipper | Prop | Queensland Reds | 21 | 9 |
| Lachie Turner | Wing | NSW Waratahs | 23 | 12 |
Coaching Staff/Team Management
Head Coach: Robbie Deans, Forwards Coach: Jim Williams, Assistant Coach: David Nucifora, Scrum Coach: Patricio Noriega
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Peter Harding, Analyst: Andrew Sullivan, Manager: Robert [Bob] Egerton, Assistant Manager: Sam Cashman, Media Manager: Nick Smith, Doctor: Warren MacDonald, Physiotherapists: Andrew Ryan, James Sutherland, Mascot: Skippy
2010 Spring Tour Itinerary
| DATE | MATCH | VENUE | VENUE | |
| Sat 30 Oct | v All Blacks | Hong Kong Stadium | 4.35pm | |
| Sat 6 Nov | v Wales | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 2.30pm | |
| Tue 9 Nov | v Leicester Tigers | Welford Road, Leicester | 7.30pm | |
| Sat 13 Nov | v England | Twickenham Stadium, London | 2.30pm | |
| Tue 16 Nov | v Munster | Thomond Park Stadium, Limerick | 8pm | |
| Sat 20 Nov | v Italy | Stadio Artemio Franchi Florence | 3pm | |
| Sat 27 November | v France | Stade de France, Paris | 8.45pm |
* all kick offs are in local times (Hong Kong – 3 hours, Cardiff/London/Leicester/Limerick – 10 hours, Florence/Paris – 9 hours, AEDT)
