The initial 39 man Wallabies squad for the England series has been announced and there’s a few eye-brow raisers in it.
Cheika has called on four internationally-based players for the initial camp, including former Qantas Wallabies skipper James Horwill (Harlequins, UK), Queensland Reds signee Leroy Houston (Bath, UK), France-based prop Sekope Kepu (Bordeaux) and newly re-signed NSW Waratahs flyer Taqele Naiyaravoro (Glasgow).
The 39-man squad also includes 10 players uncapped at Test level, including Reds backs Nick Frisby, Karmichael Hunt, Eto Nabuli and Samu Kerevi, Western Force fullback Dane Haylett-Petty and lock Adam Coleman, Brumbies scrumhalf Joe Powell and forwards Allan Ala’alatoa and Rory Arnold, as well as Reds flanker Leroy Houston.
Qantas Wallabies 39-man training squad for the 2016 England Series (in alphabetical order):
Allan Ala’alatoa (Brumbies)
Rory Arnold (Brumbies)
Sam Carter (Brumbies)
Adam Coleman (Western Force)
Scott Fardy (Brumbies)
Israel Folau (NSW Waratahs)
Bernard Foley (NSW Waratahs)
Nick Frisby (Queensland Reds)
Liam Gill (Queensland Reds)
James Hanson (Melbourne Rebels)
Mike Harris (Melbourne Rebels)
Dane Haylett-Petty (Western Force)
Greg Holmes (Queensland Reds)
Michael Hooper (NSW Waratahs)
Rob Horne (NSW Waratahs)
James Horwill (Harlequins)
Leroy Houston (Queensland Reds)
Karmichael Hunt (Queensland Reds)
Sekope Kepu (Bordeaux)
Samu Kerevi (Queensland Reds)
Tevita Kuridrani (Brumbies)
Christian Leali’ifano (Brumbies)
Ben McCalman (Western Force)
Sean McMahon (Melbourne Rebels)
Stephen Moore (c) (Brumbies)
Luke Morahan (Western Force)
Dean Mumm (NSW Waratahs)
Eto Nabuli (Queensland Reds)
Taqele Naiyaravoro (NSW Waratahs)
Wycliff Palu (NSW Waratahs)
Nick Phipps (NSW Waratahs)
David Pocock (Brumbies)
Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW Waratahs)
Joe Powell (Brumbies)
Rob Simmons (Queensland Reds)
Scott Sio (Brumbies)
Will Skelton (NSW Waratahs)
James Slipper (Queensland Reds)
Toby Smith (Melbourne Rebels)
