Acting Wales rugby coach Rob Howley has dropped five players from his original squad for the tour of Australia, including in-form Ospreys five-eighth Dan Biggar.

Howley is temporarily in charge while Wales’s Six Nations Grand Slam-winning boss Warren Gatland recovers from injuries suffered falling off a ladder in his native New Zealand.

Biggar’s omission is a surprise to many after he helped steer the Ospreys to the Celtic League title and started in Saturday’s 30-21 win over the Barbarians in what was Wales’ final hit-out before they travel to Australia for a three-Test series with the Wallabies later this month.

Howley said there was never any question of the Barbarians match amounting to an audition to provide back-up to Test No.10 Rhys Priestland as he’d told Biggar in midweek he wouldn’t be travelling to Australia.

“Having spoken to Dan throughout the week we have been mindful of the motivation for the Baa-Baas game as well as the travel logistics for going to Australia,” Howley said.

The other four players dropped from Howley’s original 38-man squad are centre Adam Warren, prop Ryan Bevington, winger Will Harries and flanker Martyn Williams, who won his 100th and final cap for his country as a second-half replacement against the Barbarians.

In Biggar’s absence, the versatile James Hook will compete with Priestland for a starting role.

Wales were beaten by the Wallabies, 21-8, in last year’s World Cup third place playoff in Auckland and there was still time before 2011 was out for them to suffer a 24-18 defeat by Australia in Cardiff in December.

The Welsh haven’t beaten the Wallabies on Australian soil since 1969.