Veteran Benn Robinson headlines the unlucky omissions in the Wallabies’ trimmed-down 30-man squad for the opening Bledisloe Cup clash with New Zealand on Saturday week.
Ewen McKenzie cut 10 players from the long list he invited to a training camp in Sydney this week, overlooking NSW captain Robinson who started all three Tests against the British and Irish Lions.
“He’s very disappointed. I was actually pleased about that. If he wasn’t disappointed, I’d be disappointed,” McKenzie said of 59-Test Robinson, one of Australia’s most-capped front-rowers.
“I want people to be emotionally connected to the Wallabies, I want it to matter.
“Obviously for a player of his experience, it’s a bit of a blow. But everyone needs to understand you’ve got to be delivering.
“He knows what he needs to do. We’ll keep him close and he’s got every chance of pushing his way back in.”
Brumbies prop Scott Sio, 21, could be given his first Test cap in the absence of Robinson.
Sio is among eight potential Test debutants in the Wallabies squad, and McKenzie will have no qualms trying some of them out against the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium.
“Sometimes you’ve got to be proactive and get on with it if you think you’ve got a guy that’s got some real ability,” McKenzie said.
“When do you actually start giving guys an opportunity? Well I think some of these guys have earned a go.
“I’m not going to worry about it (playing debutants in the Bledisloe Cup opener) too much. Where is an easy place to start your Test career?”
McKenzie has retained both uncapped five-eighths Matt Toomua and Bernard Foley as they battle Quade Cooper for the right to wear the No.10 jersey against New Zealand.
“They’re all there so you’re going to have to keep speculating about it … we don’t need to make a decision publicly about the play-making role until one hour before the game,” McKenzie said, keen to keep the All Blacks guessing.
Toomua, Foley, Sio, hooker-prop Albert Anae, lock-flanker Scott Fardy, No.8 Jake Schatz, centre Tevita Kuridrani and halfback Nic White are the potential debutants in the squad.
Back-rower Dave Dennis and back-up halfback Nick Phipps, both in Robbie Deans’ 31-man squad against the Lions, were also chopped.
Wallabies 30-man squad: James Horwill (capt), Albert Anae, Ben Alexander, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Quade Cooper, Nick Cummins, Kane Douglas, Saia Faingaa, Scott Fardy, Israel Folau, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, Liam Gill, Michael Hooper, Sekope Kepu, Tevita Kuridrani, Christian Lealiifano, Ben McCalman, Hugh McMeniman, Jesse Mogg, Stephen Moore, Ben Mowen, James O’Connor, Jake Schatz, Rob Simmons, Scott Sio, James Slipper, Joe Tomane, Matt Toomua, Nic White.