Genia squeezes Frisby out of Wallabies squad

Fri, Aug 5, 2016, 1:30 AM
Beth Newman
by Beth Newman
Check out what Qantas Wallabies coach Michael Cheika had to say about his Rugby Championship squad. Who was 'the bolter'?

The return of Will Genia to Wallabies camp has squeezed Nick Frisby out of another Test shot, with the Reds halfback left out of a 33-man Rugby Championship squad.

Genia, currently signed with Stade Francais in Paris, has been injured for much of the year but is on track for a Rugby Championship outing and his first taste of rugby since January.

He is one of five Europe-based Wallabies in the squad, with Quade Cooper, Matt Giteau, Adam Ashley-Cooper and Drew Mitchell also included, though Cooper is returning to Australia for good.

Frisby had limited minutes in the June Test series, with Wallabies coach Michael Cheika preferring to start Waratahs scrumhalf Nick Phipps against England.

Nick Frisby is on the verge of a Test debut. Photo: ARU Media/Brian Hook

Winger Luke Morahan and prop Toby Smith are the others to have missed out on a Rugby Championship shot after being involved in June.

Bolter Tom Robertson has been retained in the squad to head to Terrigal next week, ahead of the August 20 Bledisloe Cup opener.

Robertson was a revelation for the Waratahs this season and impressed in the extended national squad in recent weeks, earning a retention for the tournament.

The 21-year-old is one of four uncapped players in the squad, with Rebels duo Reece Hodge and Lopeti Timani and Brumbies prop Allan Alaalatoa making up the potential debutants.

The Wallabies play their first Bledisloe on August 20 in Sydney and go in as major underdogs, after a disappointing Australian Super Rugby finish.

Most of the squad has been together for two weeks now, with still two left, giving the Wallabies a potentially handy buffer over their South African and Kiwi counterparts, who both have teams in the Super Rugby final.

"We've probably introduced two or three things that we wanted to bring in in this time of year and the boys have had a good opportunity to reconnect," Cheika said.

"Playing rugby at the highest level, which finals and semifinals of Super Rugby are, it's always an advantage too because they're in the competitive heat.

"If you look at the way we're setting ourselves up now, we're having to do probably other things to replace that game practise around our fitness training but it also gives us an opportunity to get to know our style, reconnect with the style of game we want to play.

 

Wallabies squad for the 2016 Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup

Allan Alaalatoa* (0 Tests)

Adam Ashley-Cooper (114 Tests)

Adam Coleman (1 Test)

Quade Cooper (58 Tests)

Kane Douglas (23 Tests)

Scott Fardy (33 Tests)

Israel Folau (41 Tests)

Bernard Foley (30 Tests)

Will Genia (66 Tests)

Matt Giteau (102 Tests)

James Hanson (10 Tests)

Dane Haylett-Petty (3 Tests)

Reece Hodge* (0 Tests)

Michael Hooper (54 Tests)

Rob Horne (32 Tests)

Sekope Kepu (66 Tests)

Samu Kerevi (2 Tests)

Tevita Kuridrani (34 Tests)

Ben McCalman (48 Tests)

Sean McMahon (9 Tests)

Drew Mitchell (70 Tests)

Stephen Moore (c) (105 Tests)

Dean Mumm (46 Tests)

Nick Phipps (42 Tests)

David Pocock (56 Tests)

Tatafu Polota-Nau (64 Tests)

Tom Robertson (0 Tests)

Rob Simmons (62 Tests)

Scott Sio (18 Tests)

Will Skelton (15 Tests)

James Slipper (77 Tests)

Lopeti Timani* (0 Tests)

Matt Toomua (32 Tests)


We'll see in the end won't we. But there's always the balance of playing footy as well. Playing rugby is always at the highest level, which finals and semifinals of SR are, it's always an advantage too becasue they're in their comeptitive heat. If you look at the way we're setting ourselves up now, we're having to do probably other things to replace that game practise around our fitness training but it also gives us an opportuntiy to get to know our style, reconnect with the syle of game we want to play. 
We'll see in the end won't we. But there's always the balance of playing footy as well. Playing rugby is always at the highest level, which finals and semifinals of SR are, it's always an advantage too becasue they're in their comeptitive heat. If you look at the way we're setting ourselves up now, we're having to do probably other things to replace that game practise around our fitness training but it also gives us an opportuntiy to get to know our style, reconnect with the syle of game we want to play. 
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