Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt says he'll "keep investing" in Australia's young crop of playmakers after omitting James O'Connor from his initial 36-man squad to face Fiji.
While the inclusions of Noah Lolesio, Ben Donaldson and Tom Lynagh were widely expected, Schmidt has spoken highly of O'Connor's Super Rugby Pacific form with the grand final-bound Crusaders.
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Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Schmidt revealed he'd been in touch with the veteran playmaker and other overseas Wallabies, including the likes of Bernard Foley, Samu Kerevi and Marika Koroibete, before today's announcement.
"Yeah, I spoke to James today … He's got a big game coming up this Saturday obviously," Schmidt said.
"His experience, his skill set, a little bit of versatility I've talked about before in that 10-12 channel, all those things were positive.
"There are other guys that have been ongoing conversations - the likes of Bernard Foley and Samu Kerevi, Mariko Koroibete. They're all real, not just quality players, but quality contributors to an environment.
"I've seen player-to-player coaching as an incredibly powerful way to prepare players to play with the experience they bring [but] at the same time, we've invested in three guys in that 10 spot. we're going to keep investing in those guys."
Lolesio was Schmidt's chief playmaker through 2024 and started 11 Tests with Donaldson deputising for much of the season, though the Force flyhalf was handed the reins against Georgia and Argentina.
Meanwhile, Lynagh earned four Test caps in his debut season, coming off the bench against Wales, South Africa, Argentina and New Zealand.
"What I like about those players is they were investing in themselves really well in our environment last year," Schmidt said.
"I think we saw all three of them make improvements to their game. They increased their own confidence to drive the game and to communicate the game to other players.
"We didn't want to interrupt that. I'm not saying we got it right, I'm just saying that's what we chose to do."
Schmidt also explained his decision to include uncapped winger Corey Toole in his 36-man squad for Fiji, revealing the Brumbies flyer was "close" to earning Wallabies selection in 2024.
"Corey spent time with us last year during the TRC. He didn't get his Test cap, but he was close to it. I think it was another really good Super season from him putting his hand up," Schmidt told reporters.
"It was a fairly contested area. We had a number of guys who I felt did well in that three-quarter line. Obviously, some guys like Lachie Anderson, Tristan Riley, Matt Grealy ... Andy Muirhead and his versatility of being able to play fullback."
