Rugby:Australia coach Robbie Deans is adamant discarded veteran Phil Waugh can fight his way back into Test calculations, provided he still has a burning desire to wear the Wallaby jumper.
Waugh was the most notable omission from the 30-man Wallabies squad named on Thursday to contest the first four Tests of the campaign against Ireland, Fiji and England next month.
The 79-Test flanker was not considered for last season’s spring tour of Europe through injury, however, his non-selection for next month’s inbound Tests does not bode well for the 30-year-old who has slipped behind Western Force duo David Pocock and Matt Hodgson in the pecking order.
But Deans pointed to the return of Brumbies captain Stephen Hoiles to the Wallabies squad for the first time in two years as proof all hope is not lost for the proud Waratahs skipper.
“It’s not over until any individuals deem it to be over, and Hoilesy’s a great example of that,” Deans said. “He hasn’t played Test rugby since 2008 and he only played the one Test at that stage.
“When we sat down to consider the group we resolved a Wallabies 30 in the first instance and then the Barbarians group (of 10 players) was very much about development.”
The Australian Barbarians team made up of members of the 30-man Wallabies squad and the 10 development players will face England in two midweek clashes in Perth and Gosford next month.
Deans confirmed as many as 15 players are currently unavailable for selection due to injury, with James Horwill (knee), Wycliff Palu (knee), Benn Robinson (arm), Stephen Moore (jaw) and Stirling Mortlock (back) the most notable absentees.
Scrum-half Will Genia (knee) and winger Peter Hynes were both selected but are expected to miss at least the first two Tests of the campaign, while Tatafu Polota-Nau (shoulder, foot) will also be eased back into battle after a torrid campaign with the Waratahs.
While conscious of the need to balance the workloads of selected players, Deans confirmed he would name his best available side to face Fiji in Canberra on July 5th.
“Each game we’ll be lining up to win,” he added. “We’ll be naming a line-up to win in every instance. That’s not to say (we won’t be without players) because of injuries and the possibility of giving a couple of blokes a bit of breathing space and obviously Tatafu in particular, but it will essentially be the best line-up we can put out on any given day.”