CHEIKA SHOWS FAITH IN FUTURE, ADDING TWO POTENTIAL WALLABIES DEBUTANTS TO SQUAD
Qantas Wallabies Head Coach Michael Cheika has named his 30-man Wallabies squad for their upcoming South African and England tour, with Waratahs hooker Tolu Latu and Rebels back Sefania Naivalu joining camp.
Rookie prop Allan Alaalatoa returns from a knee injury to be included in the squad, while some stellar Buildcorp NRC form has given Nick Frisby the opportunity to add to his two Tests.
Ben McCalman and Drew Mitchell will return to clubs Perth Spirit and Toulon, respectively, to gain match fitness, while Tatafu Polatu-Nau has been rested and will not be considered for selection.
Naivalu’s rise has been extraordinary, the first player from Melbourne’s Dewar Shield Club Rugby competition to directly earn a professional Super Rugby contract, signing with the Rebels in late 2013.
Naivalu excelled in his first two seasons, as one of the competition’s most dynamic finishers and now finds himself on the cusp of Wallabies selection just three seasons on from playing with the Box Hill Rugby Club.
This is not the first time Latu has been selected in a Wallabies squad. A broken arm cost him his chance in 2014, after he was initially named as a replacement for Polota-Nau.
Latu has been a standout for the table-topping NSW Country Eagles in this year’s Buildcorp NRC while also featuring in four games for the Waratahs this season.
The Wallabies have won 10 of the last 15 fixtures against the Springboks, although have not won in South Africa since August 2011, winning 14-9 at Kings Park, Durban.
The Wallabies will play South Africa at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, next Sunday morning at 1:05AM (AEST), before their historic Rugby Championship fixture and Rugby World Cup Semi Final rematch against Argentina at Twickenham, London.
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