Melbourne Rebels centre Mitch Inman has joined club teammates Cooper Vuna, Kurtley Beale, Hugh Pyle, Nick Phipps and Cadeyrn Neville in the Qantas Wallabies train-on squad for the upcoming Castrol EDGE Rugby Championship, with the squad announced at the 2012 Bledisloe Cup Festival launch in Sydney on Monday.
"The club is very pleased to have six players selected in the Wallabies squad," said RaboDirect Rebels CEO Steve Boland.
"In particular it's great to see Mitch Inman receive the recognition he deserves for being one of our most consistent players throughout the year.
"We look forward to seeing a strong representation from the RaboDirect Rebels players throughout the Rugby Championship Series."
Twenty-seven players have been named in a provisional group which will assemble in Sydney for a three-day camp between July 24-26.
No Queensland Reds players have been considered due to their on-going FxPro Super Rugby playoffs commitments and the uncertainty that places over their availability.
Western Force lock Nathan Sharpe has also been rested from the camp.
Beale, who made his Test return for the year in the final match of the recent series against Wales, has been included, but James O’Connor remains on the sideline as he continues rehabilitation from a hamstring strain.
Consistent with the approach in previous seasons, the involvement of a wider group of players in preparation allows a greater number to be exposed to Wallaby methods and trainings, so the base knowledge is there when injuries or form loss requires personnel changes.
This takes on an even greater importance this year looking ahead to the Spring Tour which, unlike in previous seasons, follows hard on the heels of the domestic Test programme, with the touring party departing just 10 days after the third Bledisloe Cup Test against New Zealand in Brisbane on October 20.
“The camps provide us with an important opportunity for training background,” Qantas Wallabies coach Robbie Deans said.
“It gives us the chance to bring the whole group together and familiarise them with the method: ‘tune’ them in to Wallaby content if you like, coming as they are, out of the conclusion of their different state programmes from FxPro Super Rugby.”
The first Qantas Wallabies training squad ahead of the inaugural Castrol EDGE Rugby Championship is: Kurtley Beale (Melbourne Rebels), Adam Ashley-Cooper (NSW Waratahs), Drew Mitchell (NSW Waratahs), Lachie Turner (NSW Waratahs), Nick Cummins (Western Force), Cooper Vuna (Melbourne Rebels), Rob Horne (NSW Waratahs), Mitch Inman (Melbourne Rebels), Pat McCabe (Brumbies), Bernard Foley (NSW Waratahs), Berrick Barnes (NSW Waratahs), Nick Phipps (Melbourne Rebels), Nic White (Brumbies), Ben Mowen (Brumbies), David Pocock (Western Force), Michael Hooper (Brumbies), Dave Dennis (NSW Waratahs), Kane Douglas (NSW Waratahs), Cadeyrn Neville (Melbourne Rebels), Hugh Pyle (Melbourne Rebels), Sitaleki Timani (NSW Waratahs), Sekope Kepu (NSW Waratahs), Benn Robinson (NSW Waratahs), Ben Alexander (Brumbies), Paddy Ryan (NSW Waratahs), Stephen Moore (Brumbies), Tatafu Polota-Nau (NSW Waratahs).
The Castrol EDGE Rugby Championship Dates
Bledisloe Cup - #1
August 18: Qantas Wallabies v New Zealand, Sydney (ANZ), 8pm
August 18: South Africa v Argentina, Cape Town
Bledisloe Cup - #2
August 25: Qantas Wallabies v New Zealand, Auckland, 7.35pm
August 25: Argentina v South Africa, Mendoza
Mandela Challenge Plate - #1
September 8: Qantas Wallabies v South Africa, Perth, 6.30pm
September 8: New Zealand v Argentina, Wellington
September 15: Qantas Wallabies v Argentina, Gold Coast, 8pm
September 15: New Zealand v South Africa, Dunedin
Mandela Challenge Plate - #2
September 29: Qantas Wallabies v South Africa, Pretoria, 3pm
September 29: Argentina v New Zealand, La Plata
October 6: Qantas Wallabies v Argentina, Rosario, 8pm
October 6: South Africa v New Zealand, Soweto
Bledisloe Cup Test - #3
October 20: Qantas Wallabies v New Zealand, Brisbane, 8pm