Five Newcomers In Wallaby Squad.

Five newcomers were Tuesday named in a 27-man Wallabies’ squad for two rugby internationals against Scotland next
month.
The quintet come from Super 12 champions ACT Brumbies – lock Mark
Chisholm, wingers Mark Gerrard and Clyde Rathbone, prop Nic Henderson
and lock
Radike Samo.

The George Gregan-led Wallabies take on the Six Nations
wooden-spooners in
Melbourne on June 13th and Sydney on June 19th before playing world
champions
England in Brisbane on June 26th.

Wallabies coach Eddie Jones said the expanded squad provides a
strong mix
of experience and new young talent who have proven themselves in the
Super 12
southern hemisphere provincial series.
“We have 22 players who were involved in the Rugby World Cup
last year and
five new guys who will add talent and enthusiasm to the squad,”
Jones said at
the official squad announcement here on Tuesday.

“We’ve picked the squad on form, from performances during the
entire Super
12, but Test match rugby is another level of intensity all together.

“I’m confident Mark Chisholm, Mark Gerrard, Clyde Rathbone,
Nic Henderson
and Radike Samo have the ability to play at the next level and it’s
appropriate to introduce them at this time.

“This is the first squad of the season and with a bit over
two weeks before
we play Scotland in Melbourne, it’s important we prepare well and
switch our
focus to Test match rugby.”

The squad has 12 players from the Brumbies, 10 from the NSW
Waratahs and
five from the Queensland Reds, and will begin training at their Coffs
Harbour
base in northern New South Wales on June 1st.

The Australian Rugby Union said injured players Mat Rogers
(ankle), Daniel
Heenan (shoulder), Chris Whitaker (knee) and Stirling Mortlock (knee)
were
considered unavailable for selection in the initial squad.

Australia: Alastair Baxter, Matthew Burke, Brendan Cannon, Mark
Chisholm,
Matt Dunning, Elton Flatley, Mark Gerrard, Matt Giteau, George Gregan
(captain), Justin Harrison, Nic Henderson, Stephen Larkham, Chris
Latham,
David Lyons, Jeremy Paul, Clyde Rathbone, John Roe, Joe Roff, Wendell
Sailor,
Radike Samo, Nathan Sharpe, George Smith, Lote Tuqiri, Morgan
Turinui, Daniel
Vickerman, Phil Waugh, Bill Young.

AFP – 2004.