MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – Australia coach Michael Cheika has included New South Wales Waratahs lock Jed Holloway among three uncapped players in a 31-man squad released on Thursday for the third and final Bledisloe Cup test against New Zealand in Yokohama.
Scrumhalf Jake Gordon and loose forward Angus Cottrell, an unused squad member for the final Rugby Championship matches against South Africa and Argentina, are the other uncapped players.
The Oct. 27 match is a dead rubber after the All Blacks sealed the annual trans-Tasman series with wins in Sydney and Auckland.
Queensland center Samu Kerevi makes his return after missing the Rugby Championship with a bicep injury.
The 25-year-old’s last match was the third test against Ireland in June. Reece Hodge has started at outside center in all six games in his absence.
Center Tevita Kuridrani has been left out as he continues his recovery from a pectoral muscle injury sustained in July, allowing another chance for seven-test Sefa Naivalu, who played his last match against Italy in June, 2017.
But loose forward Jack Dempsey has been included after missing the entire season with a serious hamstring injury.
England-based hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau and inside centre Matt Toomua have been omitted, with the match falling outside the international window.
As expected, flanker Lukhan Tui was also left out, having announced on social media on Sunday that he had withdrawn himself from selection to look after his family after the death of his stepfather.
The Wallabies will have a training camp in Japan and pick their squad for the European tour, where they play Wales, Italy and England, after the All Blacks game.
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