MICHAEL CHEIKA HAS named Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell in his 36-man Australia training squad for the upcoming Rugby Championship, despite concerns that Toulon would not release the pair.
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If Giteau does come home he would be available for the entire Rugby Championship under World Rugby’s regulation 9, starting from the August 20 Sydney Bledisloe match.
“He came and spoke to me after the series on him moving on and retiring from worldwide rugby”, said Cheika.
Giteau was one of four overseas-based backs named in a 36-man train-on squad.
The squad also included playmaker Quade Cooper, who recently left Toulon, but winger Taqele Naiyaravoro was unavailable due to commitments to his Japanese club.
Other noticeable absentees include prop Greg Holmes, flanker Liam Gill and lock Sam Carter.
“In these instances this year with these players I really didn’t want to let them go, but these players have been put in the middle of hard situations by their agents by promising the overseas clubs certain things that they are not sure they can deliver”.
Boudjellal’s argument centres around the fact that when Giteau and Mitchell initially signed for Toulon, the Australian Rugby Union did not allow players based overseas to feature for the Wallabies, and the pair would therefore not play Test rugby.
Waratahs prop Tom Robertson headlines the four new inclusions which include fellow prop Allan Alaalatoa, back Reece Hodge and back-rower Lopeti Timani.
“Because Matt and I went over there when it wasn’t possible, we agreed in our contract that we wouldn’t play worldwide footy”, Mitchell told the ARU’s official site.
With the return of Giteau and Genia, Christian Lealifano and Joe Powell have missed out respectively.
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Outside back Dane Haylett-Petty, centre Samu Kerevi, scrumhalf Nick Frisby and lock Adam Coleman have all been retained after making their test debuts against England in June.
