{"id":746514,"date":"2026-06-19T10:54:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T10:54:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/746514\/"},"modified":"2026-06-19T10:54:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T10:54:10","slug":"wallabies-squad-winners-losers-joe-schmidt-nick-frost-lukhan-salakaia-loto-james-slipper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/746514\/","title":{"rendered":"Wallabies squad winners & losers: Joe Schmidt, Nick Frost, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, James Slipper"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Following the announcement of Joe Schmidt\u2019s Wallabies squad for the upcoming Nations Championship, we select our winners and losers.<\/p>\n

Australia\u2019s outgoing head coach has made several surprising calls in his 37-man group ahead of his final international window in charge of the side before handing over the reins to Les Kiss.<\/p>\n

Planet Rugby unpacks the squad, which features three uncapped players and the return of James Slipper after a brief international<\/a> retirement. So without further ado, here are our winners and losers.<\/p>\n

Winners<\/p>\n

Uncapped Brumbies duo<\/p>\n

Noah Lolesio\u2019s departure to Japan gave Declan Meredith the opportunity to really stamp his authority on the Brumbies number 10 jersey, and the 26-year-old rose to the challenge and starred for ACT throughout the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific campaign.<\/p>\n

The playmaker has patiently waited for his chance to shine, and while he impressed in his handful of starts last season, he went to another level in 2026 and thoroughly deserves his Wallabies<\/a> call-up.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Waratahs coach Dan McKellar warned of overhyping the pivot amid fears that it could place too much pressure on him.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen are we going to learn that that sort of pressure on young men doesn\u2019t help them? It\u2019s been going on for I don\u2019t know how many years now,\u201d McKellar said in March.<\/p>\n

\u201cI could rattle off 10 names of players who have played a couple of good games (and get overhyped). We\u2019re just trying to find the diamond in the rough. Declan\u2019s been good, but I think as a game we need not to apply pressure on him and think that he\u2019s going to be the next big thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead of folding under the pressure, Meredith thrived to steer the Brumbies into the play-offs. He has benefited from the absence of Tom Lynagh and the fact that Schmidt<\/a> has overlooked James O\u2019Connor and Lolesio, but that does not mean he is not absolutely deserving of his call-up.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most surprising inclusion in the squad is Meredith\u2019s clubmate, Lachlan Shaw. The 2m tall lock has been given the nod ahead of Nick Frost and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, with Schmidt putting an extra emphasis on the Wallabies\u2019 lineout. Shaw was another standout performer for the Brumbies during the Super Rugby Pacific campaign, winning 55 lineouts and claiming 11 steals at the set-piece. Joel Brial was the only Australian to win more lineouts this season, while only Jeremy Williams (16) and Warner Dearns (15) claimed more steals.<\/p>\n

The 23-year-old is no slouch around the park either, averaging around 15 tackles and six carries per game. Shaw\u2019s selection is well deserved, but only time will tell if he is ready to make the step up to the international level in terms of physicality. However, the lineout is clearly an area of improvement for the Wallabies\u2019 staff, considering the 84% success rate during the Autumn Nations Series last November, a slight improvement from the Rugby Championship (83%).<\/p>\n

Joe Schmidt signs off with shock calls as 37-man Wallabies squad named for Nations Championship: \u2018Some very good players have not been selected\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Will Skelton\u2019s successor<\/p>\n

Miles Amatosero is the third and final uncapped player selected by Schmidt, with the Waratahs lock effectively called up to fill the gigantic void that Will Skelton leaves. Skelton suffered a ruptured Achilles in March while playing for La Rochelle, which has ruled him out for the entire 2026 international season.<\/p>\n

During Schmidt\u2019s tenure, the Wallabies haven\u2019t found a like-for-like replacement for Skelton, but Amatosero does offer a similar build. However, the real challenge for him will be replicating the La Rochelle star\u2019s ball-carrying prowess, which will be no easy feat.<\/p>\n

\u201cMiles, you can see\u2026he\u2019s the right size and shape and he\u2019s brought a really positive mentality to his own growth and development, particularly through that Super Rugby once he got over a few hiccups and he\u2019s gone really well,\u201d the head coach said of the uncapped lock.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019ve always got that short-term focus but a long-term vision. He\u2019s had three years playing in France, he\u2019s had a couple of years back here now, so he\u2019s put himself in the right position to really springboard from there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amatosero\u2019s season got off to a rocky start after he received a four-match suspension ahead of the Super Rugby Pacific campaign for punching teammate Angus Scott-Young. That kind of act would put a lot of coaches off, but perhaps Schmidt appreciated the added bit of bite and aggression the brawling second-rower can bring.<\/p>\n

Overseas quartet<\/p>\n

Rugby Australia have largely scrapped \u2018Giteau Law\u2019 and Schmidt has taken the opportunity to select four players based in the northern hemisphere: Exeter Chiefs stars Len Ikitau and Tom Hooper, France-based prop Taniela Tupou and loosehead prop Angus Bell.<\/p>\n

Bell enjoyed a sabbatical with Ulster in Ireland where he shone for the Irish province, who reached the Challenge Cup final and narrowly missed out on the United Rugby Championship play-offs. The livewire front-rower crucially bolsters the Wallabies\u2019 loosehead stocks, which have been hit with injuries.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Ikitau and Hooper will arrive late in camp as they turn out for Exeter in the PREM Rugby final this weekend against Northampton Saints after stunning Bath Rugby. Ditto for tighthead Tupou as Racing 92 progressed to the Top 14 semi-finals after edging Pau in the barrage play-off.<\/p>\n

James Slipper<\/p>\n

All it took was a cup of coffee to convince the Wallabies\u2019 all-time Test appearance record holder Slipper that his international career was not yet done.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt cost me a coffee,\u201d Schmidt said of luring Slipper back at 37. \u201cThere\u2019s an old dog \u2013 great to lean on and he\u2019s a known quantity and leader in the group, which we lacked a bit during last season (after injuries hit).\u201d<\/p>\n

The Wallabies\u2019 loosehead stocks have been squeezed with Blake Schoupp facing four to six months out with a Lisfranc injury, while Tom Robertson, Tom Lambert and Aidan Ross have all dealt with injury issues around the end of the Super Rugby Pacific season. Ross has still been included in the squad, but Schmidt said that the squad missed leadership in the group.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is very much a leader in the group, which we lacked a little bit when we lost him, Nic White and a few others last season,\u201d the head coach added.<\/p>\n

While Ireland will arrive in Australia with depleted front-row stocks this July, the Wallabies will face powerful scrummaging packs when tackling France and Italy. Having a wily operator like Slipper is a huge boost for Australia.<\/p>\n

Carter Gordon<\/p>\n

Following his stint in the NRL, Carter Gordon endured a troublesome return to the Wallabies jumper, starting the defeat to Italy last November. However, he hit good form during the Super Rugby Pacific season and deservedly earns a recall to the Test set-up.<\/p>\n

Fly-half has been a troublesome position for Australia under Schmidt, particularly last year after Lolesio and Lynagh\u2019s injuries, and Gordon now gets a great opportunity to snap up the jersey. He is in an even more fortunate position having worked under incoming head coach Kiss<\/a> all season, with Schmidt confirming that the ex-Queensland Reds boss has weighed in on selection.<\/p>\n

\u201cLes was very much in the meetings where we were doing selection, and we\u2019re just trying to put together the best plan,\u201d Schmidt confirmed.<\/p>\n

Wallabies\u2019 July Tests: Fixtures, global kick-off times, referees and where to watch the Nations Championship<\/a><\/p>\n

Charlie Cale<\/p>\n

Injuries have severely hampered Charlie Cale\u2019s international ambitions with the back-rower unable to add to his two Test caps that he earned against Wales in 2024. A similar script looked to be unfolding earlier this year as he missed rounds 10 to 15 through injury, but the Brumbies star made a timely return in the latter stages of the campaign and remained fit enough to earn a recall to the squad.<\/p>\n

However, he will know that he has done just half the job as he faces stiff competition for a place in the Wallabies back-row, especially if he is viewed as a number eight by the coaching team with Harry Wilson likely to captain the side again.<\/p>\n

Jock Campbell<\/p>\n

Perhaps another benefactor from working so closely with the incoming head coach Kiss, Queensland back Jock Campbell earns a recall to the Wallabies squad for the first time since November 2022.<\/p>\n

Still, the 31-year-old impressed this Super Rugby Pacific season, so much so that he was included in the competition\u2019s inaugural Team of the Year, which was selected using the top performers in the Player of the Year voting across each position.<\/p>\n

His selection comes at the expense of Andrew Kellaway, but there will be stiff competition for the full-back jersey with Max Jorgensen thriving in the number 15 jumper for the Waratahs; Ben Donaldson, Tom Wright and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii provide Schmidt options at the back.<\/p>\n

Ben Donaldson<\/p>\n

Speaking of Donaldson, he too was named in the Super Rugby Pacific Team of the Year and earns a recall to the Wallabies set-up after he was unceremoniously dropped from the squad last year following the British and Irish Lions tour.<\/p>\n

The Western Force pivot revealed the two main reasons why he was snubbed by Schmidt last year on the KOKO Show.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne, just consistency. I think my game style \u2013 the way I play \u2013 I like to try things and express myself and move the ball, and sometimes that comes with errors. Obviously, as a 10, you\u2019re going to touch the ball; you\u2019re going to have a lot of errors,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I think just my consistency hasn\u2019t been great, whether it\u2019s in Super or for the Wallabies; that\u2019s one thing. And then just what Joe\u2019s told me around the contact area, my defence, my physicality, and then just the high ball as well. Obviously, the high ball is a massive part of the game, and the\u00a0Wallabies\u00a0are probably struggling the most out of anyone. So yeah, just those things I can keep working on, and that\u2019s what I\u2019ll be working on when I get back to pre-season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Schmidt has clearly seen improvements from the 27-year-old and he now gets the opportunity to stake his claim for the number 10 jersey.<\/p>\n

Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n

Losers<\/p>\n

Injured stars<\/p>\n

The Wallabies battled with a lengthy injury list last year, and Schmidt starts the 2026 international season without key players like lock Skelton, loosehead props Robertson and Schoupp.<\/p>\n

Code hooper Zac Lomax is also sidelined, as is fly-half Lynagh, uncapped number nine Henry Robertson and \u2018Tahs stalwart Jake Gordon, who was reportedly in the mix to skipper the team last year. Kadin Pritchard was also namechecked in the Wallabies squad release, which limits the centre options with Hunter Paisami also in a race against time to feature in the opener against Ireland.<\/p>\n

Montpellier-based Langi Gleeson played just twice for his new club this season due to injury, while the Wallabies\u2019 hooker stocks are also without Ethan Dobbins and Folau Fainga\u2019a.<\/p>\n

Matt Faessler<\/p>\n

The injuries at hooker makes Matt Faessler\u2019s omission all the more puzzling. The 27-year-old played three of Australia\u2019s November internationals last year and scored a brace against France but has been overlooked with Schmidt favouring his clubmate Josh Nasser, Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Billy Pollard.<\/p>\n

The \u2018luxury\u2019 Dave Rennie has with All Blacks that he never enjoyed at Wallabies as Joe Schmidt faces \u2018nervous wait\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Lukhan Salakaia-Loto<\/p>\n

Arguably the biggest omission from the squad and the one that Schmidt has copped the most heat about. The head coach explained that the 29-year-old\u2019s output needs improvement but says that he is bound to be in the mix later on in the year under Kiss.<\/p>\n

\u201cLukhan\u2019s an incredible athlete. I think he had some really good moments in Super Rugby. It was probably just stringing consecutive moments together,\u201d Schmidt told reporters.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re looking for him just to have a bit of a block where he can get himself into the best physical shape to best contribute to the team. What we do need is fast jumping locks, and we know he\u2019s got that speed, but he\u2019s just not quite where we\u2019d like him to be at the moment and we just think we can take this window [to get there]. He\u2019s been a big part of Les\u2019 [Kiss, incoming Wallabies coach] team this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, it\u2019s a shock omission considering that Salakaia-Loto was named in the Super Rugby Team of the Year and continues a trend of the second-rower being overlooked by Schmidt. Last year, he was snubbed for the Lions Series and only linked up with the squad after impressive shifts against the touring side for the Reds, First Nations and Pasifika XV and the AUNZ XV.<\/p>\n

With Skelton sidelined, the Wallabies desperately need an enforcer in the second-row and Salakaia-Loto seemingly fits the bill.<\/p>\n

Why the Les Kiss era at the Reds was \u2018a failure\u2019 as next Wallabies boss the latest to join \u2018uncharted territory\u2019 club<\/a><\/p>\n

Nick Frost<\/p>\n

A snub that has flown somewhat under the radar with Salakaia-Loto stealing the spotlight. However, Nick Frost\u2019s absence is perhaps significant considering that the Brumbies lock was one of the most consistent selections for the Wallabies last two years.<\/p>\n

He played all three Tests against the Lions, missed just one Rugby Championship match and featured in the four November internationals. Shaw usurped him in the Brumbies\u2019 pecking order during the tail end of the Super Rugby season but it\u2019s still bizarre that the 25 Test cap lock has been snubbed for the July internationals.<\/p>\n

The only logical reasoning for his omission could be that Schmidt and Kiss want to test the lock depth waters this July and rest Frost for the matches against Japan, Argentina, South Africa and the Bledisloe Cup Tests. The Wallabies know that they have a world-class operator in Frost and considering he had some injury troubles this year, perhaps a month off is not the worst idea. If it\u2019s a snub, it\u2019s indefensible.<\/p>\n

Andrew Kellaway<\/p>\n

Kellaway\u2019s snub looked likely after he was named in Scott Robertson\u2019s Barbarians team to face the Springboks in PE this weekend. The red-headed Waratahs back is another who has been a regular in Schmidt\u2019s teams during his tenure.<\/p>\n

However, his form slipped this season, and it\u2019s clear that has been a main selection requirement for the coaches ahead of the July international.<\/p>\n

Massimo De Lutiis<\/p>\n

After the big fuss around keeping Massimo De Lutiis in Australia amid interest from Ireland, it does come as somewhat of a surprise not to see the tighthead prop\u2019s name featured on the squad list.<\/p>\n

At 22, he still has plenty of time to force his way into the Test set-up, but there are several other selection calls with an eye to the future. In Allan Alaalatoa, Zane Nonggorr, Tupou and even Slipper, the Wallabies aren\u2019t short on tighthead prop options, but including De Lutiis even just to train with the squad, would have been a smart ploy.<\/p>\n

Joe Brial<\/p>\n

Another position where the Wallabies are well stocked is at blindside flanker, with the likes of Hooper, Rob Valetini, Nick Champion De Crespigny and Cale all offering Schmidt options on the side of the scrum.<\/p>\n

However, Queenslander Brial will still feel hard done by after a fantastic Super Rugby Pacific season, particularly after Schmidt\u2019s comments around Salakaia-Loto\u2019s lineout shortcomings. As mentioned above, Brial was the leading lineout jumper in Super Rugby this season and was equally busy around the park too. Unfortunately, he has fallen victim to the loose forward depth.<\/p>\n

Noah Lolesio<\/p>\n

One can argue that Lolesio made his own bed by leaving the Brumbies to sign with Japanese second-division side, the Toyota Industries Shuttles.<\/p>\n

Lolesio was the head coach\u2019s first-choice fly-half for the entirety of his first year in charge, and that didn\u2019t look to change in year two before an injury against Fiji curtailed his international season and denied him the opportunity to feature against the British and Irish Lions.<\/p>\n

Again, Schmidt and Kiss are able to select overseas-based players, but the coaching team has favoured local fly-half talents instead in Carter, Donaldson and Meredith. After investing so much time and caps into Lolesio, it\u2019s baffling that Schmidt and co have now discarded him completely.<\/p>\n

James O\u2019Connor<\/p>\n

O\u2019Connor has been outshone at Leicester Tigers by Englishman Billy Searle, with the pair recruited to fill Handre Pollard\u2019s void at the PREM Rugby club. However, considering his impact and influence on the Wallabies squad last year and his rumoured return to Australia, the veteran\u2019s omission from the squad is at the very least questionable.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a0Wallabies coach signs contract extension while Les Kiss adds Englishman to backroom staff<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Following the announcement of Joe Schmidt\u2019s Wallabies squad for the upcoming Nations Championship, we select our winners and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":746515,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,1379,818,1182,1381,92253,44,760,85],"class_list":["post-746514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-features","tag-home-page","tag-internationals","tag-joe-schmidt","tag-les-kiss","tag-news","tag-rugby","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/746514","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=746514"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/746514\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/746515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=746514"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=746514"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=746514"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}