Joe Powell has earned a recall to the Canberra Vikings starting XV but the the scrumhalf missed the Wallabies squad for their final Bledisloe Cup match.
Powell was benched for the Vikings must-win clash against Brisbane City last week but a strong performance off the pine won back his No. 9 jersey for their semi-final against the Fijian Drua on Saturday.
Joe Powell has missed the Wallabies squad but won his starting role back with the Canberra Vikings. Credit:Jamila Toderas
The door is still open for Powell to impress over the next fortnight and earn a spot on the Wallabies spring tour heading into a World Cup year.
Powell was in every Wallabies squad from May 2016 until last month when he was left out of Australia's tour South Africa and Argentina.
The 24-year-old played four Tests and has been replaced in the Wallabies squad by NSW Waratahs reserve scrumhalf Jake Gordon.
Wallabies back-rower Pete Samu is set to make his Vikings debut off the bench on return from a knee injury and a solid hit-out will seal his spot on the spring tour.
Samu has played seven Tests since signing a two-year deal with the ACT Brumbies and bolting into the Wallabies team for the June Test series.
It's been an enormous year for the 26-year-old, after making his Test debut he won a second straight Super Rugby title with the Canterbury Crusaders.
The star flanker will have his eyes set on another trophy in eight days, with Canberra gunning for their third National Rugby Championship grand final in five years.
The Wallabies will play New Zealand in Tokyo on October 27 before spending a week at their Japan World Cup base and flying to Europe for matches against Wales, Italy and England.
Vikings duo Rory Arnold and Tom Banks have retained their spots in the Australian squad and will fly to Japan from Fiji on Sunday.
Wallabies squad for Bledisloe Cup:
Forwards: Jermaine Ainsley (1 Test, Melbourne Rebels, 23) Allan Alaalatoa (29 Tests, Brumbies, 24) Rory Arnold (18 Tests , Brumbies, 28) Adam Coleman (28 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 26) Angus Cottrell* (uncapped, Melbourne Rebels, 28) Jack Dempsey (6 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 24) Folau Fainga’a (5 Tests, Brumbies, 23) Ned Hanigan (17 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 23) Jed Holloway* (uncapped, NSW Waratahs, 25) Michael Hooper (c) (87 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 26) Sekope Kepu (99 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 32) Tolu Latu (9 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 25) Brandon Paenga-Amosa (4 Tests, Queensland Reds, 22) David Pocock (74 Tests, Brumbies, 30) Izack Rodda (13 Tests, Queensland Reds, 22) Rob Simmons (90 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 29) Scott Sio (51 Tests, Brumbies, 27) Taniela Tupou (8 Tests, Queensland Reds, 22).
Backs:
Tom Banks (2 Tests, Brumbies, 24) Kurtley Beale (80 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 29) Israel Folau (69 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 29) Bernard Foley (64 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 29) Will Genia (96 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 30) Jake Gordon* (uncapped, NSW Waratahs, 25) Dane Haylett-Petty (27 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 29) Reece Hodge (33 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 24) Samu Kerevi (21 Tests, Queensland Reds, 25) Marika Koroibete (17 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 26) Jack Maddocks (5 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 21) Sefa Naivalu (7 Tests, Melbourne Rebels, 26) Nick Phipps (69 Tests, NSW Waratahs, 29).
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