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SYDNEY - Queensland stalwart David Croft and Western Force duo Tai McIsaac and Matt Henjak were notable omissions when Wallaby coach John Connolly named a 59-man national train-on squad today.
Long-rated in the top three openside breakaways along with George Smith and Phil Waugh, Croft failed to make the extended squad to prepare for the Wallabies' pre-World Cup test schedule and the Australia A team matches.
McIsaac played eight tests at hooker last year but couldn't get a look in for the squad behind Adam Freier, Jeremy Paul, Tatafu Polota-Nau and Stephen Moore.
Once rated the likely successor to George Gregan at halfback, Henjak wasn't ranked in the top five halfbacks in the country, with Gregan, Sam Cordingley and NSW trio Josh Valentine, Brett Sheehan and Josh Holmes all picked ahead of him.
Despite coming second last in the Super 14, the NSW Waratahs gained the biggest representation in the train-on squad with 19 players while the fifth-placed Brumbies were next with 17.
The Force got 14 players in while hapless wooden spooners the Queensland Reds, still reeling from their record 92-3 loss to the Bulls, got only nine in.
Among the uncapped players included were promising teenage inside backs Kurtley Beale and Quade Cooper and rugby league convert centre Ryan Cross.
Reds coach Eddie Jones has consistently nominated Croft as one of his best players in a struggling outfit, but his World Cup hopes were dented when he missed out behind the likes of Julian Salvi from the Brumbies and Western Force young gun David Pocock.
Others to miss out were Reds league convert Clinton Schifcofske and fellow fullback Peter Hewat (NSW).
Players in the train on squad will continue training in their home states until a reduced squad of 40 players is selected to attend a three-day training camp in Sydney from May 15-17.
A final Wallabies squad of 30 for the two tests against Wales, one-off test against Fiji and Tri Nations series will be announced on May 20.
Australian train-on squad (players listed by Super 14 franchise):
NSW Waratahs (19) - Al Baxter, Kurtley Beale, Will Caldwell, Matt Dunning, Rocky Elsom, Adam Freier, Josh Holmes, David Lyons, Sam Norton-Knight, Wycliff Palu, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson, Brett Sheehan, Lote Tuqiri, Morgan Turinui, Lachlan Turner, Josh Valentine, Dan Vickerman, Phil Waugh.
Brumbies (17) - Adam Ashley-Cooper, Alister Campbell, Mark Chisholm, Mark Gerrard, George Gregan, Nic Henderson, Stephen Hoiles, Julian Huxley, Stephen Larkham, Stirling Mortlock, Jeremy Paul, Clyde Rathbone, Julian Salvi, Guy Shepherdson, George Smith, Jone Tawake, Adam Wallace-Harrison.
Western Force (14) - Richard Brown, Ryan Cross, Matt Giteau, Gareth Hardy, James Hilgendorf, Digby Ioane, Drew Mitchell, Junior Pelesasa, David Pocock, Nathan Sharpe, Cameron Shepherd, Scott Staniforth, Troy Takiari, Rudi Vedelago.
Queensland Reds (9) - Berrick Barnes, Rodney Blake, Mitchell Chapman, Quade Cooper, Sam Cordingley, James Horwill, Hugh McMeniman, Stephen Moore, John Roe.
- AAP
