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SYDNEY - Wallaby rugby coach John Connolly today revealed more details of his intention to rest key players through the domestic test campaign, confirming winger Lote Tuqiri would sit out the matches against Wales.
Connolly stressed Tuqiri wasn't being disciplined for his controversial phone conversation with Wallabies selector Michael O'Connor last week.
"This was planned a long time ago," Connolly said today.
Connolly said the team's physical performance manager Jason Weber had decided after the Super 14 to try and regain some missing speed for Tuqiri.
The Wallaby coach revealed other players were in line for a rest prior to the World Cup, including halves George Gregan and Stephen Larkham and centre Stirling Mortlock.
"Tuqiri will be sitting out the first two (tests) and Mortlock I think will play four games, Larkham could play three of them and George (Gregan) will come in and play at some stage," Connolly said.
"We've got to freshen these guys up physically and mentally for weeks ahead."
Connolly said a captain and vice-captain for the seven tests prior to the World Cup would be announced next Sunday.
He also revealed injuries had altered plans to rest other players.
Connolly said flanker Rocky Elsom would have been rested for the first couple of tests of the campaign if injury prone Hugh McMeniman had been available.
A couple of Wallabies sat out the final day of training camp, with flanker Phil Waugh nursing a tendon problem in an ankle and prop Al Baxter sitting out this afternoon after taking a knock to the nose earlier in the day.
Connolly said he hoped Waugh's injury would settle down by Monday.
He said lock Daniel Vickerman, who last week made his return from a shoulder reconstruction, would make a "limited appearance" in a club game for Sydney University on Saturday with a view to him coming off the bench in the first Test against Wales the following week.
The Wallaby coach was hopeful injured outside back Cameron Shepherd would be fit to resume in club rugby on the weekend of the first test and would then be available for the second one a week later.
Connolly acknowledged Shepherd's injury had taken longer to heal than first anticipated, while he said halfback Sam Cordingley would play another club game on the weekend, but would make his representative comeback through the Australia A program.
He dropped a couple more hints about the likely composition of his lineup for the first test against Wales in Sydney on Saturday week, suggesting Al Baxter was a chance to start, and fellow prop Guy Shepherdson slated to come off the bench.
Connolly conceded he could field a relatively inexperienced back three combination for the first Wales test and had been trying a number of wing combinations with Mark Gerrard, Digby Ioane and Scott Staniforth all running there at training this week with Gerrard and Julian Huxley also vying for the starting fullback role.
- AAP
