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ESPN staff
Michael Cheika has bolstered his Wallabies squad for the opening Bledisloe Cup clash in Perth with the addition of David Pocock and the uncapped Jordan Petaia.
Veteran hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau will also link up with the squad ahead of the Rugby Championship finale, but it’s the official naming of Pocock and inclusion of Petaia that are particularly notable.
Petaia was due to make his Test debut against Italy on last year’s spring tour, only for injury to deny him a maiden international cap. He then opened this year’s Super Rugby season with a sparkling display for the Queensland Reds against the Highlanders in Dunedin, only to suffer a tournament-ending injury the following week against the Crusaders.
Pocock, meanwhile, has been battling a calf injury since early April but the openside flanker did travel to South Africa, where the Wallabies were beaten 35-17, to continue his rehab.
It was rumoured the champion flanker could make his playing return via club rugby, but his inclusion in the updated 36-man Wallabies squad suggests Cheika may yet bring him straight back into the Bledisloe cauldron.
“Squad decisions are getting harder and harder to make. So many lads are putting their hands up at training and at club rugby around the country, and each one of them is pushing the other to get better each day,” Cheika said.
“It’s great to see Jordan (Petaia) back. He’s had a few games of club rugby under his belt now so we’ll look to integrate him this week in Perth and give him time to settle in.
“We were pleased to get the win against Argentina and we felt we built on some things from the previous game against South Africa and now we’ll be looking to build on that.
“There’s strong belief in the group and it’s showing itself in how hard they’re training and how committed they are to doing whatever they need to do to achieve our goals,”
The Wallabies head to Perth on Sunday for a full week of preparation in the west Australian capital, which is hosting the Bledisloe Cup for the first time. The Test will be played at Optus Stadium on Saturday August 10, before the return clash is contested in Auckland the following week.