James O'Connor has been overlooked for a Wallabies recall, with the veteran playmaker omitted from Joe Schmidt's 36-man squad that will prepare for the one-off Test with Fiji in Newcastle.
But there is much better news for the uncapped Nick Champion De Crespigny and Corey Toole, who were both included on Thursday.
Champion de Crespigny is the big surprise with the Western Force back-rower only playing his first Super Rugby season in 2025. But so abrasive were his performances for Simon Cron's team, particularly early in the season, that Schmidt has brought him in for his first Wallabies camp.
"Nick's point of difference is his versatility, first and foremost, he plays 6, 7, 8, so having that across a back-row is important," Schmidt, speaking to reporters in Sydney afternoon, said of Champion De Crespigny.
"I think his ability to stop ball carriers in their tracks is impressive. He's a pretty accurate lineout target as well, he's got a good fast jump.
"The feedback we got from the Force all year is that he was a real galvaniser of action for them, a real glue in their squad. So they're all attributes we're looking for with the Wallabies."
Toole, meanwhile, was a part of the wider Wallabies squad throughout 2024, but the Brumbies winger and former sevens flyer was never able to make a matchday 23.
"He didn't get his Test cap, but he was close to it, and I think another really good super season from him putting his hand up," Schmidt said of Toole, who scored a double in the Brumbies' semifinal loss to the Chiefs last weekend.
"I think it was a fairly contested area. We had a number of guys who I felt did well in that three-quarter line."
O'Connor was thought to be under consideration following his resurgence at the Crusaders this season, but Schmidt has stuck solid with the three playmakers he used in 2024 in Brumbies fly-half Noah Lolesio, Reds youngster Tom Lynagh and Western Force pivot Ben Donaldson.
"I spoke to James today, he'd just finished training, he's got a big game coming up this Saturday, obviously," Schmidt said of O'Connor. "His experience, his skill set, a little bit of versatility; I've talked about before in that 10-12 channel, all those things were positive.
"There are other guys that have been ongoing conversations, the likes of Bernard Foley and Samu Kerevi, Marika Koroibeite. They're all real, not just quality players, but quality contributors to an environment... at the same time, we've invested in three guys in that 10 spot [Lolesio, Donaldson, Lynagh] and we felt trying to balance things up, we're going to keep investing in those guys.
"What I like about those players is they were investing in themselves really well in our environment last year. I think we saw all three of them make improvements to their game, increase their own confidence to drive the game and to communicate the game to other players."
Lolesio's decision to head offshore at the end of 2025 did not thwart his chances of retaining the Wallabies No. 10 jersey, at least in the short term, while Langi Gleeson and Tom Hooper have also been included despite committing their own futures overseas.
Gleeson and Hooper were standouts for the Waratahs and Brumbies respectively this season, their play almost demanding selection among a hotly-contested forwards group.
That contingent also includes former Wallabies captain Will Skelton, who is the only overseas-based player included, with Schmidt overlooking Samu Kerevi and Marika Koroibete, both of whom spent the season in Japanese League One.
Skelton is joined among the locks by Force second-rower Darcy Swain, who returns to the Wallabies setup for the first time since 2022. Swain was a standout in his first season in Perth, the former Brumbies lock proving a nuisance on opposition lineout ball, something that could be crucial against the British & Irish Lions in July.
Swain will remain in Perth, instead of flying to Sydney with the rest of the squad on Sunday, alongside his Force teammates De Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson and Nic White as they prepare for Saturday week's clash with the Lions.
Skelton's case was aided by the fact that his La Rochelle club in France did not make the Top 14 playoffs, meaning his domestic season was done just under a fortnight ago.
Some of the key omissions included Reds duo Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Seru Uru, whose Super Rugby campaigns were both curtailed by injury late in the season.
Elsewhere, Waratahs hooker Dave Porecki has also won a recall having missed the entirety of 2024 with an Achilles injury. The veteran rake was not at his best during Super Rugby Pacific this season, but his set-piece work is well regarded and has seemingly brought about his inclusion alongside fellow hookers Matt Faessler and Billy Pollard.
Winger Max Jorgensen has also been included despite missing the back half of Super Rugby with ankle syndesmosis.
WALLABIES SQUAD:
Forwards: Allan Alaalatoa, Angus Bell, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Matt Faessler, Nick Frost, Langi Gleeson, Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Billy Pollard, David Porecki, Tom Robertson, Will Skelton, James Slipper, Darcy Swain, Carlo Tizzano, Taniela Tupou, Rob Valetini, Jeremy Williams, Harry Wilson.
Backs: Filipo Daugunu, Ben Donaldson, Jake Gordon, Len Ikitau, Max Jorgensen, Andrew Kellaway, Noah Lolesio, Tom Lynagh, Tate McDermott, Hunter Paisami, Dylan Pietsch, Harry Potter, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Corey Toole, Nic White, Tom Wright.
Additional players to train next week: Tane Edmed, David Feliuai, Darby Lancaster, Ryan Lonergan, Isaac Kailea, Matt Philip, Rory Scott