Reds No.7 Liam Gill vows to return to top form and win back spot in Wallabies squad

DUMPED flanker Liam Gill has vowed to win back his gold jersey after the selection carnage from the Reds crash left only four Wallabies standing.

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - MAY 02: Liam Gill of the Reds is tackled by Tom Donnelly of the Blues during the round 12 Super Rugby match between the Blues and the Reds at Eden Park on May 2, 2014 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

DUMPED flanker Liam Gill has vowed to win back his gold jersey after the selection carnage from the Reds crash left only four Wallabies standing.

Three years after celebrating a Super Rugby title with 15 spots in the Wallabies squad, the recession the Reds didn’t have to have butchered every fringe hope.

Core Reds James Horwill, Will Genia, James Slipper and Rob Simmons were four of the most experienced Test players picked yesterday in the 32-man Wallabies squad.

That’s where the joy ended for Queensland players with flanker Gill, hooker Saia Faingaa and utility back Mike Harris razored after playing Tests on tour for the Wallabies six months ago.

“Fringe players in a losing team just weren’t going to get picked. That’s the truth of it,” 15-Test forward Gill said.

“No argument. I didn’t think I’d given the coach enough reasons to pick me.

“Where my head is at now is to come back from injury even harder and prove I deserve a place.

“There’s no better way to do that than playing the two blokes ahead of me because we have the Western Force (Matt Hodgson) and NSW Waratahs (Michael Hooper) to come.”

News_Rich_Media: Fox Sports rugby commentator Rod Kafer has donned the selector's hat to deliver his predictions for the starting XV against France in Brisbane next month, with Reds duo Quade Cooper and Will Genia left off this Wallabies list.

Coach Ewen McKenzie was true to his “form rules” mantra with 26 of his 32 players coming from the Force, Waratahs and ACT Brumbies outfits in finals contention. The last-placed Reds didn’t even win an extra gong amongst the four shadow players named.

Gill will play for his Brisbane club side Sunnybank on Saturday to run some match fitness into his frame after playing just 52 minutes over the past nine weeks because a calf strain followed a lengthy lay-off from a March hamstring injury.

He will be back in action for the Reds against the Highlanders at Suncorp Stadium on May 30 after their bye.