Wycliff Palu and Christian Lealiifano shock Wallabies casualties for The Rugby Championship

WYCLIFF Palu and Christian Lealiifano are the high profile omissions from the Wallabies squad for The Rugby Championship.

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - AUGUST 24: Christian Leali'ifano of Australia makes a break during The Rugby Championship Bledisloe Cup match between the New Zealand All Blacks and the Australian Wallabies at Westpac Stadium on August 24, 2013 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)

TOWERING lock Rory Arnold and Fijian powerhouse Taqele Naiyaravoro remain in line for Wallabies debuts after surviving the cut for the opening games of the Rugby Championship.

The oversized pair were named by coach Michael Cheika in a revised 31-man squad that culled nine players from the wider Wallabies training group who’ve been based on the Sunshine Coast this week.

The new squad will travel to Brisbane and Mendoza over the next fortnight for Tests against the Springboks and Argentina respectively.

Veteran No 8 Wycliff Palu was the biggest name omitted from the new Wallabies squad but he is being rested and will be back when Cheika names yet another squad for the Bledisloe Cup games in August.

Christian Lealiifano of Australia makes a break against the All Blacks.

Dave Dennis, Nick Cummins, Nic White, Christian Lealiifano, James Hanson, Tetera Faulkner, Samu Kerevi and Toby Smith have also been culled.

But like Palu, at least half of those players are set to be called back into camp next month; making it difficult to determine which players’ World Cup chances have taken a mortal blow today.

Cheika has shown his hand on several fronts, however, with Dean Mumm preferred over Dennis at lock, White not required as a third halfback and the basic shape of the Wallabies’ front row emerging for the opening two Tests.

Wycliff Palu of the Wallabies poses for a portrait.

With Smith and Faulkner left out, James Slipper, Stephen Moore and Sekope Kepu shape as the likely starters, with Scott Sio, Greg Holmes and Tatafu Polota-Nau as their back-ups.

Even with Lealiifano and Kerevi left out, there is no clearer picture of the halves condundrum, with Bernard Foley, Quade Cooper, Matt Giteau, Kurtley Beale and Matt Toomua in the picture.

Beale has trained only lightly this week, however, indicating Giteau and Toomua are the two No 12 options and Cooper and Foley will share the No 10 role.

Wallabies squad: Rory Arnold (Brumbies), Adam Ashley-Cooper (Waratahs), Kurtley Beale (Waratahs), Quade Cooper (Reds), Scott Fardy (Brumbies), Israel Folau (Waratahs), Bernard Foley (Waratahs), Will Genia (Reds), Matt Giteau (Toulon), Scott Higginbotham (Rebels), Greg Holmes (Reds), Michael Hooper (Waratahs), Rob Horne (Waratahs), James Horwill (Reds), Sekope Kepu (Waratahs), Tevita Kuridrani (Brumbies), Stephen Moore (captain, Brumbies), Drew Mitchell (Toulon), Ben McCalman (Force), Sean McMahon (Rebels), Dean Mumm (Waratahs), Taqele Naiyaravoro (Waratahs), Nick Phipps (Waratahs), David Pocock (Brumbies), Tatafu Polota-Nau (Waratahs), Scott Sio (Brumbies), Rob Simmons (Reds), Will Skelton (Waratahs), James Slipper (Reds), Matt Toomua (Brumbies), Joe Tomane (Brumbies)

Rugby Championship schedule:

Wallabies v South Africa, Brisbane, July 18

Wallabies v Argentina, Mendoza, July 26

Wallabies v All Blacks, Sydney, August 8

Originally published as Wycliff Palu and Christian Lealiifano shock Wallabies casualties for The Rugby Championship