Prop Benn Robinson a shock omission from Ewen McKenzie's Wallabies squad the Rugby Championship

EWEN McKenzie said he was pleased to see Benn Robinson's disappointment after his omission from the Wallabies squad.

Benn Robinson

EWEN McKenzie said he was pleased to see Benn Robinson's disappointment after delivering the news the incumbent Test prop was dropped from the Wallabies squad for the Rugby Championship.

The 59-Test prop was the shock omission from McKenzie 30-man tournament squad, which was trimmed down today from an initial 38-man training group.

After being squad members in the Lions series, halfback Nick Phipps and flanker Dave Dennis were also left out from a group that contained eight uncapped players and rewarded the form of Super Rugby sides this season.

The Brumbies have 11 players in the squad - including new boys Scott Sio, Matt Toomua, Nic White, Tevita Kuridrani and Scott Fardy - and semi-finalists Queensland have nine, including Albert Anae and Jake Schatz.

"In the numbers there you'll see there was a fairly strong reflection of the performances of the Super teams this year," McKenzie said.

The axing of Robinson, who played in all three Lions Tests, was the biggest call from McKenzie, given his respected reputation as a scrummager around world rugby. The coach said the form of up-and-comers like Sio and Reds prop James Slipper forced his hand.

"We have tried to pick a team or squad that's based on performance. We obviously had a good look this week, we know a lot about Benn Robinson, we were also impressed with the performance of some of the other guys. When you get down to it, we want to pick a squad that's very competitive," McKenzie said.

"I have had a good chat to Benn about what I think. He knows what is required, he certainly isn't out of our thinking at all. There are a bunch of guys at the fringes who we value, but at this point in time we have made a decision.

"We will get on with things next week. We will keep him close and he has every chance to push his way back in."

It's not the first time Robinson has been dropped this season, after NSW coach Michael Cheika also left him out of the Tahs round one side.

Asked how Robinson took the news, McKenzie said: "He was very disappointed, and I was actually pleased he was disappointed."

"If he wasn't disappointed I would be disappointed," McKenzie continued.

"I want people to be emotionally connected to the Wallabies, and I want it to matter if they're in or out. Obviously a player of his experience it's a bit of a blow but everyone needs to understand you have to be delivering, and that's a week by week contract. He knows exactly what he needs to do, and I know he is quite capable of giving us what we need."

Slipper and Sio will likely duel for the vacant no.1 jersey against New Zealand next week.

McKenzie said he'd been impressed with 21-year-old Sio in the Brumbies' finals charge.

"I have watched him perform over the last few weekends against some pretty good competitors and in some pretty tough environments and he's looked pretty good," McKenzie said.

"He has a fantastic base to build for a front rower. At 21, you have to got to think if you put two years of investment in him, where is he going to be come World Cup time. They're the sort of things you have to have at the back of your mind. Or you park him and do nothing, and you don't quite. Sometimes you have to be proactive. That's where the hard decisions come in."

Elsewhere, McKenzie elected to keep open his options at no.10, with Bernard Foley, Quade Cooper and Matt Toomua all named in the squad.

The other players excluded from the squad were Hugh Pyle, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Paddy Ryan, Mike Harris and Peter Betham.

Wallabies 30-man squad: James Horwill (capt), Albert Anae, Ben Alexander, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Quade Cooper, Nick Cummins, Kane Douglas, Saia Faingaa, Scott Fardy, Israel Folau, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, Liam Gill, Michael Hooper, Sekope Kepu, Tevita Kuridrani, Christian Lealiifano, Ben McCalman, Hugh McMeniman, Jesse Mogg, Stephen Moore, Ben Mowen, James O'Connor, Jake Schatz, Rob Simmons, Scott Sio, James Slipper, Joe Tomane, Matt Toomua, Nic White.