Joe Powell the surprise name in Wallabies squad to face England

Halfback Joe Powell thought his call-up into the Wallabies squad was a joke.

Queenslanders James Slipper, Nick Frisby, Samu Kerevi and Karmichael Hunt were named in the 39-man Wallabies squad to face England. Picture: Jono Searle.

Joe Powell thought it was a joke. Powell, the Brumbies’ back-up halfback, received an email from the ARU informing him he had been selected in the Wallabies’ 39-man squad to prepare for the ­upcoming Test series against ­England.

Ha, ha, ha! Pull the other one, Powell reckoned as he looked around for the Brumbies teammate who had played the cruel prank on him.

Then Brumbies head coach and Wallabies assistant coach ­Stephen Larkham told him it was true. No kidding. Powell still could not believe it.

“Originally, I thought it was a joke,” Powell said. “I told one of the boys and asked him to have a look at it because I thought it was a bit of a joke.

“But Bernie (Larkham) told me it was for real. I’m pretty stoked. It hasn’t sunk in yet. I didn’t want to tell anyone because I didn’t want to seem like an idiot. I didn’t think I had any chance. I didn’t think about it at all.

“It’s just really surprising. I did not expect it one bit. Not really playing much this year and it coming so early is really unexpected.

“I’m not expecting to play (against England), but just to be named I was really happy with that. I want to learn as much as I can from the experienced guys.”

Most Wallabies coaches love to pick bolters in their squads but ­Michael Cheika has given new meaning to the term this time.

Powell’s nickname is “Goldilocks” because of his mass of curly blond hair, and his elevation to the Wallabies is certainly a fairytale. An apprentice carpenter before downing tools to focus on rugby, Powell, the cousin of former Hockeyroos captain Katrina Powell, is on an extended playing squad contract with the Brumbies and had to compete with Michael Dowsett for a place on the reserves bench.

Playing behind Argentine Test halfback Tomas Cubelli, Powell, 22, has clocked up less than an hour of game time in his seven Super Rugby appearances.

Cubelli is being rested for the Brumbies’ match with the Sunwolves in Canberra tomorrow night but Dowsett will start with Powell remaining on the bench. But if Nick Phipps or Nick ­Frisby are injured, Powell will bring that limited experience into the Test arena.

“I knew I’d get asked about that one,” Cheika said at a media conference yesterday. “I’ve always talked to players, it doesn’t matter if you are playing five minutes or 80 minutes, what you do out there in that space of time has got to be the best you can do.

“I know he hasn’t had a lot of minutes, but in the minutes he’s played he’s looked really good.

“Sometimes you go with a bit of gut feel. I’ve never even met him. I don’t claim that I know him inside out, but I like what he has given on the field around pace and his attention to the ruck. He is always there. That’s the halfback’s job.

“His delivery is good. It’s sharp. I just felt I would like to give an opportunity to someone like that.”

It is not as if Cheika did not have other options for a third halfback. Melbourne Rebels captain Nic Stirzaker is widely regarded as a future Wallaby.

“I feel Stirzaker is a player of enormous potential,” Cheika said. “I really like him. I would just like to see him fulfil that potential on the field week by week and the ­basics of his game.

“I’m sure we are going to see that from him and that means we’ll have another player in the mix later on.

“There was a fair bit of expectation put on him and Jack (Debreczeni) at the start of the year, which was unnecessary.

“I’ve met Stirzaker a couple of times. He looks like a tough ­rooster. I’ve got a feeling he will take it on as a big challenge to get into the squad.”

Stirzaker’s Rebels teammate and utility back Mike Harris received a recall to the Wallabies and is a dark horse for the vacant gold No 12 jersey.

Powell was one of 10 uncapped players named in the squad, including Frisby, Karmichael Hunt, Eto Nabuli, Samu Kerevi, Dane Haylett-Petty, Adam Coleman, Allan Ala’alatoa, Rory Arnold and Leroy Houston.

A protege of Eddie Jones, Houston toured Europe with the Wallabies in 2005 before playing Super Rugby. A ball-running No 8, he has spent the last six years playing in France and England, but will ­rejoin the Queensland Reds next year. Houston was one of four ­foreign-based players called into the squad, along with James ­Horwill, Sekope Kepu and Taqele Naiyaravoro.

“I just think that profile of that skilful, ball-playing, hard runner, power runner type guy is something we need to get more of,” Cheika said of Houston.

“He has a very good skill set. Will he make the step up to Test rugby? That part is up to him.”

Wallabies squad: Backs - Israel Folau, Bernard Foley, Nick Frisby, Mike Harris, Dane Haylett-Petty, Rob Horne, Karmichael Hunt, Samu Kerevi, Tevita Kuridrani, Christian Lealiifano, Luke Morahan, Eto Nabuli, Taqele Naiyaravoro, Nick Phipps, Joe Powell.

Forwards - Allan Alaalatoa, Rory Arnold, Sam Carter, Adam Coleman, Scott Fardy, Liam Gill, James Hanson, Greg Holmes, Michael Hooper, James Horwill, Leroy Houston, Sekope Kepu, Ben McCalman, Sean McMahon, Stephen Moore (capt), Dean Mumm, Wycliff Palu, David Pocock, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Rob Simmons, Scott Sio, Will Skelton, James Slipper, Toby Smith.