Waratahs brawler Miles Amatosero and rising Brumbies lock Lachlan Shaw are the big winners in Joe Schmidt's final Wallabies squad, with the Kiwi sensationally omitting in-form Reds second-rower Lukhan Salakaia-Loto just days after he was named in the official Super Rugby Pacific Team of the Year.
Schmidt on Friday morning unveiled his squad for the Tests against Ireland, France and Italy next month, as he prepares to close out his two-and-a-half year tenure as Wallabies coach.
Amatosero, who was suspended for four weeks during the preseason after a training ground dust-up with teammate Angus Scott-Young, Shaw and Brumbies teammate Declan Meredith are the uncapped players in a group that has two "Giteau Law" picks in Tom Hooper and Taniela Tupou, while Angus Bell and Len Ikitau return from six-month overseas sabbaticals.
But Salakaia-Loto's axing is perplexing. While Schmidt did not select him for the British and Irish Lions series last year, Salakaia-Loto did tour Europe with the Wallabies before the lock was arguably the Reds' best Super Rugby player outside of teammate Jock Campbell.
The 29-year-old brings a physicality that is in short supply in Australian rugby, but is a player whose discipline can waiver, just as it did in a high tackle during the Reds' qualifying final loss to the Chiefs. Speaking to reporters following the squad announcement, Schmidt said Salakaia-Loto wasn't where he needed to be athletically.
"We're trying to do what's best for the player and the team performance overall. Lukhan is an incredible athlete,' Schmidt said.
"I think he had some really good moments in Super Rugby. It was probably just stringing consecutive moments together. We're looking for him to just have a bit of a block where he can get himself into the best physical shape to best contribute to the team.
"What we do need is fast jumping locks and we know he's got that speed, but he's just not quite where we'd like him to be at the moment. And we just think we can take this window [to get him there].
"He's been a big part of Les' [Kiss] team [Reds] this year. Les was very much in the meetings where we were doing selection and we're just trying to put together the best plan. That includes very much that short-term focus.
"We've got Ireland in two weeks. We want to be as good as we can be. At the same time, in 16, 17 months' time, it [Rugby World Cup] is going to be massive here in Australia."
Schmidt however said he'd been impressed by Amatosero, who fills a similar profile to Salakaia-Loto, while Shaw was among the Brumbies' best throughout the Super season.
"I think the volume of work that Lachie Shaw got through this year was unbelievable really," Schmidt said. "The amount of contacts he gets through in the game, the amount of kilometres that he's chalked off during the Super Rugby season has been outstanding.
"Miles, you can see, one of the reasons we've gone with Miles is he had his 24th birthday a couple of days ago and he's the right size and shape and he's brought a really positive mentality to his own growth and development, particularly through Super Rugby, once he got over a few hiccups early in the season, he's gone really well.
"I think we've always got that short-term focus but a long-term vision and a guy who's had three years playing in France, he's had a couple of years back here now, so he's put himself in the right position to really springboard from there."
Elsewhere, Meredith's maiden Wallabies callup -- as forecast by ESPN last week -- is a reward for an eye-catching season with the Brumbies where he kept Test playmaker Tane Edmed on the bench, while Kalani Thomas is the third scrum-half behind the in-form Ryan Lonergan and Tate McDermott following Jake Gordon's season-ending injury.
Campbell has meanwhile won a recall for the first time since 2022 after his sparkling season at fullback for the Reds, where he too was named among Super Rugby's Team of the Year.
His Reds teammate Hunter Paisami has been included despite concerns over a knee injury, while Brumbies back-rower Charlie Cale will be in line to play his first Test since 2024 after an impressive, albeit injury-interrupted, Super Rugby season.
Schmidt said Paisami was "ticking off his boxes" and would train fully next Saturday as part of an open session at North Sydney Oval. Isaac Henry and David Feluiai, who are both uncapped, had been in training as midfield cover this week, but were not among the squad Schmidt named on Friday.
Whether Ikitau, Hooper and Tupou are available for the opening Test against Ireland in a fortnight will depend on the timing of their returns from overseas, though Schmidt hinted he could break with his usual mantra of requiring players to have a full week of training before they are available for selection.
"We'll consider them. It will all depend on how they come through the games this weekend," Schmidt said. "Obviously, Lenny and Hoops are both playing in the Premiership final and Racing [92] played Toulouse in the semifinal in France.
"Once we get some more information; Taniela [Tupou] we obviously won't consider if he goes all the way to the final, but the other two boys are in the final and that's as far as you can go, so they'll be on a plane back next week and they'll join the group before the end of the week and that will put them in the mix,
"But at the same time, we just need to assess how they are. They both assure me, those two boys, that they are absolutely fine. And I've watched their games and I don't think they're doing too badly.
"I know [Exeter coach] Rob Baxter has been delighted with the two of them and the performances they've delivered to help Exeter get to their final."
WALLABIES NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP SQUAD
Forwards: Allan Alaalatoa, Miles Amatosero, Angus Bell, Charlie Cale, Josh Canham, Nick Champion De Crespigny, Tom Hooper, Fraser McReight, Josh Nasser, Zane Nonggorr, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Billy Pollard, Aidan Ross, Lachie Shaw, James Slipper, Carlo Tizzano, Taniela Tupou, Rob Valetini, Jeremy Williams, Harry Wilson
Backs: Jock Campbell, Filipo Daugunu, Ben Donaldson, Josh Flook, Carter Gordon, Len Ikitau, Max Jorgensen, Ryan Lonergan, Tate McDermott, Declan Meredith, Hunter Paisami, Dylan Pietsch, Harry Potter, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Kalani Thomas, Corey Toole, Tom Wright.