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Qantas Wallaby selectors have named a 47-man Rugby World Cup training squad which will hold a three day camp at Canberra’s Australian Institute of Sport in the first week of January 2007.

The squad features three players who have earned selection in a Wallaby squad for the first time in Reds prop Ben Coutts, Reds flyhalf Berrick Barnes and Brumbies flanker Julian Salvi.

Other players to be included in the squad who were either injured or not selected for the Spring Tour include Greg Holmes, Jeremy Paul, Adam Freier, Al Kanaar, Daniel Heenan, David Croft, Sam Cordingley and Digby Ioane.

Gene Fairbanks, Scott Fava, Al Baxter and Tai McIsaac are the only players who went on the Spring Tour to have not been selected for the training camp.

However Qantas Wallabies Head Coach John Connolly said every player taking the field in next year’s Investec Super 14 was still a candidate for the final Rugby World Cup squad.

“This is a preliminary squad that will get together early in the New Year to do full fitness tests and have one-on-one interviews with the coaching staff about the year ahead,” Connolly said.

“This is by no means a final squad for the Rugby World Cup. We have a Super 14 season to play, then Tests against Wales and Fiji followed by the Tri Nations. Only after that will we be able to make a final assessment for our Rugby World Cup squad.”

The squad will assemble in Canberra from 3-5 January before returning to their Super 14 teams.

Qantas Wallabies Rugby World Cup training camp

Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra

3-5 January 2007

FORWARDS

Rodney Blake
Alister Campbell
Brendan Cannon
Mitchell Chapman
Mark Chisholm
Ben Coutts
David Croft
Rocky Elsom
Adam Freier
Daniel Heenan
Nic Henderson
Stephen Hoiles
Greg Holmes
James Horwill
Al Kanaar
David Lyons
Hugh McMeniman
Stephen Moore
Wycliff Palu
Jeremy Paul
Tatafu Polota-Nau
Benn Robinson
Julian Salvi
Nathan Sharpe
Guy Shepherdson
George Smith
Dan Vickerman
Phil Waugh

BACKS

Adam Ashley-Cooper
Berrick Barnes
Sam Cordingley
Mark Gerrard
Matt Giteau
George Gregan
Digby Ioane
Stephen Larkham
Chris Latham
Drew Mitchell
Stirling Mortlock
Sam Norton-Knight
Clyde Rathbone
Brett Sheehan
Cameron Shepherd
Scott Staniforth
Morgan Turinui
Lote Tuqiri
Josh Valentine