Quade Cooper has been omitted from Australia's 38-man training squad announced Wednesday for the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup, live on Sky Sports.
The move leaves Bernard Foley as the only specialist fly-half in the extended squad announced by Wallabies coach Michael Cheika on Wednesday for a series of training camps starting north of Sydney next week. Kurtley Beale, a utility back who recently returned from England, was recalled to the Wallabies squad for the first time since the 2015 World Cup and is only other potential No. 10 in the initial group.
Cooper's omission is his first based on form since former Wallabies coach Robbie Deans left him out of the 2013 British and Irish Lions series.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika admitted that it was a big call but said Cooper's Super Rugby form for the Reds did not warrant selection at this time.
"From a form perspective in Super Rugby, I don't think his form has been brilliant," Cheika said.
"With us, it's a little different because I haven't given him a lot of minutes.
"It was difficult for me because I've got a good relationship with him. I feel I was pretty instrumental in him coming back, so it was a big call for me. He was obviously very disappointed and you want him to be."
Cheika indicated it was not necessarily the end of international rugby for 29-year-old Cooper, who was only used sparingly off the bench in the June Test matches against Fiji, Scotland and Italy.
"We have had a talk about the reasons why and obviously a lot of that is around trying to get him back into the space where he can be that player that is going to get us around the park and do the stuff we want him to do," Cheika said. "I don't feel like that has been happening."
Cheika did not select any players from the Brumbies, who are hosting a Super Rugby quarterfinal against the Hurricanes on Friday in Canberra.
The squad includes 11 uncapped players, and seven others with four or fewer test caps. Cooper's absence didn't appear to be injury related. In a statement confirming the squad, the Australian Rugby Union said only three players Kyle Goodwin, Lukhan Tui and James Slipper were not considered for selection because of injuries.
Backrower Scott Higginbotham, who has played 34 tests for Australia, was one of the other notable omissions.
The test squad will be chosen in the first week of August.
"We have a lot of work to get done between now and Aug. 9 when we play New Zealand in Sydney," Cheika said.
"That work started in June, we tried to maintain some of that throughout the last rounds of Super Rugby and now we start to take it up a level."
Australia squad:
Forwards: Jermaine Ainsley, Adam Coleman, Pek Cowan, Jack Dempsey, Kane Douglas, Sef Fa'agase, Tetera Faulkner, Ned Hanigan, Richard Hardwick, Michael Hooper, Sekope Kepu, Adam Korczyk, Tolu Latu, Sean McMahon, Stephen Moore (captain), Tatafu Polota-Nau, Tom Robertson, Izack Rodda, Rob Simmons, Lopeti Timani, Taniela Tupou, Jordan Uelese.
Backs: Kurtley Beale, Israel Folau, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, Dane Haylett-Petty, Reece Hodge, Karmichael Hunt, Samu Kerevi, Marika Koroibete, Campbell Magnay, Billy Meakes, Eto Nabuli, Sefa Naivalu, Izaia Perese, Nick Phipps, Curtis Rona.
Sky Sports is now better than ever with a range of new dedicated channels. Enjoy the best international Rugby Union, Rugby League, boxing, darts, NFL, tennis and more on the new Sky Sports Action and Arena channels.