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Marika Koroibete (left) played rugby league for Fiji. Anna Gowthorpe

Michael Cheika names three uncapped players in squad for November Tests

Australia are in Dublin on 27 November.

WALLABIES COACH MICHAEL Cheika has included three uncapped players in a 32-man squad for their European tour as they look to bounce back from another demoralising defeat to the dominant All Blacks.

Fresh from unleashing a tirade against New Zealand for a perceived lack of respect after their 37-10 win in Auckland on Saturday, Cheika named Marika Koroibete, Tolu Latu and Kyle Godwin as potential debutants.

Australia face Wales, Scotland, France, Ireland and England on their northern hemisphere jaunt, with the first Test against the Welsh at Millennium Stadium on 6 November — the Wallabies’ 600th.

Flanker Dean Mumm will miss the game after being been suspended for one match after striking All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick in Saturday’s Test, where Cheika refused to congratulate New Zealand on posting a world-record 18th consecutive victory.

Cheika, who took offence at being portrayed as a clown in a New Zealand newspaper cartoon, is also without powerful centre Samu Kerevi, who has been ruled out of the entire tour with an ankle injury that needed surgery.

That opens the door again for Tevita Kuridrani in the starting 13, after Kerevi overtook him in the pecking order.

Aside from rugby league convert Koroibete, hooker Latu and utility player Godwin, there were no real surprises in the squad skippered by Stephen Moore.

Halfback Will Genia will join the team after being released by his French club Stade Francais for a potential Test recall as the tour comes inside World Rugby’s international window.

The trip represents just the third full Grand Slam tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland for the Wallabies since the success of the 1984 side led by Andrew Slack. They depart on Friday.

Australia squad:

Allan Alaalatoa, Rory Arnold, Adam Coleman, Quade Cooper, Kane Douglas, Scott Fardy, Israel Folau, Bernard Foley, Nick Frisby, Will Genia, Kyle Godwin, James Hanson, Dane Haylett-Petty, Reece Hodge, Michael Hooper, Sekope Kepu, Marika Koroibete, Tevita Kuridrani, Tolu Latu, Sean McMahon, Stephen Moore (capt), Dean Mumm, Sefanaia Naivalu, Nick Phipps, David Pocock, Tom Robertson, Rob Simmons, Scott Sio, Will Skelton, Henry Speight, James Slipper, Lopeti Timani.

© AFP 2016

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