3 New faces in Wallabies squad for Britain

Three uncapped players were included Monday in the Wallabies squad for their two-Test tour of Britain with many of the Rugby World Cup side injured and unavailable. Australia meet the Barbarians at Twickenham on November 26 followed by a Test against Wales at Millennium Stadium on December 3, the team they beat 21-18 in the World Cup bronze medal match. With an eye on the future, coach Robbie Deans has included the Queensland Reds pair of centre Ben Tapuai and fullback Ben Lucas, and the NSW Waratahs loose forward Dave Dennis in the squad. "It's a great opportunity for the three of them to take the next step in their careers," Deans said. Western Force prop Pekahou Cowan also returns after missing the World Cup, taking the place of the injured Sekope Kepu. Nine World Cup players were unavailable for selection, including Kurtley Beale (hamstring), Drew Mitchell (hamstring), Pat McCabe (shoulder), Quade Cooper (knee), Wycliff Palu (hamstring), and Rocky Elsom (hamstring). But Deans said the squad was vastly experienced, boosting 634 Test appearances between them. "While this is a relatively brief visit by current standards, both fixtures promise to be exceedingly demanding," Deans said. "We've just seen at the Rugby World Cup how much and how quickly playing resources can be taxed." First up are the Barbarians who will be prepared by All Black coaches Graham Henry and Steve Hansen and contain a star-studded list of players, including five of the World Cup-winning New Zealanders. The tour concludes seven days later in Cardiff with the Wallabies' 14th and final outing of the year, against Wales for the James Bevan Trophy. "Wales were arguably the most improved side at the Rugby World Cup, and their expectations will have risen on the back of that performance," Deans said. "Warren (Wales coach Warren Gatland] has publicly stated their ambition to sit alongside the top ranked nations by beating them on a regular basis. "They will see this Test as an excellent opportunity to start that process, building on what they achieved in New Zealand." Squad: Ben Alexander, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, Pekahou Cowan, Dave Dennis, Anthony Faingaa, Will Genia, Scott Higginbotham, Matt Hodgson, Rob Horne, James Horwill (capt), Digby Ioane, Ben Lucas, Salesi Ma'afu, Ben McCalman, Stephen Moore, James O'Connor, Nick Phipps, David Pocock, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Radike Samo, Nathan Sharpe, Rob Simmons, James Slipper, Ben Tapuai, Lachie Turner.