New Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie says James O'Connor could end up as a Tim Horan-type inside centre, despite deciding to shift him from five-eighth to the outside backs.
As expected, McKenzie on Friday recalled Queensland five-eighth Quade Cooper, overlooked by previous coach Robbie Deans since the pivot had called the Wallabies' environment toxic last September.
Cooper was joined by uncapped five-eighths Matt Toomua and Bernard Foley, of the Brumbies and Waratahs respectively, in the 40-man training squad.
The squad will be trimmed to 30 on August 9, eight days before Australia's opening Rugby Championship clash with New Zealand in Sydney.
A total of 10 uncapped players - six backs and four forwards - were named, with McKenzie revealing he considered adding even more new blood.
The other uncapped backs are Brumbies halfback Nic White, centres Tevita Kuridrani and Chris Feauai-Sautia, of the Brumbies and Reds respectively, and Waratahs' winger Peter Betham.
The new names among the forwards are Melbourne lock Hugh Pyle and Brumbies lock Scott Fardy, Brumbies prop Scott Sio and Reds' back-rower Jake Schatz.
McKenzie said he had spoken to O'Connor, who played most of his Tests in the outside backs, before starting at five-eighth in all three Tests against the British and Irish Lions.
He described the conversation with O'Connor, recently released by the Rebels, as good.
"I think in time he might end up playing 12 as a Tim Horan-type player," McKenzie said of O'Connor.
"You never rule anything in or out but, at the moment, I think his best contribution to the team is going to probably be in the back three."
He was reluctant to focus on Cooper, but said he didn't have any worries about the five-eighth being pressured by opposing teams and that the Reds pivot had been very good at delivering what had been asked of him during McKenzie's four-season stint as Queensland coach.
"I think Quade has done a really good job in the last seven or eight months," McKenzie said.
"He's just very calm, very focused, just working on his own game.
"He's out there every second day practising his own game - he's just very relaxed."
McKenzie said the Wallabies needed to improve their depth, especially in the outside backs, second row and hooker.
Backs Berrick Barnes and Drew Mitchell and lock Sitaleki Timani, all of whom have signed for overseas clubs, were omitted from the squad, but McKenzie didn't rule out recalling them if they returned to Australia.
The list of injured players includes back-rowers David Pocock,, Wycliff Palu and Scott Higginbotham, utility back Kurtley Beale, centre Pat McCabe and winger Digby Ioane, who are all expected to miss the majority, if not all, of the international program.
Squad: Ben Alexander, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Peter Betham, Quade Cooper, Nick Cummins, Dave Dennis, Kane Douglas, Anthony Faingaa, Saia Faingaa, Scott Fardy, Chris Feauai-Sautia, Israel Folau, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, Liam Gill, Mike Harris, Michael Hooper, James Horwill, Sekope Kepu, Peter Kimlin, Tevita Kuridrani, Christian Leali'ifano, Ben McCalman, Hugh McMeniman, Jesse Mogg, Stephen Moore, Ben Mowen, James O'Connor, Nick Phipps, Tatafu Polota Nau, Hugh Pyle, Benn Robinson, Paddy Ryan, Jake Schatz, Rob Simmons, Scott Sio, James Slipper, Joe Tomane, Matt Toomua, Nic White.
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