Overview
- On Friday June 19, Joe Schmidt named Slipper in a 37-man Wallabies squad for July Tests against Ireland, France and Italy, formally reversing the prop’s international retirement.
- Schmidt said injuries to loosehead options left the coaching group short, with Tom Robertson, Tom Lambert and Blake Schoupp reported as unavailable and Angus Bell also recently returned from overseas.
- The squad features three uncapped players — Declan Meredith, Lachlan Shaw and Miles Amatosero — and includes overseas-based returnees while omitting in-form lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto.
- Slipper is Australia’s most-capped player on 151 Tests and would move past Sam Whitelock to 153 if he plays all three July matches, and he has said he will consider putting his hand up for the 2027 home World Cup if he earns selection.
- The recall raises a clear short-term trade-off for the Wallabies between experienced leadership to cover immediate front-row needs and the opportunity to blood younger forwards ahead of the 2027 World Cup, with Slipper’s July form likely to shape selection debates.