 The tour is the first time this decade that Captain George Gregan will miss out on a Wallabies tour opting to miss in preparation ahead of the 2007 Rugby World Cup with this Stirling Mortlock was named captain but missed out on the opening match due to injury.Phil Waugh was subsequently named as captain.On 11 October Wallabies halfback Sam Cordingley announced that he would pull out of the tour to rest a nagging foot injury leaving Australia without its top two halfbacks.