![Tom Wright has been left out of Eddie Jones' Wallabies squad. Picture by Elesa Kurtz Tom Wright has been left out of Eddie Jones' Wallabies squad. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/36vwtM5n3dmMVgNPycRBEHz/8bfa9974-c283-4164-9eb6-031890da92c4.jpg/r0_96_4301_2514_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Tom Wright's World Cup hopes are balanced on a knife's edge after the ACT Brumbies fullback went from the Wallabies' starting side to missing a 34-man squad completely after coach Eddie Jones shook up his squad for a Bledisloe Cup mission.
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Wright, Pete Samu and Reece Hodge have been left out of a squad to face New Zealand over two Tests after Jones wielded the axe following defeats to South Africa and Argentina.
The Wallabies discards are running out of chances to prove their worth on the field. All that stands between them and Australia's World Cup opener are two Bledisloe Cup games and a match against the French at Stade de France on August 28.
Without the chance to play against the All Blacks in those two Tests, Wright will be hoping for Jones to take a leap of faith by giving the 25-year-old a ticket to France as part of his World Cup squad.
The return of Andrew Kellaway has allowed Jones to cut Wright loose for two Tests against the All Blacks, with the star Brumby falling out of favour following a forgettable outing against the Pumas.
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Wright started in 13 Tests last year and played fullback in recent Rugby Championship defeats to South Africa and Argentina, while Hodge played inside centre against the Springboks but was overlooked for the clash with the Pumas.
Kellaway and Jordan Petaia have effectively replaced Wright and Hodge in the squad, with both capable of playing across the back three, with Petaia an option to cover for Len Ikitau at outside centre after he suffered a fractured scapula.
Taniela Tupou and Langi Gleeson are back in the fray after overcoming injury and could feature against the All Blacks at the MCG next Saturday as Australia look to atone for two forgettable nights.
"We haven't had much time [back in camp]. We got sent home, we got time off, and usually as a rugby player, it's a part of being professional, you reflect on that stuff," Wallabies prop Angus Bell said.
"[Jones] has left it up to us to reflect and come back individually on where we need to improve and what we need to do better."
Matt Gibbon, Zane Nonnggor and Josh Kemeny are also missing from a Wallabies squad assembled on the Gold Coast on Thursday.
The Wallabies enter the series with New Zealand as rank outsiders but Jones says he fancies Australia's chances of an upset as he hunts the nation's first Bledisloe Cup triumph since 2002.
"I quite fancy ourselves against New Zealand," he said.
"I don't think we've got any right to be confident. But what we can do is prepare really well, get out of the blocks, put them under pressure, which we will do.
"If we're able to match that in the first 20 minutes and put a bit of pressure on them, which they haven't had this year, then funny things can happen.
"I like coaching against New Zealand. It's like the highlight of the year."
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