Harry Wilson’s surprise omission from the Wallabies squad leaves the Queensland Reds No.8 scrambling to make next year’s Rugby World Cup squad. An unfortunate quirk of selection timing didn’t work in the popular forward’s favour when he could have gone head-to-head with the backrower who has replaced him. The reintroduction of the Australia A program this season was always going to be a big positive and no one used it better as a springboard than Langi Gleeson. The powerful NSW Waratahs backrower is the baby of the 36-man Wallabies squad for Europe at just 21. Gleeson’s clubbing runs into and through the defence in his six games for Australia A in Fiji and Japan were too eye-catching to ignore. There was a neat pass or two and some heavy defence as well although not yet Wilson's offloading and knack for a play near the tryline.Gleeson is the poster boy for the success of the Australia A program. Without it, he’d still be under the radar and just sizing up a Waratahs’ pre-season. Gleeson played less than three hours of rugby for the Waratahs in his debut season of Super Rugby Pacific when selected for nine games. Something caught the eye for him to be selected for the A team tour of Fiji for the Pacific Nations Cup in Fiji in July but he still started that trip as a bench figure. By tour end, he was the team’s No.1 ball-carting option and anyone watching the tour on livestream had to ask “Who’s the bloke in the red headgear?” He all but tripled his playing time at the top level in 2022 by playing for Australia A. Wilson’s limited run post-Super Rugby was just two losing causes against England and the All Blacks from the nine Tests played by the Wallabies. He’s 4kg heavier and a few centimetres taller than Gleeson but eight runs for 23m, seven tackles, his energy and a couple of lineout wins at Eden Park weren't persuasive. The A team squad for the three games in Japan was named on September 21, a day before Wilson’s selection at No.8 to face the All Blacks at Eden Park. While Eden Park teammates Nick Frost, Cadeyrn Neville and Pone Fa’amausili were wisely sent to Japan to build game time, Wilson was not. It was an anomaly that didn’t work in Wilson’s favour. He would certainly have impressed in an open, free-running game like last weekend’s 15-try Australia A v Japan XV clash in Osaka. Wallabies coach Dave Rennie said sending Wilson, 23, to Japan with the A team was discussed and there was a case for it. “We changed it (the call) when he started the final Test against the All Blacks. The visa issue getting into Japan wasn’t straight forward and we couldn’t send anyone over midstream,” Rennie said. “Harry is such a good man. Langi edges him out because what he’s shown has been hard to ignore. “We had him in (Wallabies) camp for a few weeks and he really impressed at training. He’s athletic, he’s got great feet, he’s powerful and gives you go forward in attack and defence.” The backrow conundrum has another dimension as Rennie sorts his big, ball-carrying options beyond Rob Valetini. Wilson was left at home when the Wallabies toured Europe last year to work on his footwork at the line, his body and other elements of his game. Missing this tour means he has played 12 Tests in Australia and New Zealand but none in the European conditions of next year’s World Cup in France. Make no mistake, the time for experimentation on players from Rennie is just about up with just 10 Tests to play before rugby’s pinnacle tournament. “A big chunk of these guys (on this tour) will go to the World Cup,” Rennie said. That leaves Wilson needing a huge Super Rugby Pacific season in 2023 much like others left behind through lineball selections, form, suspension and injury. Players like centre Izaia Perese, prop Fa’amausili, who damaged his hamstring in Osaka last Friday, backrower Rob Leota, fullback Kurtley Beale and veteran James O’Connor are also in that boat. Wilson will run out some frustration in Japan in the coming weeks. He is now a surprise asset for the Queensland Reds' tour match against the Panasonic Wild Knights in Saitama on November 4. The squad will be announced this week for what will be a full cap game.Ill-disciplined Wallabies lock Darcy Swain is still under suspension. Missing games opened the door more for the towering Frost, who has had some good moments for the Wallabies and was excellent ones for Australia A in Japan. Leaving three-time World Cupper Beale behind made sense even if his hamstring may have repaired. He’s played no rugby, he’s still rebuilding power in his body and recent parenthood has been a more pressing focus anyway. “It was a tough call with KB but we want to make sure his body is where it needs to be when he makes his comeback. He dropped some kilos and is building those up again,” Rennie said. “He can have a strong Super Rugby season and push from there. “We want to make sure we've got some young No.10s coming through (with tour selections Noah Lolesio and Ben Donaldson). With James (O’Connor), he’s got to get his body right (after an ankle injury in the Brisbane club semi-finals), have a big Super Rugby season and put pressure on us that way.” Click Here: ireland gaa shop