Winger Tuqiri not finished with Wallabies: coach

Discarded Wallabies' winger Lote Tuqiri is not finished, despite again being bypassed for team selection against Italy this weekend, according to coach Robbie Deans.

Discarded Wallabies' winger Lote Tuqiri (on top; seen here in 2008) is not finished, despite again being bypassed for team selection against Italy this weekend, according to coach Robbie Deans as he unveiled eight new faces in a largely experimental team for Saturday's second Test with the Italians in Melbourne, but there was no room for the two-time World Cup winger in the squad.

Deans on Tuesday unveiled eight new faces in a largely experimental team for Saturday's second Test with the Italians in Melbourne, but there was no room for the two-time World Cup winger in the squad.

Tuqiri, one of the highest contract earners in Australian rugby, appears well down the pecking order among the Wallaby wingers, with Lachie Turner, Drew Mitchell and Peter Hynes all being selected this season ahead of him.

But Deans, who has introduced 15 new players into the Wallabies since he took over as national coach last year, said Tuqiri's return was imminent.

"Lote has a very clear understanding of what we want from him and the critical thing is that he is under way to that end," Deans told The Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday.

"The critical thing for him is not when he gets the opportunity, but what he does with it. We want him to thrive when he re-enters the Test arena."

Deans said the 29-year-old Tuqiri's 67-Test career, which began six seasons ago, was not over.

"Lote is good value through the training week," Deans said. "We are a squad of 30 and it's not just about game day.

"It's about everything we do and for those who take the negative stance, my response would be that Lote is not finished until such time he deems himself finished."

Tuqiri, who will now miss the Wallabies' opening three matches of the season, scored just two tries in this year's Super 14 series for the NSW Waratahs.