The Waratahs will have to go into their game against the British & Irish Lions on Saturday, 15 June without half-backs Bernard Foley and Matt Lucas after they were selected for the Australian World Cup Sevens team.
Head coach Michael Cheika had long feared he may lose at least one of his rising young stars to the World Cup in Moscow, but now he has been hit with a double blow. Queensland Reds wing Luke Morahan has also been called-up, but his side face the Lions on 8 June, so he should be available for that fixture.
Foley is a former captain of the Australian sevens team and was in the same silver medal winning team as Morahan at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Lucas played on the IRB World sevens circuit last year.
With Robbie Deans likely to pull out all his squad members from the Super Rugby squads to face the Lions the loss of Foley and Lucas will give Cheika even bigger headaches. He has 10 players named in the 25 man Qantas Wallaby squad and has lost hooker Tatafu Polota Nau through injury.
