Drew Mitchell is back with the Waratahs after a stellar 2010 © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Drew Mitchell

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Teams: Australia | New South Wales Waratahs

Drew Mitchell believes that his omission from Australia's Tri-Nations squad last season was just the wake-up call he needed.

The Waratahs winger was a high-profile omission from the 30-man squad, having turned in a below-par showing in the Wallabies' June Test loss to England in Sydney, before winning a recall in the wake of injuries to Reds duo Peter Hynes and Digby Ioane.

He went on to play a starring role in a free-flowing campaign and finished 2010 having started 14 of Australia's 15 Tests.

"In the first place obviously it's not something you want to hear but I guess in hindsight it probably was [justified]," Mitchell said of his Tri-Nations snub. "I think the Test against England wasn't one of my better ones and then I played some better football throughout the Tri Nations and then again on the spring tour.

"I mean at the time you never like hearing it but in hindsight I guess it served its purpose."

Mitchell has returned to training with the Waratahs prior to the forthcoming Super Rugby season and is hoping that he will not be needing another reality check any time soon.

"I would hope that I won't need another wake-up call to that extent this year," he said. "It's never good getting left out of a squad but at the same time it reinforces just how much the spot you did hold meant to you. You've just got to do the work and thankfully enough for me I was able to regain that spot and cherish those times after that."

Mitchell is hoping to go one better than the Tahs' semi-final exit last year this time around, but he admitted to casting an eye forward to the Wallabies' Rugby World Cup campaign in September.

"I guess with the year being a World Cup year you're always going have a little bit of an eye ahead on what is going to be a very exciting year for Australian rugby," he said. "But I think for us here at the Waratahs, we made the semi-finals last year and unfortunately couldn't go on any further than that.

"But with the new set-up and the new team involved this year, for us to be able to maintain the majority of our squad and also pick up a couple of extra guys like Ryan Cross is good. And just seeing the enthusiasm and how much energy there is around the place with the boys who have been training for a long time, it's good to help me run off my Christmas cheer."