Australia Rugby
Giteau wants Wallaby return
ESPN Staff
October 19, 2012
Toulon's Matt Giteau and Montpellier's Remy Martin vie for the ball, Toulon v Montpellier, Heineken Cup, Stade Mayol, Toulon, France, October 14, 2012
Matt Giteau is playing for Toulon in France © Getty Images
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Toulon centre Matt Giteau is ready to return for Australia if required after making peace with Wallabies head coach Robbie Deans.

A spokesman for the Wallabies confirmed to the Sydney Morning Herald that Giteau - who criticised Deans after being left out of the Wallabies World Cup squad last year - has offered his services to an Australia side which is beset with injuries at the end of a tough season.

The Wallabies face New Zealand this weekend in a Bledisloe Cup clash before departing for their end-of-season tour of the northern hemisphere this November. Giteau, who has 92 caps for his country, has reported sent Deans a series of messages saying he is eager to return to the international arena.

Deans is more likely to be interested in a return for Toulouse scrum-half Luke Burgess with first-choice scrum-half Will Genia sidelined through injury and Nick Phipps still inexperienced at Test level. But the Australia head coach played down the prospect of asking the Australian Rugby Union to consider allowing Burgess to be eligible for selection on the end-of-year tour to Europe

"It would be a big precedent, it would be something that, if they considered it, they wouldn't take lightly," Deans told the Sydney Morning Herald. "More importantly we've got a couple of good blokes here. Brett Sheehan's stepped in and done a great job. He's been fantastic within the group, and [Phipps] is responding to the challenge superbly."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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