Wallabies drop missing Walker

Walker was given permission to stop in Sydney

Andrew Walker has been dropped after failing to join the Australian squad to face South Africa in Perth on Saturday.

The winger was given special dispensation to stop over in Sydney on Sunday by Wallabies coach Eddie Jones after starring in his side's historic 23-15 victory against New Zealand in Dunedin.

But the ACT Brumbies player, who returned home for family reasons, failed to notify team management that he would miss the flight to Perth.

"We cannot tolerate players leaving the tour group without notice," said Jones.

"We are in the middle of a demanding series and that means we have to professional in everything we do,"

Apology

"Andrew is a superb player but for the good of the team, discipline must be paramount and hopefully he'll learn from this and be back in the squad very soon."

Walker, an integral member of the Australia side which beat the Lions, admitted: "I should have told team management that I wasn't coming.

"So I can understand that they stood me down for this match and for that I'm sorry.

"Hopefully, I will play club rugby this weekend to show how badly I want to be back in the squad."

On Wednesday, Walker said that he had suffered a "brain explosion"caused by homesickness.

He said: "I've no regrets, because, I don't know, I put my family first and I'm just glad Australian selectors and people understand where I'm coming from.

"I love my family very much. My footy is there and I still love it and I'll always love it until the day I die."