Boom, boom. Wycliff Palu and Will Skelton are gone from the Wallabies' World Cup campaign.
They are two of the bigger men in the squad who added ballast and in Palu's case experience, against Uruguay and would have also been in the mix if injury bit into the Wallabies planningfor their final pool game with Wales.
Now they are heading home with injury taking them out of the tournament as more teams head for their standby selections.
Palu's work for the Waratahs has been patchy in recent years and while he adds plenty of power, his work has been interrupted regularly by injury. Then it has always been a struggle to get him back into fitness and form. With David Pocock switching to No 8 for coach Michael Cheika's two-pronged breakaway assault, there is even less need for Palu in the match day 23 where the lock-loose forward role is covered by Dean Mumm.
Skelton is a massive young man who suffers from a lack of confidence but whose game has progressed as he has got fitter. He produces plenty of impact in the scrum, mauls and bullocking bursts but is not much of a lineout option and can be out-manouevred in open play. The Wallabies found they got their best value from him off the subs bench but will lose little now that Sam Carter is fit again and called up.
Both Palu and Skelton are heading home, losses which will not impact much on the Wallabies leading XV but will hurts the squad when the top group need a rest.
