Quade Cooper not in Wallabies' 25-man squad to face British and Irish Lions; Israel Folau among three new faces Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has named a 25 man squad for the Lions series, with Israel Folau to link up with the national side for the first time, but there was no space for Quade Cooper and Kurtley Beale. Quade Cooper hasn't made the first cut when Robbie Deans released his 25-man squad for the British and Irish Lions. Waratahs winger Israel Folau has been picked in the Wallabies squad to face the British and Irish Lions. QUADE Cooper has been left out of the initial 25-man Wallabies squad in the biggest shock of today's unveiling of players to prepare for the blockbuster series against the British and Irish Lions. Coach Robbie Deans has included James O'Connor and Berrick Barnes as his five-eighth options in the squad and ignored Cooper, the most naturally gifted No.10 in the country. As expected, code-hopper Israel Folau did earn a call-up. The selection of Folau as a winger-fullback is huge recognition of his progress in 12 games of Super Rugby for NSW Waratahs. This time a year ago he was battling away in the foreign code of AFL for Greater Western Sydney. In everything he has done this season in rugby he has dusted off the best traits of his rugby league upbringing and added new skills for his third code. Unleashing his power running at Test level creates mouthwatering attacking options with Will Genia oiling the Wallabies backline with the best halfback pass in world rugby. Deans' stance on Cooper means he is putting the winning of the series in the hands of O'Connor, a work-in-progress with his conversion to No.10, and Barnes. O'Connor is Deans' favoured option after labelling him as "a player who traumatises defences" and "has the traits we want." It was Barnes who guided the Wallabies to last year's 3-0 series win over Six Nations champions Wales, the country which provides the greatest number of players to the Lions squad. Robbie wants Quade to muscle up in defence The non-selection of Cooper is a backhander. It is a clear statement he will not be the starting No.10 against the Lions in the first Test at Suncorp Stadium on June 22. Deans has backed what he sees as the greater reliability that these two players offer rather than embracing the wider skills that Cooper can inject. Deans made the strong points that he wanted Cooper to "defend in the front line" and "assert himself physically" when pressed on why the Queensland No.10 had not won a spot. Cooper's defence for the Reds this season has definitely improved but clearly not to the Deans standard. Cooper will now have the chance to play for the Queensland Reds against the Lions on June 8 in Brisbane to press for one of the six additional squad places that will be finalised on June 11. "I have selected Quade on 38 occasions (for Tests) so he has had a lot of faith and support," Deans said today. To suggest otherwise is nonsense. He has a great opportunity to press his claim for Queensland (against the Lions). GALLERY - See the squad here Deans has recognised pure form with the selection of his three uncapped players in the 25-man squad and must be applauded on that front. With so much on the line against the Lions both for the Deans career, Australian rugby's position in the success-obsessed footy marketplace, he has backed known factors as much as possible. Mowen, 27, has regularly been branded not big powerful enough for the backrow metre-gaining needed at Test level. That is simplistic and shortchanges all the productive work he has delivered this year and last. One only had to watch the great angle he ran off a sharp Nic White pass to score for the Brumbies against the Waratahs on Saturday night to work out that 110kg running into a hole is far more value than running into an opponent. Lealiifano has been in top form and shapes as the Test inside centre with Pat McCabe suffering a knee injury that is likely to keep him out of all three Tests. Wallabies coach Robbie Deans admits he and his fellow selectors may have to alter their plans, as a result of injuries during the clash between the Waratahs and Brumbies in Sydney. There is no Kurtley Beale as expected while he deals with his demons. Powerful Brumbies winger Joe Tomane and Nick Cummins have won two of the hotly contested wing places but there is no room for veteran Drew Mitchell. Deans confirmed the solemn news that flanker George Smith (knee) is out for the series through injury as is hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau (broken forearm). The flipside is the inclusion for Queensland's openside flanker Liam Gill and hooker Saia Faingaa. Only one halfback in Will Genia has been named which confirms that Luke Burgess will be given a chance to earn a halfback role once he returns from club duties in France. The captaincy will be announced on June 11. WALLABIES SQUAD: Ben Alexander Adam Ashley-Cooper Berrick Barnes Nick Cummins Dave Dennis Saia Faingaa Israel Folau* Will Genia Liam Gill Scott Higginbotham Michael Hooper Rob Horne James Horwill Digby Ioane Sekope Kepu Christian Lealiifano* Stephen Moore Ben Mowen* James O'Connor Wycliff Palu Benn Robinson Rob Simmons James Slipper Sitaleki Timani Joe Tomane new player Six players may be added to squad on June 11