Recalled Wallaby Lachie Turner admits he lost his desire for rugby before fighting his way back into contention for a Tri-Nations Test spot.

Turner was among three new faces called into the 28-man Australian squad which flies out for the two-Test tour of South Africa on Friday.

Brumbies back Pat McCabe and Western Force winger Nick Cummins will join him after wingers Peter Hynes (knee) and Cameron Shepherd (hamstring) and flanker Matt Hodgson (groin) were ruled out.

The Wallabies play Tri-Nations matches against the Springboks in Pretoria on Saturday week and Bloemfontein a week later.

"I felt like I was a long way off, I was starting to almost doubt myself at times there and it's been a tough couple of months," 23-year-old NSW Waratahs winger Turner told reporters on Thursday.

"I was struggling mentally just to get myself up for each day, just feeling that I wasn't seeing much reward out of it and that sort of led then just to my desire.

"For a little while there I was really battling to get up for each day and when you're doing that life's pretty tough."

Turner, who played both matches for the Australian Barbarians this year, said the flat spot had partly been a result of the disappointment at missing out after a stellar Super 14 season.

"I felt this was one of my best years in Super 14 so I was obviously very disappointed not to be there this year," he said.

But a return to Sydney club side Eastwood gradually got him back on track.

"It's just been a steady process," he said.

"I wasn't really performing the way I wanted to at club (level) and then slowly I started to pick it up ... it's just been good to get back and have those friendly faces there.

"I've learned a lot and I'll keep striving so that I can take that next step back.

"I'm an ambitious bloke and I wouldn't be here if I wasn't.

"I can't see any reason why, if I go over there and train really well, that I won't get a berth in either of the 22-man sides."

Coach Robbie Deans backed the 11-Test Turner's assessment.

"Those experiences for players really reconnect them with what it's all about and why they play the game," Deans said.

"He comes back to this level probably in his best state yet."

Deans said the latest decisions in an injury-ravaged season were based on which players could train regularly and last 80 minutes in a game situation.

"When you're going to the sort of fixtures that we're going to you've got to have blokes who are fit and able and these guys are both of those things," he said.

Turner said the Wallabies had worked out how to beat the world champion Springboks, even on their home turf and at altitude.

"We found a way we want to play and that was the way we played up in Queensland and I'm sure we won't be taking too much different into the game," he said.

"We found our formula and we'll be looking to implement that again."

Turner, McCabe and Cummins were celebrating their second call-ups to national squads in a week after also being named for Australia's sevens tilt at a Commonwealth Games medal.

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