Try telling Wallabies coach Robbie Deans that 15 doesn't fit into seven where rugby is concerned.

A staggering 15 members of his 36-man squad for the coming seven-match spring tour of Hong Kong and Europe have represented Australia at rugby sevens.

The party contains seven uncapped players, including flanker Pat McCutcheon, halfback Nick Phipps and outside back Luke Morahan, who were all members of Australia's silver medal-winning team at the Delhi Commonwealth Games.

A fourth member of that squad, Test winger Lachie Turner, was also named on Thursday.

The liberal dosage of new blood injected into the Wallabies squad also included Queensland winger Rod Davies, Brumbies back Pat McCabe, Queensland back rower Scott Higginbotham and Reds lock Van Humphries.

One of only two players over 30, fellow lock Nathan Sharpe being the other, 34-year-old journeyman Humphries will become the oldest ever Wallabies debutant, if chosen in any of the five Tests.

Of the original 40-man training squad named, nine missed out, though only one omission - prop Sekope Kepu - was already caped.

While Turner's inclusion was anticipated after his successful Test return in Australia's last match against New Zealand, the selectors surprised by choosing as many as four of the Delhi squad.

Australia struggled at sevens until greater emphasis was placed on the abbreviated form of the game a couple of years ago and Deans suggested its influence as a pathway to the Wallabies would only increase.

"There's no doubt that over time it's going to be a more significant contributing pathway to the Wallabies," Deans told reporters on Thursday.

"I heard a commentary where they said the whole Wallaby backline came through the sevens program and that's off a lack of emphasis. It's only really been since 2008 that we've put the emphasis back on that program."

Phipps, who becomes the first player from the new Melbourne Rebels Super franchise to make a Wallabies squad, told AAP he was "pretty surprised" by his selection.

"It's definitely a surprise seeing as how I will start as the Rebels' third-choice halfback (behind Sam Cordingley and Richard Kingi)," Phipps said.

"I didn't really expect that."

He will also start the Wallabies tour as the third-choice No.9 behind Will Genia and Phipps' Sydney University clubmate Luke Burgess.

Deans said the fact 21-year-old Phipps had established combinations with some of the other Wallabies, including clubmate Berrick Barnes, and his fitness gave him the edge over Kingi.

"He (Phipps) is good in the areas you need, a good solid pass and backing up ... his box kicking is pretty good, that's something we lack a bit too," Barnes said of Phipps.

The squad also included lock Mark Chisholm, who said he "dodged a massive massive bullet" after recovering from a dislocated fibula in just over three weeks.

Wallabies captain and flanker Rocky Elsom, who has trained separately from the team over the past two weeks because of a hamstring injury, was adamant he would be able to resume full training next week and would be available for the tour opener against New Zealand in Hong Kong on October 30.

The squad is: Ben Alexander, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Berrick Barnes, Kurtley Beale, Richard Brown, Luke Burgess, Mark Chisholm, Quade Cooper, Rod Davies, Ben Daley, Huia Edmonds, Rocky Elsom (capt), Anthony Faingaa, Saia Faingaa, Will Genia, Matt Giteau, Scott Higginbotham, Matt Hodgson, Peter Hynes, Van Humphries, Salesi Ma'afu, Pat McCabe, Ben McCalman, Pat McCutcheon, Drew Mitchell, Stephen Moore, Luke Morahan, Dean Mumm, James O'Connor, Nick Phipps, David Pocock, Benn Robinson, Nathan Sharpe, Rob Simmons, James Slipper, Lachie Turner.

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