Rugby-Wallabies' Hooper should be in frame to return against Scotland: Slipper

MELBOURNE : Michael Hooper should be in the selection frame for Australia's next test against Scotland after taking time away from the game for wellbeing reasons, stand-in captain James Slipper said on Wednesday.

Regular skipper Hooper is back training with the Wallabies after being named in Dave Rennie's squad for the five-test season-ending tour of Europe.

Slipper, who has stood in as captain since Hooper withdrew during the Rugby Championship, said the 30-year-old flanker was tracking well ahead of Scotland next week.

"He'll be picked on merit. Knowing 'Hoops' well, he'll want to fight for his position. He doesn't want to roll up and just walk into the team," Slipper told reporters on Wednesday.

"He's just a competitor naturally, so it wouldn't surprise me if he's in and around the team for that first game."

Slipper, who will lead the Wallabies through the tour, said he was in no hurry to hand back the captaincy.

"As a good mate of his, I'm just really happy he's back fit and healthy. That's the most important thing," he said.

"Secondary to that is the captaincy. It's probably in everyone's best interests if Hoops just concentrates on himself.

"We want him to enjoy himself and just be happy. So I was happy to take the leadership role for the rest of the year and whatever happens in the future, that can happen."

After Scotland, Australia play France, Italy, Ireland and Wales away and are desperate to find consistency in the leadup to next year's World Cup in France.

The Wallabies finished third in the recent four-nation Rugby Championship, after losing a home series to England in July, putting pressure on Rennie to turn things around on tour.

"You kind of want that momentum running into the World Cup and for us it's a great