Jonah Lomu has been dropped by New Zealand for Saturday's opening Tri-Nations encounter against the defending champions Australia in Christchurch.

The New Zealand coach, John Mitchell, has also excluded Lomu's Wellington team-mate Tana Umaga from a 22-man squad.

The wing's shock international demise is certain to alert a number of English Premiership clubs who have long coveted the world's most high-profile player.

Whereas Umaga damaged his right knee against Fiji last month, Lomu, whose place on the left wing is taken by Caleb Ralph, is fit but failed to impress against the Fijians. Lomu had a poor Super-12 and, at 27, the Test future looks bleak for the man once dubbed "the scariest player on the planet" by the Wallabies' hooker Jeremy Paul.

Peter Deakin, chief executive of Saracens, said: "Lomu's management may have to do a mighty selling job on him now, but there is certainly a possibility of him moving to England or to France, where a lot of money is sploshing about."

Mitchell has chosen a starting line-up containing 13 players who helped Canterbury to the Super-12 title.

Christian Cullen, who like Lomu had a poor Super-12 season with the under-performing Hurricanes, has been named at full back in place of Leon MacDonald.

MacDonald has been omitted from the squad after suffering from mild concussion following a head clash during the Fiji match. Ben Blair, who came into the squad as cover for MacDonald, is named on the bench.

The forward pack is made up entirely of Crusaders players, with a notable omission being Auckland Blue Kees Meeuws, who failed to make the squad despite scoring two tries against Fiji.

Meanwhile, Justin Marshall retains his place at scrum-half ahead of the combative Byron Kelleher.

New Zealand have a poor recent record in the Bledisloe Cup, with the current holders, Australia, winning seven of the last nine clashes dating back to 1998.

Australian number eight Toutai Kefu has made a rapid recovery from a broken hand and will be fit for the opening Tri-Nations clash, Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has said.

Kefu had a plate and screws inserted in his hand only two weeks ago after he suffered the injury in the first half of Australia's first Test against Six Nations champions France last month.

The veteran of 45 Tests was judged man of the match in that Test, but missed Australia's second victory which completed a 2-0 sweep for the world champion Wallabies over France.

"He's a class player and certainly in a pack where we don't have a huge amount of experience he's a very important player," Jones was quoted as saying on the Australian Rugby Union website.

The Wallabies, faced with a string of injuries to key players like Kefu, hooker Jeremy Paul, prop Ben Darwin and backs Ben Tune and Matthew Burke, last month named an expanded 26-man squad for the New Zealand Test.

Kefu's return is likely to result in New South Wales Waratah David Lyons being relegated to the bench despite a strong performance in his first run-on Test for Australia in the second match against France.

Jones is due to name his team today.

New Zealand: Cullen (Wellington), Howlett (Auckland), Robinson (Canterbury), Mauger (Canterbury), Ralph (Canterbury), Mehrtens (Canterbury), Marshall (Canterbury), Robertson (Canterbury), McCaw (Canterbury), Thorne (capt, Canterbury), Maxwell (Canterbury), Jack (Canterbury), Somerville (Canterbury), Hammett (Canterbury), Hewett (Canterbury). ... Guardian Service