Cheika pulled a host of selection shocks on Friday, overlooking Lealiifano and tireless lock Sam Carter for the initial Rugby Championships squad, despite their impressive Super Rugby form.

The Brumbies have just seven players in the 36-man Wallabies squad, despite being the best performed Australian team.

The NSW Waratahs, Cheika's former team, have 10 players in the squad after finishing two wins behind the Brumbies at the end of the Super Rugby finals.

Giteau leads a group of international stars in the squad that will start a bid to end Bledisloe Cup misery at a Central Coast camp from Sunday.

Former Brumbies skipper Giteau was stuck in international limbo when his French club, Toulon, wanted to keep him for the international break.

Giteau's return likely means Lealiifano will get almost no game time as Cheika shows his preference for playmakers Bernard Foley, Giteau and Quade Cooper.

Leicester-bound Brumby Matt Toomua is also in the squad while halfback Joe Powell is left out and lock Rory Arnold will return later in the season after fracturing his elbow.

Uncapped prop Allan Alaalatoa, Scott Sio, Scott Fardy, Tevita Kuridrani, David Pocock, Stephen Moore and Toomua make up the Brumbies' contingent in the squad.

Lealiifano is to play in Japan with Suntory after signing a flexible deal earlier this year to extend his stint with the Brumbies and the ARU.

The 28-year-old is the clear man to take charge of the Brumbies next season after sharing the captaincy duties with Stephen Moore this year.

Lealiifano has backed the Super Rugby program to develop the next Moore, Pocock or Toomua in their absence next year after being left "shattered" by the Brumbies' exit from the finals last week.

The Brumbies' controversial Super Rugby exit at the hands of the Otago Highlanders at Canberra Stadium last weekend was the end of an era as Moore, Toomua and winger Joe Tomane all join new clubs.

Moore will return to the Queensland Reds, while Toomua and Tomane will head to Europe to join Leicester and Montpellier respectively.

They'll also lose Pocock for 2017 as the Wallabies' star breakaway takes a 12-month break from Australian rugby union before returning to the Brumbies.

Through all the changes, Lealiifano will remain as a constant and the natural man to assume the captaincy in his own right.

He is excited at the prospect of helping build the future of the Brumbies.

"You back your rugby program and you back the people at the top," Lealiifano said. "I definitely have a lot of faith in [coach] Stephen Larkham and any group that he coaches.

"I think the beauty and the history of the Brumbies since it started has been developing new talent, developing your next 'Poey', your next Matty, your next Stephen Moore, your next me.

"It's exciting to build, to see what the future's going to hold and you back the rugby program and the club for producing the talent."

Wallabies was the furthest thing from Lealiifano's mind when the Brumbies finished their season.

"I probably wouldn't look too far [ahead]," Lealiifano said. "It's hard to think if I'm going to be hungry again for next year. I'll deal with that when it comes around.

"I think that's something the group's done really well, take it day by day. Now it's just just about spending the last little bit with guys who are leaving and making the most of that.

"The beauty of rugby again is that clubs evolve, people come and go, and to have the ability of cherishing memories is always special."

WALLABIES SQUAD

Allan Alaalatoa, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Adam Coleman, Quade Cooper, Kane Douglas, Scott Fardy, Israel Folau, Bernard Foley, Nick Frisby, Will Genia, Matt Giteau, James Hanson, Dane Haylett-Petty, Reece Hodge, Michael Hooper, Rob Horne, Sekope Kepu, Samu Kerevi, Tevita Kuridrani, Ben McCalman, Sean McMahon, Drew Mitchell, Luke Morahan, Stephen Moore (cap), Dean Mumm, Nick Phipps, David Pocock, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Tom Robertson, Rob Simmons, Scott Sio, Will Skelton, James Slipper, Toby Smith, Lopeti Timani, Matt Toomua.