Fijian-born Brumbies wing Henry Speight will miss the start of the Rugby Championship with a hamstring injury.

The news will come as a blow to Wallabies coach Ewen Mckenzie after he has already been stripped of the services of Force star Nick Cummins, who is unavailable for selection after his move to Japan.

Speight will become eligible to represent Australia on 11 September, although he may be forced to wait a little longer for his first taste of Test action.

Waratahs wing Peter Betham has been drafted in as his replacement, but the Wallabies squad has no doubt been weakened by the absence of the hard-running winger.

'It's disappointing for Henry but I've got no doubt that he'll go back and work hard during the rehab process to get his injury healed before he becomes eligible to play for Australia in mid-September,' said McKenzie. 'On the flip side, we bring in a guy in Peter Betham who has had significant exposure to our programme over the past year and who made his Test debut against New Zealand in 2013.'

The Wallabies will kick off their Rugby Championship campaign against the All Blacks in Sydney on 16 August.

Photo: Stephan Postles/Getty Images