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My realistic Wallabies team for the Rugby World Cup

Martin new author
Roar Rookie
17th March, 2015
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Stephen Moore will captain Australia at the World Cup. (Photo: Paul Barkley/LookPro)
Martin new author
Roar Rookie
17th March, 2015
148
3704 Reads

There are always lots of articles about what the Wallabies team should be leading to the World Cup, usually with dreams about debuting players magically making the team and suddenly being Test material, or supposedly clever positional changes.

Let’s get real. Let’s have a look at what the team for the first game actually will be; ie. predict what coach Michael Cheika will actually do, rather than what others think he “should” do.

Barring injury, a big assumption I know, it’s not that hard. The key point is that experience and combinations both count in selection.

1. James Slipper – with Scott Sio on the bench.

2. Stephen Moore (c) – with Tatafu Polota-Nau on the bench. Moore also gets my nod as the captain of the Wallabies.

3. Sekope Kepu – but I’m not sure on who should sit on the bench? I’m 100 per cent certain on Kepu. I certainly belong to the anyone but Alexander camp – but who is it?

4. Sam Carter – the incumbent.

5. Luke Jones – Two Test matches is not a lot. But if he keeps form for the Rebels he’ll have a good chance. Rob Simmons is injured and is going to come back into a losing team. I feel Cheika would rather Jones than Simmons.

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6. Scott Fardy

7. David Pocock – I know he is injured too. But he’ll be back. World Cup experience counts, and Cheika will want him.

8. Wycliff Palu – Yes, he gets lots of criticism that he goes missing, but Cheika rates him and gets the best out of him. He’ll play in tight.

Bench: Michael Hooper and Scott Higginbotham. When Hooper and Higginbotham are on, Fardy will move to the second row, Pocock to 6/8, with Jones and Palu off. With this formation, they still have three line-out options, with increased pace in last 20 minutes.

You can have Pocock and Hooper on the park but it means the bench has to have a third jumper.

Again, I believe this is what will Cheika do – I can’t see him not having Hooper at least in the 23. And it means the other bench position has to be a line-out option.

9. Nick Phipps and Will Genia – I’m not sure who starts.

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10/12. There are two options: Bernard Foley and Matt Toomua or Matt Toomua and Christian Lealiifano – It depends a little on Lealiifano’s goal kicking form. It’s one or the other.

13. Tevita Kuridrani – A lock.

11/14. Pick from Cummins, Speight, Horne and Tomane – It doesn’t make a huge difference. Maybe Cummins with a slight edge for his positive impact on team “culture”?

15. Israel Folau – A lock.

Bench: One of Beale/Cooper depending on form/fitness and Adam Ashley-Cooper for coverage of 13/14/15.

And that’s it. In my view the team is 95 per centcertain – with a few questions on a few slots only.

Others might argue it “should” be something else, but I’ll take bets that team is very close to what it will be subject to injury again.

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It doesn’t really read like a World-Cup winning pack does it? But that’s the cattle there is – it’s not going to be improved by picking debutants or continuing with players like Horwill (a shadow of his pre-hamstring tear self) or Simmons or Ben Alexander.

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