How would New Zealanders and South Africans pick the Wallaby XV

Roar Rookie

2nd June, 2015

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Michael Hooper has been cleared to play the All Blacks. (Image: Tim Anger)

Decs

Roar Rookie

2nd June, 2015

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3008 Reads

While I understand there will be dozens of articles and opinions on the Wallaby Rugby World Cup team in the coming months from writers, punters and everyone else from Australia.

However, I have always taken a great deal of interest in how other countries view our players and chances. In particular, those from our fellow SANZAR nations and Southern hemisphere powerhouses South Africa and New Zealand.

We all watch enough Super Rugby to form an opinion on other countries’ form and who they should select in their teams. The Roar is a great place to express such opinions.

Everyone in Australia will have local bias and theories, but I put this to our fellow antipodean Roar commentators such as Diggercane and KiwiDave, and South African friends Harry Jones and Armand, and the rest of our South African contingent. How do you see our XV shaping up?

I personally believe we have greater depth than in recent memory, having this depth is pointless unless we can build a game plan and execute around this.

And for what it is worth, and just to get the discussion going here is my starting Wallaby XV, match-day squad and Rugby World Cup 31:

Slipper
Moore (c)
Kepu
Simmons
Skelton
Fardy
Pocock
Higginbotham
Genia
Foley
Speight
Toomua
Kuirindrani
Horne
Folau

Res: Sio, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Holmes, Jones, Hooper, Phipps, Cooper, Adam Ashley-Cooper

Squad: Robinson, Hanson, Horwill, McMahon, Palu, Giteau, Leali’ifano, James O’Connor, Kurtley Beale

117

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