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Wycliff Palu, Christian Lealiifano, James Hanson, Dave Dennis and Samu Kerevi may be disappointed they won’t play against the Boks and Pumas over the next couple of weeks, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be in the final squad come September and the Rugby World Cup.
But for Tetera Faulkner, Toby Smith and Nic White, it looks like the end of the Wallaby road for them in 2015.
Wallaby coach Michael Cheika is too shrewd to show his hand, but by dropping high-profile names like Palu, Lealiifano and Hanson – along with the exciting Kerevi – the remaining 31 are on report.
Injury prone No. 8 Palu needs some rest time, and now is the right time. Utility Matt Toomua has been chosen ahead of Lealiifano, while hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau gets his chance to see if he can avoid concussion, and can at last feed the lineout with some accuracy.
Hanson is by far the better overall proposition, and not having him around for the internationals against the Boks and Pumas will prove that.
Dean Mumm is in the same boat as Polota-Nau, it’s showtime for him over that fortnight with Dennis breathing down his neck.
I would have thought retaining Kerevi was in the Rugby World Cup campaign’s best interests as he’s an exciting and explosive No. 12 who has earned the chance in elite company.
Henry Speight is in a vastly different category. He’s not only under suspension, but on compassionate leave in Fiji for the funeral of his grandfather.
But Speight is a front-line certainty, especially in the two Rugby Championship-Bledisloe Cup clashes with the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium and Eden Park on August 8 and 15, and the Rugby World Cup.
The Wallabies haven’t won the Bledisloe Cup since 2002 when Eddie Jones was in his first year as Wallaby coach. Those 13 years seem like an eternity.
That series win was at the end of a golden Wallaby era, having won the coveted Cup for four successive years before that from 1998 to 2001 when Rod Macqueen was at the coaching helm.
I firmly believe the Wallabies are at the start of another golden era with Cheika in the coach’s box.
The scrum is looking better, Stephen Moore will lead the Wallabies from the front and feed the lineouts properly, while Cheika has two of the world’s best open-side flankers in world rugby to pick from.
His biggest decision will be to pick David Pocock as his obvious best on Super Rugby form and whether to play Michael Hooper at No. 6 or from the bench.
Some may call that a headache decision for Cheika, but there would be any number of international coaches around the world who would kill to have that sort of headache.
There’s one other selection that could prove crucial to winning the World Cup if it pans out the way it should.
It’s Will Skelton being partnered at lock with debutant Rory Arnold.
Think of the chemistry and the target area that lineout feeder Moore would have at his command – Skelton (23) standing 204 centimetres and weighing 148 kilograms, teamed with Arnold (25) at 208 centimetres and 127 kilograms.
Arnold shares the honour of being Super Rugby’s tallest player of all-time with Andries Bekker, who earned 29 caps during his career with the Boks.
Cheika has the chance of an audacious selection, and I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t spring it in either the Boks or the Puma games, if not both, leading into the two Bledisloe Cup clashes.
All in all, it is a mouth-watering prospect.