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Wallabies experimentation to continue in Chicago

27th August, 2015
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Nic White isn't in the Wallabies 31-man World Cup squad, but he may still go one tour to the States. (Photo: Paul Barkley/LookPro)
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27th August, 2015
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The Wallabies leave for the United States on Saturday, where they will bunk down for a two-week camp at the famed University of Notre Dame, Indiana, either side of the Test against the US.

The ‘Fighting Irish’ will host the Wallabies upon arrival until Thursday, when they head to Chicago to take on the Eagles at Soldier Field, the home of the NFL’s Chicago Bears, on September 5.

The Wallabies then head back to Notre Dame for another week, before departing for their Rugby World Cup base in Bath on Sunday, September 13.

What’s known of the touring party is that the 31-man Rugby World Cup squad will obviously be going.

The ARU will today announce an extended touring party made up of players from Michael Cheika’s ‘train-on’ squad of David Dennis, Tetera Faulkner, James Hanson, Scott Higginbotham, James Horwill, Sam Carter, Samu Kerevi, Christian Lealiifano, Taqele Naiyaravoro, and Nic White.

When it was initially named, there was assumption and even reporting that all 10 players would be going to the States to complete Rugby World Cup preparations, but since then it has been clarified that only “some” of the extended squad will go.

Just how many “some” is will be known today, but a Wallabies source told me between two and four additional players will go.

And that tells me that the experimentation of the Wallabies’ campaign thus far is set to continue for at least another week. Some of it will be by necessity, resting a few weary bodies here and there after a tough but successful Rugby Championship.

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So who of the 10 extra players will go? NRC selections provide a bit of a clue.

Firstly, we can eliminate centre Samu Kerevi and backrower Scott Higginbotham, who have both been named for Brisbane City to play in Melbourne on Saturday afternoon. The Wallabies fly out from Sydney Airport tomorrow morning on QF11 at 9:50am (AEST).

Similarly, prop Tetera Faulkner has been named to come off the Spirit bench in Perth on Saturday afternoon, so we can rule him out as well. This was something of a surprise – a sixth prop would come in handy over the next fortnight.

Locks James Horwill and Sam Carter haven’t been named by Brisbane City and NSW Country, respectively, and a conversation I had after Country’s win last weekend in Sydney gave me a very strong indication that Carter will make the flight after a successful 50-minute comeback from a knee injury. And the suggestion was that Carter wouldn’t be there to hold tackling bags; game time against the US is likely.

Taking two extra locks will allow Cheika to manage his tight-five players during the training camps. The images that emerged from training this week, in which Will Skelton and Kane Douglas had to pulled apart, tells us that nothing is being held back, and that blood will be – and is being – spilt.

As reported in yesterday’s NRC preview, hooker James Hanson will squeeze in one more NRC game prior to joining the Wallabies, with the Stars all but confirming for me they don’t expect to have Hanson for the next few weeks. Dave Dennis is being spoken of in ‘father figure’ tones for the young Stars players, and there was no indication he would be missing games.

Scott Sio has been mentioned as cover at hooker for the World Cup, but Hanson’s presence in these initial preparations should alleviate concerns. It wouldn’t surprise if Stephen Moore was rested from the Soldier Field Test, with Hanson deputising for Tatafu Polota-Nau.

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Likewise, taking Nic White back to the States – he was over there on promotional duty before the Argentina Test – would give Will Genia a little longer to get over any lasting effects of his injury, too.

Lealiifano and Naiyaravoro are in London this weekend for the Barbarians versus Samoa match, and though it would be an easy flight over the Atlantic to join the squad, there’s no need. The cynic in me might see Naiyaravoro jetting in to earn the one cap that might thwart Scotland’s plans, but then that would fly in the face of selecting seven outside backs in the original 31.

This puts Hanson, Horwill, Carter, and White on Saturday morning’s flight. After the Notre Dame Camps, expect Horwill and White to be released to their future European clubs to commence training and just, you know, ‘be in the neighbourhood’.

The US Eagles Test represents Cheika’s last chance to try things, but also the last chance to manage a few bodies. Once the team gets to Bath, they all have to be fit and ready to play against Fiji in Cardiff on September 24.

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