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Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has shown his hand by naming his best 23 for the World Cup opener against Fiji at the Millennium Stadium, with the kick-off live on Fox Sports and Gem at 1.30am on Thursday.
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Thankfully the normally fearless Cheika has not been reckless, as he proved to be at Eden Park for the Bledisloe decider last month.
In that match he bumped David Pocock to the bench, sacked Nick Phipps and Bernard Foley and installed Nic White and Quade Cooper as the halves, and promoted giant lock Will Skelton to the starting line-up when he was far more effective off the bench.
Whatever possessed Cheika to make those radical changes for such a vital international are best known to Michael Cheika.
In the wash-up, the All Blacks hammered the Wallabies 41-13 to ensure the double drought of Bledisloe-Eden Park continues for another year – and White didn’t even make the World Cup squad.
On the credit side, by the time the Fiji clash is done and dusted, Cheika’s top 23 will have collectively passed the 1000-cap barrier – that’s a wealth of priceless experience as Fiji is about to find out.
That’s not for one moment underestimating Fiji’s rugby ability, nor their ability to create havoc up front with a strong pack that won 11 turnovers to just four against England.
One thing the Wallabies forwards must do is hunt as a pack, and not fracture as England did. There are 351 caps in the Wallabies pack, and having played a lot together they wouldn’t be likely to fracture.
Nor should the Wallabies underestimate the size and pace of the Fijian backline that boasts a livewire half in Nikola Matawalu and behemoth winger Nemani Nadolo with his 196-centimetre, 129-kilogram frame ever ready and willing to burst through defences.
My team of three days ago had only one change to the one Cheika has just named – Joe Tomane for Rob Horne.
If Nadolo plays on the right wing, Cheika’s spot on naming Horne to mark the big bloke, as his defence is much tighter than Tomane’s.
Nadolo’s scored 10 tries in his last 10 internationals, as one would expect from a Jonah Lomu lookalike. He is an awesome talent.
But where the Wallabies have it all over England is in their brilliant men in gold backrow of Scott Fardy, Michael Hooper, and Pocock. They will give the Fijian backline no room to move, and be ever ready for turnover ball.
Those three will be the key to a Wallabies win to kick-start their World Cup campaign with five points, including a four-plus try bonus point.
It would be an ideal way for the Wallabies’ best 23 to be ready for the all-consuming England and Wales clashes to complete the pool program.
The team
1. Scott Sio (10 caps)
2. Stephen Moore (96)
3. Sekope Kepu (56)
4. Kane Douglas (16)
5. Rob Simmons (53)
6. Scott Fardy (24)
7. Michael Hooper vc (46)
8. David Pocock (50)
9. Will Genia (60)
10. Bernard Foley (21).
11. Rob Horne (27)
12. Matt Giteau (96)
13. Tevita Kuridrani (24)
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper vc (108)
15. Israel Folau (33)
16. Tatafa Polota-Nau (54)
17. James Slipper (68)
18. Greg Holmes (18)
19. Will Skelton (12)
20. Dean Mumm (37)
21. Nick Phipps (32)
22. Matt Toomua (25)
23. Kurtley Beale (53)
Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)