The Wallabies squad, if picked tomorrow

This Super Rugby season has been highly enjoyable, especially as an Australian supporter, due to its competitiveness and quality.

As a result of this there are many Australian Super Rugby players that are putting their hands up for Test selection.

It is also great to see certain players evolving their game and adopting attributes that we as fans didn’t know they had. It is also great to see them improving their Wallaby selection stock.

This article is a literary praise of a handful of players that would make by Wallabies 23 if I was to pick the squad tomorrow.

Front row
Starting in the front row, it is fantastic to see players such as Pek Cowan step back into a regular starting role and playing well. The young loosehead from the Brumbies, Scott Sio, has really come out firing in 2014.

Sio has performed well both around the park and in the set piece – contributing strongly to the destructive ACT scrum.

Sio has comfortably outperformed his main rival for selection, Benn Robinson. Despite my love of Robbo (being an avid Tahs fan) I would pick Sio for my No. 1 jersey based on form rather than experience.

Hooker is a selections that should provide no controversy in the minds of any Australian rugby fan. Stephen Moore is the best rake in Australia and his work rate, experience, ball running and defensive ability (let alone reliability when throwing the lineout) should result in him walking into the No. 2 jersey without a fight.

No. 3 is where selections get tricky.

I am by no means a front row expert and there will be many with more knowledge of the art of front row footy who disagree with me.

From what I’ve seen this season, there has been no reason why James Slipper shouldn’t receive the tighthead spot for the men in gold. He faces competition from other props with Test experience such as namely Sekope Kepu, Paddy Ryan and Ben Alexander, but I feel he edges out his competitors based on his previous performances in the Test side, as well as this season with the Reds.

Alexander is a player I am overly critical of when he plays for Australia – I feel his scrummaging was poor against the Boks and All Blacks and he goes missing around the park, especially in defence.

However I will be the first to say he has been playing the house down this season with the Brumbies and his ball running has been exceptional for a forward. If he is selected at No 3 for the Wallabies, it will be deserved.

In light of my selections, both Robinson and Alexander make the bench in the 17 and 18 jerseys respectively, while Tatafu Polota-Nau is my 16.

Second row
The second row play this year by Australians has been exceptional. Kane Douglas is improving with every game it seems. His aggression in defence is clearly visible, he leads the pack just as much as Dave Dennis and his lineout work and ball carrying seem underrated.

He deserves Test selection but his impact is most effective off the bench. He wears the number 19 jersey in my side.

Scott Fardy and James Horwill are my two starting second rowers for reasons that should be clear. Horwill is still my Wallabies captain, and Fardy is one of Australia’s form players – let alone forwards. He has to make the team.

His selection at second row (which is his preferred position) is because of the newfound depth at backrow.

Backrow
My backrow consists of Scot Higginbotham at 6, James Hooper at 7 and Ben McCalman at 8. Higginbotham is playing lights out football in Melbourne, with McCalman close to best on ground every week in the West.

Both play uncompromising rugby with good ball skills, stoic defence and destructive ball running. Both are in form and have Test experience.

I love Cliff Palu but his reliability these days as a result of repeated injuries and age cost him his spot. He has also not played in recent games for NSW and shouldn’t be in contention despite his great form earlier this year.

Hooper is the clear starting 7 in Pocock’s absence. Hodgson makes my bench in No. 20 his form this year has been inspirational – carrying the Western Force on his back alongside McCalman and Cummins.

Backline
This opinion may ruffle a few feathers but the backline that started in the last Spring Tour match for the Wallabies should all walk into their incumbent positions.

Will Genia and Quade Cooper at 9 and 10 have a clear rapport while Matt Toomua and Tevita Kuridrani in the centres combine brutal ball-running and reliable defence.

Toomua’s ability to take the ball-playing responsibility off Quade allows Cooper to play with more freedom and flair.

Toomua’s defensive ability also shores up the safety of the inside channel. Kuridrani provides the Wallabies with a big crash ball 13 that we haven’t had since the heydays of Stirling Mortlock.

My wingers are Nick Cummins and Adam Ashley-Cooper. Cummins is both inform and possesses straight ball-running ability and aggressive defence.

His desire to get involved in hit-ups, lineouts and kick-offs are levelled out by Adam Ashley-Cooper’s ‘maturity of play’ on the other wing. Ashley-Cooper has not been setting the world on fire at the Tahs this season, but his low error rate and decision making result in him receiving my No. 14 jersey.

Short of chucking a Greg Martin and gushing about Israel Folau, it is needless to say that he is my fullback. Everyone knows about his ability to support the ball runner and score tries but his ability to defuse opposition kicking attacks is in my opinion his most valuable asset.

He forces teams like South Africa and New Zealand to change their tactics against us, and that cannot go understated in importance.

Reserves
16. Tatafu Polota-Nau
17. Benn Robinson
18. Ben Alexander
19. Kane Douglas
20. Matt Hodgson

21. Nic White – White’s accuracy in passing, quick ball from the ruck and his impressive tactical kicking game separates himself from the rest of the halfbacks in the country. His form has been of such a standard that I believe Genia is a few average games away from losing the No. 9 jersey.
22. Pat McCabe – This guy is the most improved player in Australian Super Rugby. The criticism of McCabe has long been his basic style of play, that he runs straight no matter what and can’t pass and can’t kick.

But look at him now. He has arguably been the Brumbies’ best this season, suddenly possessing a reliable passing game and running smart, fast angles in attack.

His new attributes are asking tough questions for opposition defences and is unlocking the rest of the ACT backline with front-foot ball. His flexibility to be able to play positions 11-15 make him an irresistible selection of the bench.

22. Kurtley Beale – Beale is here because of his Test experience, positional flexibility, goal-kicking and game-breaking ability. I am well aware of his recent poor Test performances, and the jury is still out on his performances this year at 12 for the Tahs. The Wallabies have nothing to lose by having him on the bench as a cover.

This is my team to face the All Blacks if we were to play tomorrow. What are your thoughts?

I reckon with Ewen McKenzie at the helm, this would be an extremely competitive side that would give us the best chance in years to win the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship.

Let’s hope their Super Rugby form continues.