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.
Ken
Guest
add pocock at 7
Ken
Guest
Cooper with a rabid mad dog firing pack in front of him is the only way we can win test matches against quality countires SA POMS NZ etc etc ..
Ken
Guest
Cheiks will experiment with some blokes and postion swaps to see if they are up to it, so im expecting to see something like this to run out at SUNCORP.. 1 Sio 2 Moore 3 Holmes 4 Simmons 5 Skelton 6 Fardy 8 Higgers 9 Phipps 10 Cooper 11 Mitchell 12 Gitaeu 13 Kurindrani 14 Beale 15 Folau 16 Kepu 17 TPN 18 Slipper 19 Horwill 20 Hooper 21 Mumm 22 AAC 23 Genia
dru
Roar Rookie
Peter I'm liking it. I had really been thinking of Simmons as a lock for starting lock. I have 8: Higgers; 7: Pocock; 6 probably Fardy but want to see McCalman tested there. So maybe room for Arnold to start. I had him on the bench. McCalman doubles at lock as well doesn't he? What I'm really interested in, is whether the tight 5 can look after the tight stuff and let the loosies play wide. If you spread them in defence to support the back line, you have a slightest chance to test an insane backline with all our playmakers on the field. 10: Cooper, 12: Giteau: 15: Beale. Shift Folau to 11/13/14. Fill in the rest. There's not a lot of time to work and bed-in such a high risk strategy, but I'm hoping we get some testing with elements of it in the RC.
Kiwi
Guest
On 2nd thought, there was a great piece written in the NZ Herald last year about Australian media and their tendency to over-hype their teams, and how much it was hurting the Wallabies. It went on to say that it was a necessary evil because of how competitive the sports entertainment market is In Oz, and that without it, things like the Bled can go unnoticed by mainstream punters. Perhaps just a case of it not being appropriate when engaging with the knowledgable rugby fans. They know more than the average and don't need to be sold a cliche way of thinking....never stop believing though mate!
Kiwi
Guest
I have to agree with some of the more negative comments on here. Best to get some good performances under the belt first. The over-hyping needs to be reigned in a bit.
Buk
Guest
Birdy - yes I left England out of my thinking (and France and the NH for that matter), but that was primarily because for Australia in recent years, they have had to play NZ and SA who are currently ranked 1 and 2 in the world, so for the current RC and RWC, I would consider it easier for Australia to win the RWC than the WC, as its likely they may dodge one at least, if not both, of SA and NZ - but that's impossible in the RC. In 2003 they actually played poorly in pool play and their first post pool game, but did just enough to get through - then had a one-off win against the All Blacks (who had previously thrashed them in Sydney) and dodged the no.1 team in the world at that time until the final, and still came very close to pulling off a big upset there. I am well aware of the threat that England poses, playing on their home ground (and France Ireland and Wales for that matter). I actually considered the England RWC team of 1999 one of the best, if not the best, forward packs of the tournament - they were strangling the All Blacks in their pool game, but then the All Blacks managed to get the ball to Lomu, who scored a try that only Lomu could score, and it just totally deflated the England forwards, and inspired the All Blacks. Then England played South Africa in the quarters, in what turned out to be a freak one-off game, where Jannie De Beer drop-kicked England out of the game. So 2003 was in some ways karma for England I thought, not to mention they beat the All Blacks in NZ, at one point playing with 13 men, as well as beating Australia in Melbourne quite comfortably.
Buk
Guest
Thanks for the corrections Jerry/PeterK - had forgotten about the 1995 opening game. Had not forgotten 2011 NZ vs Australia semifinal, but just emphasising that NZ did not have to play SA to win title. So to correct my statement I guess I should say no team has ever had to face both NZ and SA in post-pool play to win a RWC – in that respect, for Australian teams - in terms of facing NZ and SA, its actually easier for Australia to win a RWC than a RC/Tri-nations.
MH01
Guest
Was not that long ago you were predicting a waratahs dynasty, now the wallabies golden era? Least the tahs delivered the goods in 2014, though how does a team move towards a golden era while dropping world rankings?? If any team is hitting a golden era/patch.....it's Ireland!
MH01
Guest
Spot on Peter . Any of those happen and we are moving forward.
Council
Guest
That's really saying something when a halfback is a better 1st 5 than a 1st five...
John
Guest
Lol, good one.
HiKa
Roar Rookie
I like your new (typo) word, RIBBISH. I intend to use it often from now to describe Phipps's passing. :)
union
Guest
Check out the semi final against highlanders. Clearly you haven't seen it
Uncle Eric
Guest
Hardly a personal attack. John is simply stating that many people have been talking up the WBs for some years now, but the much desired improvement has yet to be manifested on the park.
ScrumJunkie
Guest
At least. Faulkner won't be one of them though. Not up to international standard...yet.
Birdy
Guest
Sorry, mate. I thought it was a rare interesting question from you. "Smiley face thing".
Taylorman
Guest
Not as extremely lucky as England were to win their one and only final at Birdy? At least we lead after 80... Geez. Talk about luck...
Taylorman
Guest
A simple 'no' would suffice. But thank you. It was not a serious question. :-)
Lt
Guest
agreed. It's embarrassing how often this kind of article is written only to blow up in our faces.