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Many of us have strong opinions on who should be selected in the Wallaby line-up.
To change things up I’ve decided to put forward what the Wallaby line-up will be, rather than what I think it should be.
So who will Michael Cheika select come just after lunch Thursday?
The answer is to start by accepting that Stephen Moore as captain will obviously start at hooker and that both his deputies will be in the starting XV somewhere.
I think we then need to draw parallels with the style of side selected at the Waratahs and to then see which players from other franchises better suit the role or indeed are currently in better form.
In the case of a few it may be that they have the potential to be better rather than outright better at the moment.
Someone like Matt Giteau, if selected, will be chosen on a leap of faith. For others they are lucky that a couple of the incumbent Waratah playmakers finished on a bad note in their semi-final.
This is what I’ve come up with as the most likely side that Michael Cheika will name.
1. James Slipper
2. Stephen Moore (c)
3. Sekope Kepu
4. Will Skelton
5. Rob Simmons
6. Scott Fardy
7. Michael Hooper (vc)
8. Scott Higginbotham
9. Will Genia
10. Quade Cooper
11. Rob Horne
12. Matt Giteau
13. Tevita Kuridrani
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper (vc)
15. Israel Folau
At the end of the day all that matters is that Cheika picks the guys he knows will produce the performance he wants under his game plan. We all know what it will be because his style has changed very little since his days at Leinster.
The side above will most likely be the side he believes will carry out his plan against South Africa at Suncorp come Saturday.
We can’t be certain that this is the side Cheika will go with or continue to go with in 2015 but at this stage it seems the most likely.
The only thing we can be certain of is that the three leaders are locked in as starting XV players for 2015 so long as they stay fit.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.