Cheika makes three cuts to Wallabies squad to face England

Yeah, he orchestrated the Mckenzie/Beale affair so that Cheika could be parachuted into the Wallaby role. So obvious, you are a genius.

Still at it I see. Hope you get over that inferiority complex sometime soon. Doubt it though, just another 'victim' looking for sympathy.

You don't ever say who the numerous options are.

Looking for a number 8.? Check leading OZ defender in Super Rugby. Top 5 all up. 110 kg plays 7 , 8 or 6. Ex Wallaby 7's , passes from scrum base under pressure and can attack up the middle or out wide . Used as defender and doesn't miss. Sorry he not NSW boy. Plays out of Japan. OZ rugby really does need to leave Sydney

Thugby fan, I get you point but it assumes that Australia is going to play England at it's own game. This is a fools errand and a very northern hemisphere (read as boring to watch) approach. I think Chiek has decided/recognized that the scrum isn't going to be an attack vehicle and unlikely to win any tight heads. His strategy using 1,3,3,1 pods relies on fast and mobile troops, He wants a blizkrieg attack, not trench warfare. Continuing the metaphor, he requires fast armor,and airborne troops to get in behind enemy lines. There is limited room for heavy armor, it bogs down in the swamp.. There are of course risks At times England inevitably will get possession, and if it suits them, will slow play down like it is the Somme. Australia need to be prepared for this and all 8 need to be able to tackle big men and to defend against a rolling mall. This is where I think Australia may come unstuck. Missed tackles and injuries will hurt their chances. With Hooper on secondment out wide only tackling wingers and isolated loose forwards the other 7 guys need work extra hard to withstand the barrage of the men in white. Lineouts will be pretty lean times as well. This is the argument for McCalman at #8. With an attack focus, MacMahon is the preferred choice. So what about the impact players? Fardy and been seen playing 5 and 8, McMahon at 6,7 and now 8, Mumm at 5 and 6. I have only seen McCalman at 8. So the back 5 are covered, but they are only allowed 2 changes, Arnold will be off by 60. This is where I think Chiek has a difficult choice. No viable wing replacement messed up the back line. If he comes up short with the back 5 we will see Kuridrani or Krevi binding in at 7. As much as I like Morahan in the 11 spot, I believe Hooper can handle it in an emergency, geez, he is out there most of the time anyway. Put a full time #4/5,or 6/7on the bench next to MacCalman. The attrition will be up front. At the end of the day it will be a dice roll. If Horne gets knocked on the head again in the first 20 minuets, Cheika's choice will be vindicated and we will get to see an in form Morahan tearing the white back line to pieces.

Because Hooper and Horne play for the Tahs and there would have been a lynching if DHP was left out of the team.

Ha ha grapeseed... I immediately, on reading your comment yesterday, knew exactly what you meant. I'm sorry I didn't respond then and there... so bravo sir, and please come straight back in :) Hey, maybe it's just a Tah thingy... possibly, and that's why it was received poorly!?!

McMahon won't get much bigger, a few more kgs weight maybe but his height\frame has reached maturity. He'll always be small for a test forward.

I got your joke grapeseed....probably because I actually watch rugby....not just google names ?

Nope, was making an obtuse joke about pedestrian Waratah journeymen. I'll show myself out.

Ignoring 95% of KPM's posts would lessen the likelihood of a loss.

Cheika picked 3 in the 23 last week

An even more unthreatening team than the first one?! This is likely going to end in tears and broken doors

Why would you have chosen McCalman EJ?

Their names all start with H!!!!!

That's pretty irrelevant to the gist of the post, which is the WB are throwing all power away from the forwards in the need for speed and selecting a bloke who, even as a reserve, should never be seen in the 2nd row of any international side bar Upper Lithuania or a pygmy side from deep Africa. Even worse, despite this week's forwards are weaker, and against a rampant team of brutes determined to make up for last year's humiliation, the WB selectors chose a reserve winger, which in all honesty is a luxury. Most of the outside backs are multi-talented and cover many positions, so why pick a reserve winger at the expense of another lock or a backrower with beef and mongrel? I can smell panic in the air. Perhaps if our outside backs learned to attack breakdowns and win ball, we could pull our two flankers a little closer to the forwards' action when in defence. As flankers, they make good wingers. :)

Well you should have let Dingo, Link and now Cheik know. It's a position we have struggled with for years with most reverting back to Palu, who has unfortunately had an injury interrupted career. The strong shouldered, tight running 8 you desire simply doesn't exist. Hence our need to be creative. Personally, I would have played it safe and opted for McCalman. But again he's solid at best.

Yep, we are going to get smashed by 20 plus. Eden park 2014 again ?

I do.

And when he finishes filling out, and growing, let's select him there.