The Rugby World Cup is just around the corner, and that means it’s time for the Wallabies squad to be announced.
Michael Cheika will pick his 31-man group for the sport’s showpiece tournament on Friday at 9am (AEST), but we want you to tell us before then who should be included for the trip to Japan?
The original Rugby Championship squad was 36 players, so at least five will have to be cut from that, and that’s if Michael Cheika doesn’t go outside of the original group picked, which he has indicated he may do.
While all of the stars of the first-up Bledisloe Cup victory are expected to be there, as well as Rob Simmons, Adam Ashely-Cooper and Liam Wright who came in for Game 2, the other five spots in the squad seem less secure.
Despite battling injury, Rory Arnold and David Pocock are both expected to be selected for the Australian outfit. Arnold played in Bledisloe 1, however, Pocock didn’t take part in the series as he continues his recovery from a calf injury.
Adding the duo to the 26 players already used would leave just three spots up for grabs in Cheika’s squad.
The eight remaining members of the squad were Dane Haylett-Petty, Tevita Kuridrani, Jordan Petaia, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Joe Powell, Sekope Kepu, Jordan Uelese and Rob Valenti.
While it might appear Cheika won’t look outside his 34-man group picked for the Bledisloe Cup, there may be temptation given the Wallabies were mauled 36-0 in Game 2 of the Bledisloe Cup.
Upon arrving home from Auckland, Cheika said that Will Skelton may be an option for the green and gold, while Jack Dempsey and Tom Robertson could also be selected on Friday morning.
Despite playing the last two years in France and only having 18 Tests to his name, Rugby Australia have reportedly been working hard to get Skelton to sign on the dotted line for a return home.
However, Skelton’s selection seems extremely unlikely.
Other names who could be considered by the selection panel include Harry Johnson-Holmes, Sam Carter, Matt Philip, Pete Samu, Tate McDermott, Quade Cooper, Jack Maddocks and Jake Gordon.
In 2015, Cheika’s squad for a World Cup where the Wallabies fell in the final to the All Blacks featured 17 forwards and 14 backs, and with a punishing schedule of matches, it’s expected to be similar once again.
On the form below, we want you to cast your vote on who should be included in the 31-man World Cup squad for the Wallabies, and we will reveal the results on Thursday morning.
We’ve arranged your options roughly by position (props, hookers, locks, back rowers, halfbacks, flyhalfs, centres, outside backs), and the forwards/backs split – and all the finer positional splits – is entirely up to you.
Happy voting.
MitchO
Guest
White, JOC, Hodge and KB are all goal kickers so Foley with his 75% to 80%? is not critical.
Wigeye
Guest
Has anyone worked out its not the team thats the problem
Rolando
Guest
Great choices. I’d have Simmons for Salakai-Loto; Hodge over Folau; don’t need both Meakes and Hunt so let go of Hunt and in with Banks. Speight to position 11 and Petaia into position 31; don’t want both Fardy and Higginbotham as they are both penalty magnets so keep Fardy and Jones in and no Dempsey.
Rolando
Guest
No. There was a selection panel of three. Any notion that it’s just Cheika puting in his mates was very cynical speculation pre-panel but with the panel, is plainly innaccurate.
Rugby101
Roar Guru
I think it important that every player in our First XV should get at least one week off during the RWC, for both a physical and mental rest. That means you need 3 Hookers, 5 Props, 5 Locks, 3 Halfbacks and 3 5/8s. It looks like Cheika will take TPN as the third Hooker, which I think is a bad idea as the third Hooker is the one you want to start against Georgia and Uruguay and play the whole game if possible, to give your first and second choice Hookers a rest. I’d take BPA or Ulese instead. Likewise, your fifth Prop should run on against these teams as well and hopefully play 65 minutes or more. I’d rather Robertson than Kepu in this case. My Locks for these games would be Simmons and LSL. In the Backs, these are the games where Powell and Foley start. Hookers: Tolu Latu, Folau Fainga’a, Brandon Paenga-Amosa/Jordan Ulese. Props: James Slipper, Allan Alaalatoa, Taniela Tupou, Scott Sio, Tom Robertson. Other forwards: Izack Rodda, Rory Arnold, Adam Coleman, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Rob Simmons, Luke Jones, Isi Naisarani, David Pocock, Michael Hooper, Lachlan McCaffrey/Pete Samu. Halfbacks: Will Genia, Nic White, Joe Powell. Stand-offs: Christian Lealiifano, Bernard Foley. Other backs: Matt To’omua, Samu Kerevi, Tom Banks, Reece Hodge, Kurtley Beale, James O’Connor, Jordan Petaia, Koreibete.
Nath
Guest
1 Sio 2 Latu 3 Alaalatoa 4 Skelton 5 Arnold 6 Valetini 7 Hooper 8 Naisarani 9 White 10 Foley 11 Petaia 12 Kerevi 13 Kurindrani 14 Folau (Hodge) 15 Beale 16 Faiangaa 17 Tupou 18 Slipper 19 Rodda 20 Salakaia-Loto 21 Genia 22 Cooper 23 O Connor 24 Kepu 25 Coleman 26 Fardy (Jones) 27 Pocock (Samu) 28 Higginbotham (Dempsey) 29 Meakes (Toomua) 30 Hunt (Banks) 31 Naiyaravoro (Koro) 5 Props, 2 Hookers, 2 9's and 2 10's. In case of real injury call in cover
scubasteve
Guest
TK as a winger and Hooper as a 12? are you serious?
terrykidd
Roar Pro
My squad only includes 2 hookers (Latu and Fai'ainga) and 2 halfbacks (White and Powell) .... no Genia. Only 2 flyhalves (CLL and Foley) as Toomua and JOC can cover if necessary. 5 props with no surprises. 5 locks being Rodda, Arnold, Coleman, Simmons and LSL. The backrowers would be Hooper, Pocock (if he survives the Samoa test), Hanigan, Naiisarani, Wright and Samu. Centres are Kerevi, Toomua, JOC, Kurindrani, Back three are Beale, Banks, Petaia, Korobeite, Clarke. Yep, have picked some from outside the squad to try and solve the 6 and winger problems.
Kp
Roar Rookie
While I like picking Beale for fullback, his achilles heel is the high ball. He is atrocious under it and you can see the fear in his eyes when he tries to catch one. This is exacerbated by wet conditions. I don’t know if they can Sadly every team knows it too.
Bobby
Roar Rookie
Simmons will definitely be there.
JP
Guest
You forgot Fardy Gill and Mcmahon.That is why the Wallabies will not make it out of the quarters with half the best player not wanted by Clown.
Jezdexter
Roar Rookie
Is Toni Pulu eligible? Because he is a damn good winger and there are a few players names getting thrown about with less field time than him in 2019. I don't think there will be many surprises in the squad other than Foley won't and shouldn't get a look in. CLL run on, Toomua Beale and JoC will all be there and one of them will cover 10 if CLL goes down. Foley will be flown over if the injury is long term.
terrence
Roar Rookie
Props: Sio, Thor, Kepu, Slipper, AAA Hookers: Fainga’a, Latu, Locks: Arnold, Coleman, Rodda, Skelton Backrow: Hooper, Pocock, Salakaia-Loto, Naisirani, Samu Scrumhalves: Genia, White, Powell Flyhalves: CLL, Toomua Centres: Kerevi, Kuridani, JOC, Petaia Wings: Korobeite, Speight, Hodge, tom wright Fullback: Beale, Banks
Bobby
Roar Rookie
There will be a 5th prop (prob Keps), Higgers, Quade, McCaffeey,Phillip, Maddocks nor in the conversation and Skelton is smoke and mirrors
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
It wasn’t an accident that I chose that phrase Mike
SandBox
Roar Guru
He certainly went more aggressive than he needed to. Although, have seen many good people looked over because they weren’t prepared to put themselves forward. Can see both sides there
ZainC
Guest
15 hodge/beale 14 maddocks 13 o connor 12 kerevi 11 koroibete 10 lealiifano 09 genia 08 nasairani 07 hooper 06 pocock 05 coleman 04 arnold 03 tupou 02 latu 01 slipper 16 fa ainga 17 sio 18 alalaatoa 19 rodda 20 samu 21 white 22 beale/hodge 23 peteia 24 udelese 25 robertson 26 simmons 27 wright 28 kuridrani 29 Powell 30 toomua/foley 31 halet petty
riddler
Roar Rookie
sandbox i am with you on the messages. as said personally i felt there had to be a fair bit of mud of underneath there for him to be not wanted anywhere. his form of lobbying though was not on. he had a good record in oz with the tahs and qld. had won the title with qld in 2011. although we did seem to be on a downward trend from that point. maybe that was why the public lobbying and manipulation of positions was so strong?? what happened to the old expression: if you are good enough, people will find out.
SandBox
Roar Guru
Do you have anyway of substantiating this what’s app message? If it’s true then my opinion of Link goes down a lot As for him lobbying for the job. That’s sort of what you need to do. As opposed to how Cheika came across as supporting the players, undermining Link, and then getting his job. No denying Link was stupid letting his pekker get in the way, because…well…look at….I can’t say it Although that was only really between Link, his wife and her. Suppose if the affair got in the way of player contact/morale then fishing from the company pond really did bite him. We will never know how he would have turned out as a coach. My guess is somewhere between Dingo and Clowno
Mike Hogden
Guest
"He chose the latter and to hell with him"... I think he said the same thing about most of us!