Revealed: The Roar's Wallabies team for Bledisloe 1

Dave Rennie will name the first Wallabies team of his tenure tomorrow, but will it be the side the fans want to see?

A few weeks ago, we asked what team you’d like to see run out for Australia in Sunday’s Bledisloe Cup opener.

Here’s the team you came up with.

» See the official Wallabies and All Blacks teams for Bledisloe 1

Fullback: Tom Banks

Banks was an easy pick for the no.15 jersey, picking up 65 per cent of the vote. The Brumbies custodian had a slow start to the Super Rugby AU season, missing Round 1 through injury, but got back close to his best form in the grand final, scoring a try in the victory over the Reds

Other players: Dane Haylett-Petty (20%), Jack Maddocks (9%), Reece Hodge (6%)

Wingers: Marika Koroibete and Filipo Daugunu

John Eales Medallists are generally pretty easy to pick, and that was the case with Marika Koroibete. The 2019 winner of the award for player of the year was picked in 91 per cent of teams, the second-most popular selection in the entire side. Filipo Daugunu was chosen as his partner, just pipping ACT flyer Tom Wright for the other wing spot with 48 and 41 per cent respectively.

Other players: James Ramm (7%), Jack Maddocks (7%), Dane Haylett-Petty (6%)

(Photo by Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Outside centre: Jordan Petaia

No surprise to see young star Jordan Petaia favoured to claim the no.13 jersey. The Queenslander has shown oodles of talent in his injury-disrupted career to date, and it’s surely only fitness concerns which will keep him out of the starting side on Sunday. Petaia was picked in 79 per cent of teams, well ahead of any other outside centre.

Other players: Hunter Paisami (9%), James O’Connor (7%), Reece Hodge (4%), Len Ikitau (1%)

Inside centre: James O’Connor

One of the best players of Super Rugby AU, the question around James O’Connor isn’t about whether he’ll play for the Wallabies but where. He starred at flyhalf for the Reds and received the most votes in the poll for no.10, but received even more votes as he topped the list of inside centres with 44 per cent of the vote here. Matt To’omua wasn’t far behind in the race for no.12, finishing on 41 per cent.

Other players: Irae Simone (12%), Noah Lolesio (2%), Reece Hodge (1%)

Flyhalf: Noah Lolesio

Flyhalf was a closely fought three-way battle between Noah Lolesio, O’Connor and To’omua. While O’Connor topped the poll with 34 per cent, he received more votes at no.12 and Lolesio was a mere handful of votes behind at number ten, picked in 33 per cent of teams. As such, the Brumbies youngster gets the gig in our team.

Other players: Matt To’omua (31%), Will Harrison (2%)

(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Scrumhalf: Nic White

Perhaps one of the more surprising selections in the side, Tate McDermott wasn’t picked to start at halfback after a superb season for the Reds. He was picked in 40 per cent of all teams, falling just short of Nic White’s 46 per cent.

Other players: Joe Powell (8%), Jake Gordon (6%)

Number eight: Pete Samu

With only two number eights to pick from, this was always going be a close-run contest. In the end, the more experienced Pete Samu (54%) edged out Queensland’s Harry Wilson (46%).

Openside flanker: Michael Hooper

It’s no great secret who will start at no.7 on Sunday. After being named captain by Dave Rennie a couple of weeks ago, Michael Hooper’s place in the XV is assured, and he was far and away the most popular openside flanker in our poll, picked in 84 per cent of teams.

Other players: Fraser McReight (12%), Liam Wright (4%)

(Speed Media/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Blindside flanker: Liam Wright

When the last player of national interest list before the squad announcement filtered into media reports, Liam Wright was considered only an openside flanker. However, with the Queensland skipper playing most of the Super Rugby AU season at blindside, he was picked by 56 per cent of fans at no.6, well ahead of the other options.

Other players: Pete Samu (20%), Rob Valetini (12%), Harry Wilson (9%), Lachie Swinton (3%)

Locks: Lukhan Salakaia-Loto and Matt Philip

The second-row selections were straightforward affairs – hardly a surprise given the exodus of locks from Australian rugby in recent years. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto received more votes than anyone else in the entire side, picked in 92 per cent of teams, and Matt Philip was well ahead of any of the other options with 69 per cent.

Other players: Rob Simmons (19%), Trevor Hosea (17%), Ned Hanigan (3%)

Tighthead prop: Taniela Tupou

The no.3 jersey was always going to go to one of two men. While Allan Alaalatoa had a strong Super Rugby season for the Brumbies and was the preferred tighthead for 33 per cent of Roarers, Taniela Tupou was the player of the tournament and picked up a whopping 66 per cent of the vote. Jermaine Ainsley, Pone Fa’amausili and Harry Johnson-Holmes split the remaining one per cent between them.

Hooker: Folau Fainga’a

With last year’s World Cup starter Tolu Latu now plying his trade in France, Folau Fainga’a seems the man most likely to run out at hooker for the Wallabies. He was comfortably the most-selected no.2, with 82 per cent of the vote.

Other players: Jordan Uelese (10%), Brandon Paenga-Amosa (4%), Tom Horton (4%)

Loosehead prop: Scott Sio

Scott Sio hasn’t been quite at his best this year, but he was still picked in 59 per cent of teams to get him the nod at loosehead prop.

Other players: James Slipper (37%), Angus Bell (2%), Harry Johnson-Holmes (2%)

Bench

Backup hooker saw most of the votes go to either Brandon Paenga-Amosa or Jordan Uelese, with the Melbourne Rebel edging past 43% to 32%. The remaining reserve front-rowers were straightforward – James Slipper and Allan Alaalatoa were the clear second choices to start at loosehead and tighthead prop respectively, and were voted into the spots on the bench.

James Slipper. (Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

With more than three-quarters of Roarers opting for a 5-3 bench split, there were two remaining places for forwards, and they went to Trevor Hosea (36%) and Harry Wilson (34%), who were ahead of the likes of Fraser McReight (25%), Rob Valetini (18%) and Rob Simmons (15%).

At halfback, Tate McDermott (43%) finished well ahead of Joe Powell (15%) and Jake Gordon (9%) to slide onto the bench as Nic White’s deputy.

Reece Hodge was clearly the most popular reserve back, his versatility helping him into 48 per cent of teams, and while Noah Lolesio (25%) was next-best, his place in the starting side meant the final spot on the bench went to Hunter Paisami, whose 16 per cent of the vote edged him past Matt To’omua (15%), Tom Wright, Irae Simone and Jack Maddocks (all 10%).

The resulting matchday squad is as follows:

The Roar’s Wallabies team for Bledisloe 1

1. Scott Sio
2. Folau Fainga’a
3. Taniela Tupou
4. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto
5. Matt Philip
6. Liam Wright
7. Michael Hooper
8. Pete Samu
9. Nic White
10. Noah Lolesio
11. Marika Koroibete
12. James O’Connor
13. Jordan Petaia
14. Filipo Daugunu
15. Tom Banks

16. Jordan Uelese
17. James Slipper
18. Allan Alaalatoa
19. Trevor Hosea
20. Harry Wilson
21. Tate McDermott
22. Hunter Paisami
23. Reece Hodge

What are your thoughts on the team – is this side capable of challenging the All Blacks this weekend?