Messages and rockets: Predicted Wallabies squad set to shake up status quo with every position 'wide open'

Eddie Jones is just days away from announcing his first Wallabies squad and anticipation is building about what, if any, surprises the veteran coach has up his sleeve.

Messages and hidden messages will undoubtedly be a feature of his first squad – a training squad, which Jones has confirmed will be around 33 players plus a few injured extras and will be named on Sunday.

Not every injured player of national interest is expected to be included either. Nor any player based overseas.

Eddie Jones’ notebook caused quite the stir earlier in the year. Photo: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Form will likely count for a lot from the opening six rounds of the competition, but certainly not everything.

Take for instance Jones’ comments a week ago to a small group of reporters in Sydney, where he hinted that some experienced players could still retain their position even though they might have been slow out of the blocks.

“I think every position is wide open,” Jones said.

“Whenever you are picking a team, there is historical form. So Steve Smith gets two ducks, you’re not going to drop him, are you?

“If Travis Head gets four ducks, you’re probably going to drop him.”

So who is Steve Smith, and who is Travis Head?

His cricket analogy suggests Michael Hooper, who has been busy but not yet influenced the game like he generally has in the past, is likely to be selected despite not being in the top few openside flankers thus far in 2023.

Michael Hooper has had a slow start to the year, but will likely be selected in Eddie Jones’ first squad. Photo: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Others like Ben Donaldson, who was capped last November and is someone with an exciting skill set but has struggled in the early stages of the year behind a beaten pack, might not be treated so kindly.

Then again, with Quade Cooper and Bernard Foley to remain in Japan, Jones can cast the net wider. Could Tom Lynagh be brought into the camp, particularly if Jones knows the aforementioned names are his World Cup 10s, in the same way Marcus Smith was as a teen?

The question is: will Jones pick purely on form or put those who initially caught his eye, though not have performed, through their paces to better attain who’s who in the zoo?

Case in point could be Suliasi Vunivalu who has no right to be selected but could because he has shown one or two things, including his mere physical presence, that have caught Jones’ eye.

That could mean players like Andy Muirhead and Josh Flook, who have been two of the stronger performers to start the Super season, might miss selection.

Tate McDermott has long played second fiddle at the Wallabies. But could that change? Photo: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Similarly, after Dave Rennie couldn’t decide who his preferred halfback was, admitting to rotating all three options on last year’s spring tour, might Jones be more cutthroat and select who he thinks his best two are in the hope they impress and grab the opportunity with both hands?

At hooker, new and old options have appeared. Alex Mafi is finally stringing some games together and is operating a functioning lineout.

Tolu Latu, too, has returned and has World Cup experience and some serious punch to offer at the scrum and around the field.

How many chances will Folau Fainga’a be given, too? His ability to sniff out the tryline remains second to none, but will Jones remember his dodgy throw that stopped the Wallabies’ momentum in Brisbane when they had England on the ropes?

That history could come back to haunt some and help others. After all, Jones lost just once to the Wallabies in seven years.

In that time, he saw first-hand the strengths and weaknesses of his new team. Like Fainga’a’s poor throwing, he will remember Petaia’s promise at outside centre in 2019, Hunter Paisami’s performance at Twickenham and James O’Connor’s boot keeping the Wallabies alive abroad but letting him down in Brisbane.

Hooker Tolu Latu remains an interesting selection pick for this year’s World Cup. Photo: Clive Rose/Getty Images

Then there are the youngsters on the rise. Trevor Hosea is one of those, but is the World Cup a leap too far after the 23-year-old missed last year? Particularly with Izack Rodda (injured) and Will Skelton to surely enter the selection frame later in the year.

Ditto, Max Jorgensen, the brilliant 18-year-old who has scored four tries in his opening three Super Rugby matches. But durability is his major concern, with shoulder niggles slowing his progress.

The back-row, meanwhile, looms as the most competitive. Brad Wilkin, Liam Wright, Rory Scott and Josh Kemeny are likely playing for two spots.

Wilkin and Wright are like for like, with both good fetchers and handy in the lineout. But do they have the explosiveness in their game to catch Jones’ eye?

Kemeny missed last year, but is starting to show his worth and, importantly, has the size and height to be a compelling option in the back-row.

Meanwhile, who saw Scott’s face pass to Corey Toole against the Crusaders? Those moments are rare. It showed an incredible skill set and a ball no Australian back-rower is throwing at the moment. It was a rocket.

Corey Toole has been in stunning form to start the season. But can Eddie Jones fit both the Brumbies flyer and Max Jorgensen into his training squad? Photo: Joe Allison/Getty Images

After turning to Courtney Lawes so often in the past for England, you get the feeling Jones would dearly have loved to be able to call upon Lukhan Salakaia-Loto. Is there a like-for-like in Australia at present?

Not every injured player is likely to be included. Rugby Australia wants to cast an eagle eye on Taniela Tupou’s rehabilitation process, but do they need to bring Sydney-based Angus Bell along for the trip, too?

Jones’ squad come The Rugby Championship will be vastly different to Sunday’s training squad, but the two-day training camp in April could make or break some players’ chances.

“There will be some mind games and he will leave some players out to shock a few players,” Tim Horan said on Stan Sport this week. “It’s only very early in the season, I reckon there might be six to ten players who won’t make the Rugby World Cup squad, but Eddie wants a closer look at them.”

James Horwill agreed. “He will consciously pick players that will probably not be part of his first Test [team] and have a good look at them, but also send a message to other guys that are around the fringes, and say ‘you need to lift your game’.”

Predicted April training squad:

Props (5): Allan Alaalatoa, Matt Gibbon, Pone Fa’amausili, James Slipper, Harry Johnson-Holmes

Hookers (3): Tolu Latu, Lachie Lonergan, Dave Porecki

Locks (4): Nick Frost, Jed Holloway, Cadeyrn Neville, Darcy Swain

Back-row (7): Langi Gleeson, Michael Hooper, Fraser McReight, Pete Samu, Rory Scott, Rob Valetini, Harry Wilson

Halfbacks (2): Tate McDermott, Nic White

Fly-halves (3): Carter Gordon, Noah Lolesio, James O’Connor

Centres (3): Reece Hodge, Len Ikitau, Lalakai Foketi

Outside backs (7): Andrew Kellaway, Max Jorgensen, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Jordan Petaia, Corey Toole, Tom Wright, Suliasi Vunivalu

Injured players brought: Taniela Tupou, Izack Rodda