Michael Cheika has culled some big names from his squad for the opening game of the Rugby Championship, as he slims down the playing group to 31 players.
The biggest names to miss out are the experienced trio of Wycliff Palu, Nick White and Christian Lealiifano, the latter likely missing out at the expense of the returning Matt Giteau. There are just two uncapped players in the squad, in the sizeable shapes of Rory Arnold and Taqele Naiyaravoro.
“There were obviously some really tough calls to make,” said Wallabies head coach Michael Cheika.
“The players who have not been named in this 31-man squad will still remain part of the group and will continue to contribute. We have also taken the opportunity to rest players, as we know it is going to be a long international season.”
“I have had a good chance to test some combinations and see some players in a high intensity environment. It’s given me great confidence knowing we’re establishing some depth in key positions. There’s a certain thing about Queensland and how they support their teams, and in particular the Wallabies.
“Every time you go to Suncorp Stadium there’s always an energy and plenty of gold around the ground, and I know that will be no different for the Springboks game.”
Players not travelling to Brisbane will remain part of the wider squad still in contention for the World Cup.
Wallabies Squad:
Rory Arnold (Brumbies), Adam Ashley-Cooper (Waratahs), Kurtley Beale (Waratahs), Quade Cooper (Reds), Scott Fardy (Brumbies), Israel Folau (Waratahs), Bernard Foley (Waratahs), Will Genia (Reds), Matt Giteau (Toulon), Scott Higginbotham (Rebels), Greg Holmes (Reds), Michael Hooper (Waratahs), Rob Horne (Waratahs), James Horwill (Reds), Sekope Kepu (Waratahs), Tevita Kuridrani (Brumbies), Stephen Moore – Captain (Brumbies), Drew Mitchell (Toulon), Ben McCalman (Force), Sean McMahon (Rebels), Dean Mumm (Waratahs), Taqele Naiyaravoro (Waratahs), Nick Phipps (Waratahs), David Pocock (Brumbies), Tatafu Polota-Nau (Waratahs), Scott Sio (Brumbies), Rob Simmons (Reds), Will Skelton (Waratahs), James Slipper (Reds), Matt Toomua (Brumbies), Joe Tomane (Brumbies).
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
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Imagine having the strength in depth at 12 to not pick Lealiifano.
Meanwhile in England we are still trying to work out whether to play Barritt or Burrell. This squad only goes to highlight what a problem position 12 is for England, and has been really since Greenwood/Catt era.
Does Matt Toomua even make a match day squad now? Foley and Giteau together should go pretty well…
It’s obscene isn’t it? Personally I’d go Giteau-Toomua with Cooper on the bench – Foley’s form has been in the toilet for the Tahs for the last month or so.
Genia-Giteau-Naiyaravoro-Toomua-Kuridrani-Ashley Cooper-Folau. Tasty
That is a very good back line! Much prefer Giteau at 12 though, so I’d probably be tempted to have Cooper in despite the fact he has only just come back from injury. Maybe Toomua as 10/12 cover from the bench?
Do prefer AAC at 13 too, but Kuridrani is too good to drop so I guess he’d have to be on the wing. Haven’t even mention Kurtley Beale yet!
The rest of the world are really lucky that Australia have such a poor front 5! Stephen Moore excluded.
Who would you go for in the back row? Pocock at 6 with Hopper at 7? Higgingbottom at 8?
You think that ‘Australia have such a poor front 5′ @ yr peril. This is a common perception in English rugby.
You may need reminding that the last time England played Oz @ HQ the latter won 100% of their scrums, whilst the Red Rose won 80%. However, local hacks chose a similar take on this as you, stating that England ‘battered them in the scrums’.
This perception doesn’t stack up with statistical reality though. England seemed superior on their ball, but Oz stiffened their scrum resistance in the 2nd 1/2 & overall, won 20% of English ball. How do you explain this in light of yr view?
They also beat the ABs before the last WC, doing so presumably with ‘a poor front 5’? Mmmm.
In truth, Oz also have a bit more depth in their front & 2nd rows now. Besides, a team only needs nr parity up front & it’s what they do with the ball they win that really counts.
With England’s uncertain midfield, perhaps this should be of more concern to you than Oz’s front 5.
I don’t think scrum stats like that are particularly relevant. It’s just as misleading a telling someone a FB has run loads of meters when actually they’ve just run the ball back.
England scored two tries in that game vs Oz from walkovers are scrum time. Morgan took both.
England have massive issues at 12 (not the whole midfield as some would have you believe); and that will cause us issues against quite a few teams. I don’t however think Australia are one of them.
I expect (hope) that we play against Australia in the same way we have the past two times (when we have won fairly comfortably) – 10 man rugby. Ugly to watch but in a WC, and in the group we have, the win is all that matters.
So losing 20% of yr own scrum ball is irrelevant? Would you rather yr team win or lose this 20% then?
And surely yr FB comparison is comparing chalk & cheese… perhaps yr FB would have made a few more meaningful meters with that extra 20% of ball.
Because England had a couple of push overs then (in an injury weakened team which has since been ameliorated, hence more depth & new blood now; this is acc to the S Times & not just my view), it doesn’t automatically follow that it will happen again.
That the SH have by & large dominated rugby in recent decades in no small part by analysing & fixing or negating things that cause them issues. Oz have a new coach now. He will have & indeed has worked on perceived weaknesses (e.g by relaxing rules & getting some overseas cavalry into their mix). He’s also rejunvenated their thinking in how they will play play (4 instance by restoring Genia, Cooper) & surely upped their confidence in a modified & pretty exp team now.
However, some proof of the Oz pudding may be seen in the eating v SA tomorrow am. Oz don’t exactly look like pushovers to me, but we’ll see.
20% sounds like a disaster; when in reality would mean one scrum that slipped. You do have a lovely way of turning facts into something they are not; I’ll give you that!
Australia are not a poor side; they’re an extremely good one. Great win yesterday against SA, but they were really poor at the breakdown. Until SA made their front row subs they looked poor at scrum time too. Luckily for them though; with ball in hand they are the only side in the same stratosphere as NZ so they will always compete with anyone.
Is Stephen Jones a personal friend of yours? I’ve never heard someone quote him quite as often as you do. I’ve also never met anyone that thinks his opinions are in some way meaningful!
I was stating a fact regds scrums, that’s all. This was ignored by many whom it seemed to suit to do so. It was an e.g of perception over reality & IMO a weakness in English sport. For instance, in cricket recently following the 1st test; ‘Ozzies in Disarray’ stated Tom Comatose of the E Std!
But, in any event, surely it’s a no brainer as to whether you’d rather had yr team 20% MORE scrum ball though.
Don’t know if ‘Australia are… an extremely good’ side just yet & agree that they were really poor at the breakdown. They need Pocock in to start to get breakdown ball & their other loosies need to GET THERE!
Also they had 1 out runners charging at the Saffas, playing into the latter’s hands. However, whatever the reason, the Oz sub fr. row were on top of their counterparts in the end.
And talk about aimless, aerial ping pong, both sides were guilty of frittering away almost endless possession. At the death Oz were lucky to get the ‘W’ I thought.
The Oz backs need more ball to be other than just defenders, esp as they butchered a couple, like Giteau’s pass to Falau… & Higg’botham’s kicking the ball dead with back support at hand!
Coach needs to sharpen up their decision making too methinks.
Again with the 20%, it was one scrum. Obviously you’d rather win that ball, but one scrum does not tell me that we were beaten up at scrum time. I don’t actually know how we lost the scrum but if you have a video I’d be keen to see it. More importantly though, we pushed them over the line twice at scrum time winning us 14 points. Slightly more relevant that one scrum.
I can’t really comment on daft sensationalist headlines; but that is all they are. If you were to use media headlines and present them as public opinion then I don’t think any country would come out looking rational or sane!
Agree that Aus were fairly fortunate to win, SA will be disappointed. I’m not too sure either side are in a particularly great place right now. SA look decimated by injuries at the moment.
Aus must start Pocock; only when he was on the pitch did they secure regular ball. Still think the Aus front 5 is so poor. Horwill or Simmons wouldn’t get in any other top teams squad. In fact only Moore would get in any other top tier nations squad. Securing quick ball at the breakdown is a job for the pack, now just the back row. Aus seemed to think they could secure ball going into rucks in ones and twos.
So do you still think that Oz ‘have such a poor front 5!’?
C’mon, admit it, you must be sweating a tad more than when you posted this blog.
Don, I think it’s fair to say that all England and Wales fans are sweating rather more now than they were a few weeks ago. The appointment of Mario Ledesma has proved a master stroke – he’s coached the same players that were, you have to admit, a bit of a shambles previously, into effective scrummagers. Ominous indeed.
Forgot; ‘Is Stephen Jones a personal friend of yours?’. I posted a blog a while back regarding, Paul Thorburn’s calling SJ ‘The scum of the earth’, I added that I couldn’t argue with PT’s sentiments.
But the Jones article on Oz having more depth up front now ought to be a warning to England @ the WC. I believe that yr view & seemingly many of yr countrymen’s opinions to the contrary, is borderline complacency. Things can change pretty quickly in rugby (& Oz have brought in renowned former Argentinian scrummager, Ledesma ) & if you rely on yr scrum as the main platform on which you base yr game, you may be in for a rude wake up call. I’ve heard this stuff for ages now, but I do recall, e.g., that the most maligned prop in the world, Al Baxter, being part of a winning Oz front row which shunted England over their own try line to score @ HQ.
The incident you allude to was a 1 off… @ home (& I know that the WC too is @ home). Have England done it regularly, i.e. score tries from their scrum? I don’t think so, but if you think the scrum is going to be a cake walk then good on you.
Personally I think England have more to worry about, like an ineffective midfield, with the coach assessing Burgess as a potential centre, presumably based on his size. Can’t be ability, as his own club played him @ flanker after he DIDN’T work in their midfield!
Yr opinion regds Simmons etc, is just that, opinion.