Our rugby experts pick their World Cup teams
With the selection race wide open, rugby writers JIM TUCKER and JAMIE PANDARAMhave run the rule over the Wallabies contenders and given us their teams to take on the rugby world.
Rugby
Don't miss out on the headlines from Rugby. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Penning the names of the best-performed 23 players in Super Rugby on paper is the easy part but formulating the sharpest, all-purpose Wallabies line-up for Test rugby takes some serious selecting.
I’ll take the easy job which means, on pure form, I can partner two centres (Samu Kerevi and Tevita Kuridrani) with limited passing games when they should never be selected as a Wallaby pairing.
It means I can include in-form Brumbies leader Christian Lealiifano at flyhalf and strapped-up backrower Lachy McCaffrey on form while all the time knowing they might not be up to playing the All Blacks.
I don't have to pick David Pocock, Adam Coleman, Matt Toomua, Jordan Petaia or Reece Hodge because they are either injured or out of form.
I can agonise over leaving out Melbourne Rebels lock Matt Philip, flanker teammate Luke Jones, our best kick-catcher Dane Haylett-Petty and a real No.8 like Brumby Pete Samu.
Flyhalf Quade Cooper would have been more of a lock if the last month of his season had been better because he did so much right, stepped up to tackle and operated well in the attacking structure of new Wallabies backs boss Shaun Berne.
Winger Marika Koroibete’s potential was finally unlocked, Tom Banks just adds pacy spark from fullback and lock Rory Arnold is in career-best form.
Over to you Michael Cheika, Michael O’Connor and Scott Johnson to be selectors...and don’t you dare present us with the flawed Hooper-Pocock combo in the backrow.
We all want a real No.8 more than anything to work properly at the back of scrums and take pressure off the halfback and flyhalf. - JIM TUCKER
JIM TUCKER’S WALLABIES WC TEAM
15. Tom Banks 14. Marika Koroibete 13. Tevita Kuridrani 12. Samu Kerevi 11. Jack Maddocks 10. Christian Lealiifano 9. Will Genia 8. Isi Naisarani 7. Michael Hooper 6. Lachy McCaffrey 5. Izack Rodda 4. Rory Arnold 3. Scott Sio 2. Folau Faingaa 1. Allan Alaalatoa.
Reserves: 16. Alex Mafi 17. Taniela Tupou 18. James Slipper 19. Rob Simmons 20. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto 21. Joe Powell 22. Kurtley Beale 23. Bernard Foley.
JAMIE PANDARAM: On form, the Brumbies dominate any Wallabies team picked tomorrow.
Australian coach Michael Cheika will have his own ideas, and of course David Pocock will be the first man picked when he is fit, but if a national side was to be chosen for a Test this weekend, those from Canberra should be rewarded for an astonishing season few saw coming.
Christian Lealiifano has proved himself to be the most poised and potent playmaker in the country and deserves the Wallabies No.10 jersey ahead of Bernard Foley, Quade Cooper and Matt Toomua.
The all-conquering Canberra front row is an easy choice to start, and James Slipper’s sublime offerings from the bench make him the natural back-up loosehead.
Test stalwarts Adam Coleman, Dane Haylett-Petty, Sekope Kepu, Nick Phipps and Tatafu Polota-Nau miss out due to the form of the players picked here, and the balance I’d look for building towards the World Cup.
With a ball-crashing centre pairing of Samu Kerevi and Tevita Kuridrani, Kurtley Beale can be the secondary playmaker from fullback.
Kerevi can be outside centre cover, Foley is the playmaking option off the bench and the speedy Tom Banks can cover the back three and target tired legs in the final quarter.
With Pocock not considered due to injury, I prefer Jack Dempsey on the bench as a genuine on-baller should Hooper need replacing, with more than enough lineout coverage across the remaining forwards.
JAMIE PANDARAM’S WALLABIES WC TEAM
15. Kurtley Beale 14. Marika Koroibete 13. Tevita Kuridrani 12. Samu Kerevi 11. Jack Maddocks 10. Christian Lealiifano 9. Will Genia 8. Isi Naisarani 7. Michael Hooper 6. Lukhan Salakaia-Loto 5. Izack Rodda 4. Rory Arnold 3. Scott Sio 2. Folau Faingaa 1. Allan Alaalatoa.
Reserves: 16. Alex Mafi 17. Taniela Tupou 18. James Slipper 19. Rob Simmons 20. Jack Dempsey 21. Joe Powell 22. Bernard Foley 23. Tom Banks.
Originally published as Our rugby experts pick their World Cup teams
Just outstanding! The young guns on fire in Waratahs v Reds U15 battle
It’s a taste of things to come, a critical showcase for rising stars of rugby and the annual battle between the NSW Waratahs and Queensland Reds under 15s did not disappoint. Stars, photos
Rugby history! Australia’s rare result on New Zealand soil ‘special’
Rugby’s U18s rising stars have done something few other Aussie teams have managed in recent times - completing a shock and awe mission across the ditch for two wins. Stars, result wrap