Michael Cheika’s RWC imports could make or break the Wallabies campaign

MICHAEL Cheika has taken a major risk with the announcement of the Wallabies squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Australia`s Matt Giteau is chased by New Zealand`s Keven Mealamu in the International Rugby Test Match at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand on Friday, April 10, 2015. (AAP Image/ David Rowland) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY

WITH the announcement today of the Wallabies squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Michael Cheika took a major risk. But a calculated one.

In the mix of the 31-man squad are four players that have joined the group from postings overseas.

Having featured in the Wallabies Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Tests, Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell returned from the sunny south of France, while second-row pairing Dean Mumm and Kane Douglas join the squad from the slower, forward-dominated rugby indicative of Britain and Ireland.

A year ago, no one could have guessed these players would be back in the gold jersey, on the way to representing Australia at a World Cup. In fact, a year ago they wouldn’t even have been eligible to play.

However with the ARU’s announcement in April that overseas players who had played in over 60 tests for the Wallabies or held a professional contract in Australia for at least seven years would be eligible for international duties, the opportunity arose and a select group were able to seize it.

Later ARU ruling changes made room for Mumm and Douglas, who qualified by signing with an Australian club following the World Cup, and thus the Wallabies had four international imports filling spots on the Wallaby roster.

With these selections comes the omission of some key figures who have featured for the Wallabies in the time since the last World Cup. Most significantly, former Wallabies captain James Horwill has missed the flight, while cult figure Nick “Honey Badger” Cummins has failed to even make the extended squad.

By selecting four players whose most recent rugby development has been in a European environment, Cheika has shown faith in their ability to quickly adapt to the Australian style of play and gel with a group that is relatively new to them.

And while all four players are world class in their own right, the implications of these selections, both good and bad, could have a greater impact on the Wallabies World Cup campaign than previously thought.

UNITING AS ONE

Giteau is yet to showcase his full skill-set since returning to the Wallaby setup.

BY introducing four overseas players into the side, Cheika runs the risk of breaking the team unity and cohesion. For the rest of the Wallaby squad, they all share common ground in the Super Rugby competition, and a significant portion of the team has played together over the last few international seasons. They play with or against each other week in, week out, they understand how the majority plays, and most adopt a similar style in their rugby.

While Kane Douglas played in the 2014 Super Rugby champion Waratahs side, the remaining three international imports have been away from Australian rugby for a minimum of two years.

A lot can change in that time.

And having only played a few games of international rugby each for the Wallabies this year, finding the sweet spot with the rest of the team may not come as quickly as Cheika might have hoped. It may not even come before the World Cup, if at all.

Take Matt Giteau for example. He was outstanding in his four years in the Top 14, helping guide Toulon to three consecutive titles. Yet in his outings in the Wallaby jumper, we haven't seen anywhere near what he is capable of.

Form can’t be to blame — his performance during the European Champions Cup final in May was vital in his side’s victory. Would it be wrong then to draw the conclusion that he is still trying to find his groove among the rest of the Wallaby backline? It seems the only logical explanation.

And that is not the problem of the player — player unity takes time. One cannot be expected to be thrust into a team they are not familiar with and set the world on fire in a matter of months.

In any case, the Rugby World Cup starts in 28 days, let’s hope a change happens by then.

THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE CHALLENGE

THE Wallabies head to England for World Cup 2015, and will be exposed to playing in conditions the majority of the squad will not have experienced in a significant period of time, if at all.

That’s where Cheika’s four imports come in.

With the likes of Giteau, Mitchell, Mumm and to a degree Douglas, Australia has a wealth of experience playing in the harsh Northern Hemisphere conditions. The knowledge of when to run or kick, play tight or expansive, take the points or go for the try often only comes through years of playing in the unpredictability of the European climate. And with a total of 238 professional games played in the Northern Hemisphere, Cheika’s imports have a wealth of knowledge surrounding the pitches and climates the Wallabies will face.

Kane Douglas knows all too well what it is like to play in the harsh conditions of the UK and Ireland.

POOL OF DEATH

IT is no secret that the Wallabies face the most difficult pool for the 2015 World Cup, with the challenging task of beating England, Wales and Fiji to top their pool.

Coach Michael Cheika will be hoping Dean Mumm’s knowledge of English players will be able to give his side a tactical edge.

With two players at his disposal who have in-depth insight into the players England and Wales will be fielding, he would be foolish not to take that chance and exploit it for all it is worth.

Having played four seasons in England’s top professional competition for Exeter, Dean Mumm has played alongside the likes of England youngsters Jack Nowell and Henry Slade — at least one of which will feature heavily in the Poms’ World Cup campaign. Mumm’s time spent playing against nearly every player in the England squad will go a long way in giving the Wallabies a tactical edge. The same can be said for Douglas, who having played for Leinster in the Guinness Pro 12, has a whole season’s worth of exposure to the best talent Ireland, Wales, Scotland and Italy have to offer.

THE SQUAD

Stephen Moore (c), Adam Ashley-Cooper, Michael Hooper, Kurtley Beale, Quade Cooper, Kane Douglas, Scott Fardy, Israel Folau, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, Matt Giteau, Greg Holmes, Rob Horne, Sekope Kepu, Tevita Kuridrani, Ben McCalman, Sean McMahon, Drew Mitchell, Dean Mumm, Wycliff Palu, Nick Phipps, David Pocock, Tatafu-Polota-Nau, Rob Simmons, Scott Sio, Will Skelton, James Slipper, Toby Smith, Henry Speight, Joe Tomane, Matt Toomua

Originally published as Michael Cheika’s RWC imports could make or break the Wallabies campaign