Five players who need to fire ahead of Ewen McKenzie’s Wallabies squad announcement

IT’S their last chance to impress Ewen McKenzie. We look at five players who need to fire this weekend ahead of the Wallabies coach’s squad announcement.

WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND - MARCH 07: Jesse Mogg of the Brumbies evades the defence of Alapati Leiua of the Hurricanes during the round four Super Rugby match between the Hurricanes and the Brumbies at Westpac Stadium on March 7, 2014 in Wellington, New Zealand. (Photo by Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images)

IT’S a big weekend for Australia’s Super Rugby players as they get one final shot to impress Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie.

McKenzie will next Thursday name his 30-man squad for the upcoming three-Test series against France, and with all five Aussie clubs in action it’s crunch time.

Former Wallaby Phil Waugh certainly believes this round — which sees the Reds host the Rebels, the Force (v Stormers) and Brumbies (v Cheetahs) in action in South Africa and the Waratahs at home to the Lions — takes on extra significance.

“I think it’s really important,” Waugh told Fox Sports News.

“They’d have most of their squad selected but I think tight five’s very interesting and also inside backs, who’s going to stand up there — halfbacks, five-eighths, inside centre, there’s actually a lot of form players at the moment so this week’s important.

“Whilst there’s a lot of talk about Test selection it’ll come down to performing well for your team. If you perform well for your team it gives you a better chance of being selected for the Wallabies.”

With that in mind we look at five players who will be out to put in big performances — for a variety of reasons — and remind McKenzie what they’ve got.

Quade Cooper starred for the Wallabies at the end of last year but his form has been patchy for the Reds in 2014.

Quade Cooper (Reds)

The Reds playmaker is a certainty to be selected as one of the leading No. 10s after playing a starring role during the Wallabies’ Spring Tour at the end of last year.

But after a patchy start to 2014 in Super Rugby it hasn’t taken long for the Cooper critics to start circling, and with Matt Toomua in top form his grip on the No. 10 jersey is anything but iron-clad.

It’s certainly not solely down to Cooper that the 2011 Super Rugby champions have become a rabble, but as one of the key planks in a Queensland attack that has been all over the shop he has copped the brunt of the blame.

A big game for the Reds against the Rebels on Saturday night would go some way to quieting those detractors.

Kurtley Beale has been in top form in a new position for the Waratahs.

Kurtley Beale (Waratahs)

A 39-Test veteran, Beale hasn’t played for the Wallabies since the British and Irish Lions series last year as shoulder surgery ruled him out of action for the back end of 2013.

After moving home to NSW in the off-season Beale has thrust his name back into Wallaby calculations with some scintillating attacking performances for the Waratahs — in the unusual position of inside centre.

It’s that versatility — he can also play flyhalf while most of his Test caps have been won at fullback — that has Beale primed for a Wallaby recall.

One more starring role for the Tahs — against the Lions on Sunday — can rubber-stamp his return.

Matt Hodgson has led the way for Western Force in 2014.

Matt Hodgson (Force)

Waratahs openisde flanker Michael Hooper looms as one of very few certain starters in the Wallabies XV to face France, but who will be his back-up?

Step forward Hodgson. While Reds young gun Liam Gill, a regular in recent Wallabies squads, has endured an injury-hit season Hodgson has been a model of consistency out west for the Force.

Age might count against him — Hodgson turns 33 next month and will be 34 by the time of next year’s World Cup, surely a factor to be weighed up by McKenzie — but his form and incredible workrate cannot be questioned.

Hodgson racked up 20 tackles for the third time this season last weekend as he turned in yet another man-of-the-match performance for the Force in their win over the Cheetahs.

A similar showing against the Stormers in Cape Town early Sunday morning (AEST) will do his selection chances no harm.

Jesse Mogg is looking to add to his three Wallabies caps.

Jesse Mogg (Brumbies)

The Brumbies fullback is another player who dropped off the Wallabies radar last year after undergoing surgery.

Mogg played three Tests for the Wallabies in 2013, including two under McKenzie, before going under the knife to repair an injured shoulder.

He shook off a horror opening match against the Reds this season to race into top form, scoring five tries in the Brumbies’ opening six games.

As well as speed and try-scoring prowess Mogg possesses a thumping left boot which he put to good use in the Brumbies’ dour win over the Sharks last weekend.

With Israel Folau a certainty to start at fullback, Mogg knows he’s playing for a berth in the wider squad and he’ll be out to show he’s worth a spot this weekend.

Rebels lock Luke Jones could be a Wallabies bolter. Picture: Colleen Petch.

Luke Jones (Rebels)

The current Rebels squad provided no players to the Wallabies in 2013, with Aussie regular Scott Higginbotham missing the Test season after undergoing a shoulder reconstruction.

While Higginbotham looms as a walk-up selection, he could be joined by a bolter in young second-rower Luke Jones.

The big lock has been a standout for Melbourne this season, combining aggression up front with a strong workrate around the park and displaying athleticism that suggests he could also be a handy back-up option at blindside flanker.

Jones has the perfect opportunity to underline his Wallaby credentials when he locks horns with the incumbent Australian second-row — Reds pair James Horwill and Rob Simmons — at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.

Originally published as Five players who need to fire ahead of Ewen McKenzie’s Wallabies squad announcement