Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has picked squad to deliver

Michael Cheika must select a Test team that will not get suckered into England’s niggling tactics.

As expected, the Waratahs and Brumbies dominated the Wallabies training squad to face ­England in a couple of weeks, with 10 players picked from each franchise. Surprisingly, though, the lowly Queensland Reds contrib­uted just one player less.

The Western Force and the Melbourne Rebels each offered up four players to make up the squad of 39, which will be trimmed to 30 for each of the three Tests.

This indicates Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has not selected the squad on form, not even reputation, but rather has picked the players he believes can deliver.

The June Test window has lost its lustre in recent years but the England series has been animated by the appointment of former Wallabies coach Eddie Jones to the England helm. Jones will prepare his big, beefy, England team to aggressively attack the Wallabies at every opportunity, hoping to upset their rhythm and put them off their game.

Cheika must select a Test team that will not get suckered into ­England’s niggling tactics but rather stick to the game plan and play the type of rugby that got them to the World Cup final last year.

The England series is a perfect opportunity for Cheika to find out who is up for the battles ahead, with the Wallabies playing Eng­land, Ireland, France, Scotland, Argentina, South Africa, Wales and finally New Zealand in one year. This schedule is tougher than any World Cup, but one that the combative Cheika will relish as he takes this Wallabies team to the next stage of their development.

I would expect many more players to be involved with the Wallabies throughout the year, but the first Test against England in Brisbane on June 11 will be important because winning will build confidence and set up the platform for the rest of the year.

As you would have noticed over the last few months, I haven’t been too happy with the state of play from the Australian teams, who have played well in patches but have been unconvincing ­overall and the spotlight will be firmly on Cheika and his squad to raise the hopes of Australian rugby fans who are sick of inconsistent performances.

There are 23 members of ­Cheika’s World Cup squad in this 39. I would expect Cheika to select a starting XV with plenty of experience and stack the bench with youngsters to build for the future.

The front row will play an important role and I would expect loosehead prop Scott Sio, tighthead prop Sekope Kepu — whom Cheika has brought back from Bordeaux — to pack down with captain and hooker Stephen Moore. He also has a few options in the lock position, but I feel he will again go with players with experience and select Rob Simmons and James Horwill, who also has been recalled back to Australia from English club Harlequins. Waratahs lock Will Skelton, who is just starting to play much better, will probably warm the bench until the last quarter of the game and hopefully he will make an impact against a tiring England side.

The Wallabies back row is fortunate to have a number of very talented players but again I would stick to proven combinations and have Scott Fardy and Michael Hooper on the side of the scrum along with David Pocock at No 8 that proved a winner at the World Cup and will only get better.

Rebels flanker Sean McMahon has had a fantastic season and will be dynamic off the bench and deserves to be an integral part the Wallabies’ build-up to the World Cup in Japan in 2019.

Waratahs halfback Nick Phipps will wear the No 9 jersey, but it would be great to see Reds half Nick Frisby make his debut for the Wallabies against England at some stage because he has played with passion and commitment in a struggling team. Bernard Foley picks himself, but the quandary at this stage will be the make-up of the rest of the backline.

Rob Horne constantly delivers and even though he replaced David Horwitz at No 12 last night against the Chiefs in Sydney, I feel he will be on the wing for the Wallabies along with Taqele Naiyaravoro, summoned from Glasgow by Cheika.

That leaves the last three contentious but critically important positions. In the absence of the injured Kurtley Beale, does Cheika bite the bullet and select Samu Kerevi at No 12 with Israel Folau at outside centre, or is the incumbent Tevita Kuridrani a better option with Mike Harris or Dane Haylett-Petty fighting for the coveted No 15 jersey?

I think for the first Test he will stick to his trusted players by ­selecting Christian Lealiifano at No 12, Kuridrani at No 13 and Folau returning to his usual position at fullback.

My starting XV: Israel Folau; Rob Horne, Tevita Kuridrani, Christian Lealilfano, Taqele Naiyaravoro; Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps; David Pocock, Michael Hooper, Scott Fardy, Rob Simmons, James Horwill, Sekope Kepu, Stephen Moore (c), Scott Sio.