MICHAEL CHEIKA HAS a tough job as Australia coach, especially with a World Cup pool containing both England and Wales. But what is arguably a harder task is somehow selecting a starting backline.
While Australia aren’t the best team in the world – they probably aren’t even in the top 4 at the moment – they have been quietly cultivating a bottomless pit full of backs over the last few seasons.
Folau, Beale and Cooper get the majority of attention in Australia, but there is so much more to Australia’s attack than some of their big names. Earlier today it was announced that the Australian union had relaxed their policy on selecting overseas players.
If you have played for an Australian team for seven years and been capped 60 or more times, you can still play for the Wallabies.
This interesting development frees up two more quality backs, Toulon’s Matt Giteau and Drew Mitchell. This is a rough sketch of what Australia’s backline looks like now, in terms of depth.
Scrum-half: Will Genia, Nick Phipps, Nic White.
Out-half: Quade Cooper, Bernard Foley.
Centre: Matt Toomua, Matt Giteau, Kurtley Beale, Tevita Kuridrani, Christian Lealiifano.
Wing: Adam Ashley-Cooper, Henry Speight, Rob Horne, Drew Mitchell, Joe Tomane, Nick Cummins.
Fullback: Israel Folau, James O’Connor.
How on earth is Cheika meant to whittle that down to a starting backline? It is actually tricky to even guess how it might look since so many of those guys can cover different positions.
Australia are 10/1 to win the World Cup… is that tempting for anyone?
This is what they did without Beale, O’Connor, Cooper, Giteau, Mitchell and Genia…
Oh… and their back row has Michael Hooper and David Pocock. 10/1, anyone?
What would you like the Australian backline to look like?
