As we reach the halfway mark in Super Rugby Pacific, it’s the perfect time to put all speculation about the Wallabies squad to face the British and Irish Lions to bed.
Let’s have some light-hearted fun by using Fantasy Super Rugby Pacific to choose the players and then look at a probable ‘Game Day 23’ squad, purely based on the total points earned as the selection policy.
For the squad, I’ve named 36 players, which is more than the squad named for the Spring Tour last year.
Current injuries have been ignored as well as eligible overseas players, so the players are selected purely based on the total points they have accrued to date in Super Rugby.
Australian Squad [Name (Points)]
LH Props: Marley Pearce (202) / Angus Bell (172) / James Slipper (98)
Shock Horror: up-and-coming Isaac Kealia doesn’t make the list.
TH Props: – Tom Robertson (199) / Allan Alaalatoa (152)
No Tupou? Is this a shock, though?
Hooker – Nic Dolly (271) / Billy Pollard (193) / Matt Faessler (162)
Locks – Darcy Swain (188) / Jeremy Williams (174) / Nick Frost (173) / Josh Canham (160)
Carlo Tizzano of the Force. (Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)
Loose Forwards – Carlo Tizzano (365) / Harry Wilson (285) / Rob Leota (202) / Langi Gleeson (190) / Fraser McReight (187) / Luke Reimer (187) / Will Harris (182) / Seru Uru (175)
Incumbent ‘Bobby V’ and LSL don’t make the list.
Scrumhalves – Tate McDermott (170) / Teddy Wilson (155) / Kalani Thomas (136)
Incumbent Gordon misses out.
Flyhalves – Ben Donaldson (253) / Tom Lynagh (187) / Lawson Creighton (135)
Shock Horror: Incumbent Noah Lolesio doesn’t make the list (Meh!)
Centres – Len Ikitau (225) / Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii (135) / Joey Walton (127) / Hamish Stewart (124)
Wings – Harry Potter (326) / Andy Muirhead (312) / Corey Toole (305) / Filipo Daugunu (266)
Incumbent Kellaway misses out.
Fullbacks – Tom Wright (242) / Mac Grealy (221)
Crazy that some players are omitted from the squad, although this is highly unlikely; these are the selection policy rules of the Fantasy Rugby Selection Table.
To the Game Day 23, where I brought a tad more sensibility to the Fantasy Rugby Selection Table and have chosen the starting 15 based on incumbency first, followed by the player with the highest Super Rugby Fantasy points in that position on the bench.
So the run on 15 for the first Test looks like this.
1. Bell
2. Faessler
3. Alaalatoa
4. Williams
5. Frost
6. Gleeson
7. McReight
8. H. Wilson (C)
9. McDermott
10. Donaldson
11. Daugunu
12. Ikitau
13. Suallii
14. Potter
15. Wright
Darcy Swain of the Brumbies. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
It is a 6/2 split bench to combat the brutal forward pack that the British & Irish Lions are going to bring.
16. Dolly (Bolter) – Incumbent Pollard misses out.
17. Pearce (Bolter) – Incumbent Slipper doesn’t make the 23 due to points
(There can be arguments to suggest that Marley has jumped up the pecking order and could well be a dark horse. Anyway, these are the selection policy rules of the Fantasy Rugby Selection Table.)
18. Robertson (Bolter)
19. Swain
(Personally feel Darcy has played himself into selection into the squad and 23 this year.)
20. Canham
21. Tizzano
22. T. Wilson (Bolter)
23. Lynagh
Dare say not too many crazy selections in the starting 15 other than the insanity of leaving Bobby V out.
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Thank goodness this is just a list for fun as our replacement front row, or whole tight five looks a tad light and inexperienced compared to the monsters that we will face in the Lions forward pack.
Might have to do a follow-up at the end of the Super Rugby season as some player might fall down the ranking at the Fantasy Rugby Selection Table, like Harry Wilson with his fractured arm.
Bring it on. Just 14 weeks to the first game.
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