Australia name roster for Rugby Championship

Australia has named its roster for the Rugby Championship. New Head Coach Dave Rennie has selected 44 players, 16 of whom are uncapped.

The Wallabies will have home advantage for the Rugby Championship, although the fixtures are yet to be announced. Australia is likely to face New Zealand twice prior to the early November start of the competition.

Rennie’s roster is young; the average player age is just 25. It also contains casualties. Notably absent are Jack Dempsey, Tevita Kuridrani, and Isi Naisarani.

Also missing are players based abroad. Rennie decided against selecting foreign-based players despite Rugby Australia having granted the New Zealanders permission to select two such players. Top 14 players Rory Arnold, Kurtley Beale and Tolu Latu, Izack Rodda, and Will Skelton are instances of missing talent.

Included are 16 uncapped players. Eight of them are Super Rugby rookies. Among them are Angus Bell, Filipo Daugunu, Pone Fa’amausili, Will Harrison, Trevor Hosea, Noah Lolesio, Hunter Paisami, and Harry Wilson. Daugunu plays u20’s for Fiji before moving to Australia in 2016. Paisami played for Samoa u20’s.

The most represented Super Rugby franchise is the Brumbies; the capital city based side has thirteen players. The Quensland Reds and New South Wales Waratahs have eleven players each. The Melbourne Rebels have nine players while the Western Force miss out altogether.

There are four locks in the squad with veteran Rob Simmons the oldest in the squad. Other second-rowers included are Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, French-bound Matt Philip and rising Rebels lock Hosea, while Ned Hanigan has been bracketed as a hybrid lock/back-rower. Foreign-based locks Rory Arnold, Will Skelton and Izack Rodda could come into the frame to be called up for the Rugby Championship.

AUSTRALIA – 2020 ROSTER

HOOKER
Folau Fainga’a (12 caps, Brumbies)
Tom Horton (uncapped, NSW Waratahs)
Brandon Paenga-Amosa (4 caps, Queensland Reds)
Jordan Uelese (9 caps, Melbourne Rebels)

PROP
Jermaine Ainsley (3 caps, Melbourne Rebels)
Allan Alaalatoa (37 caps, Brumbies)
Angus Bell (uncapped, NSW Waratahs)
Pone Fa’amausili (uncapped, Melbourne Rebels)
Harry Johnson-Holmes (1 cap, NSW Waratahs)
Scott Sio (63 caps, Brumbies)
James Slipper (96 caps, Brumbies)
Taniela Tupou (19 Tests, Queensland Reds)

SECOND-ROW
Ned Hanigan (20 caps, NSW Waratahs)
Trevor Hosea (uncapped, Melbourne Rebels)
Matt Philip (3 caps, Melbourne Rebels)
Rob Simmons (100 caps, NSW Waratahs)

FLANKER
Michael Hooper (99 caps, NSW Waratahs)
Fraser McReight (uncapped, Queensland Reds)
Lukhan Salakaia-Loto (21 caps, Queensland Reds)
Lachie Swinton (uncapped, NSW Waratahs)
Liam Wright (2 caps, Queensland Reds)

N8
Pete Samu (9 caps, Brumbies)
Rob Valetini (1 cap, Brumbies)
Harry Wilson (uncapped, Queensland Reds)

SCRUM-HALF
Jake Gordon (1 cap, NSW Waratahs)
Tate McDermott (uncapped, Queensland Reds)
Joe Powell (4 caps, Brumbies)
Nic White (31 caps, Brumbies)

FLY HALF
Will Harrison (uncapped, NSW Waratahs)
Noah Lolesio (uncapped, Brumbies)
James O’Connor (52 caps, Queensland Reds)

CENTER
Reece Hodge (39 caps, Melbourne Rebels)
Len Ikitau (uncapped, Brumbies)
Matt To’omua (52 caps, Melbourne Rebels)
Hunter Paisami (uncapped, Queensland Reds)
Jordan Petaia (3 caps, Queensland Reds)
Irae Simone (uncapped, Brumbies)

WING
Filipo Daugunu (uncapped, Queensland Reds)
Marika Korobiete (28 caps, Melbourne Rebels)
James Ramm (uncapped, NSW Waratahs)
Tom Wright (uncapped, Brumbies)

FULLBACK
Tom Banks (6 caps, Brumbies)
Jack Maddocks (7 caps, NSW Waratahs)
Dane Haylett-Petty (37 caps, Melbourne Rebels)