Dave Rennie's Wallabies: Two ways to select his first squad

With coronavirus suspending all rugby we've decided at ESPN to create a future Wallabies side, but with a few caveats.

New Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has more options than you might think player-wise; he has the chance to oversee a more gradual overhaul of the Wallabies starting XV or opt for a swathe of fresh blood from the outset.

With that in mind, we created the 10-5 Wallabies split, just to see how things could look on both sides of the player spectrum.

Sam Bruce has named a starting Wallabies XV with 10 players from the 2019 Rugby World Cup squad and five who didn't travel to Japan, while Brittany Mitchell selected a team with those two categories reversed.

Who would you name in your sides?

Sam Bruce Wallabies XV

[NB: Non World-Cup players in bold]

Tom Banks, Andrew Kellaway, Tevita Kuridrani, James O'Connor, Marika Koroibete, Matt To'omua, Nic White, Isi Naisarani, Michael Hooper, Harry Wilson, Cadeyrn Neville, Matt Philip, Alan Alaalatoa, Folau Fainga'a, Scott Sio.

This is the kind of team that the Wallabies could field if Dave Rennie is looking for a more gradual overhaul of the Australian squad, but it's one that clearly rewards some of the form youngsters in Super Rugby, too.

For starters, it's hard to go past the all-Brumbies front-row for continuity - and let's hope Alan Alaalatoa's shoulder injury doesn't keep him out longer than the six-week timeframe the Brumbies diagnosed on Monday - but both Folau Fainga'a and Scott Sio continue to do the business up front.

Australia's lock stocks are particularly exciting and they need to be given the departure of Rory Arnold and continued absence of Will Skelton. Matt Philip has clearly been the form lock this season while the return of Caderyn Neville, who had been away in Japan the last few years, has proved a shrewd acquisition by the Brumbies; Neville was man-of-the-match in Canberra on Sunday.

With Izack Rodda and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto already established Test players, and Angus Blyth and Harry Hockings coming along nicely, the second-row alarm bells that were being sounded for much of last year might not actually be ringing that loudly.

The back-row is particularly exciting. I've kept Michael Hooper and Isi Naisarani at No. 7 and No. 8 respectively but both players are surely acutely aware of the players nipping at their heels.

With Dave Rennie still to rule on a Wallabies captain, Hooper is by no means a walk-up start, and if Liam Wright has more games like he did against the Bulls - and Rennie wants to play a more forward-oriented, abrasive style of rugby than his predecessor - then the Waratahs veteran could find himself under extreme pressure.

Naisarani just holds onto the No. 8 jersey but such has been the form of young Reds forward Harry Wilson that he could easily slot into the No. 6 jersey and be just as effective. He has been the standout player across the four Australian sides this year, Wilson's efforts even earning him a grand admirer in Crusaders coach Scott Robertson.

In the backs, I've opted for an assured halves combination of Nic White and Matt Toomua. I called for To'omua to be promoted to the No. 10 jersey during the World Cup but he never got the chance; hopefully Rennie will see To'omua as the steadying hand he needs in the playmaking hotseat.

Given To'omua gets the 10 jersey, it's inside centre for James O'Connor and I think the duo can be fairly interchangeable. O'Connor appears to be happier than he has ever been across his eventful rugby career, and his rugby is benefiting as a result.

With uncertainty around Jordan Petaia's return, Tevita Kuridrani gets the chance to stake a claim at outside centre; though if Petaia is fit and has a couple of runs under his belt by the Rugby Championship then he would be straight back in for the Bledisloe Cup opener.

Probably the hard-luck story of Michael Cheika's World Cup squad, Tom Banks has continued his stellar form of 2019 and is my choice for the fullback spot, just ahead of Dane Haylett-Petty who would offer great outside back cover off the bench.

Last year's John Eales Medallist, Marika Koroibete is an automatic starter on the left wing while his Rebels colleague Andrew Kellaway wears No. 14. After a fruitless first foray into Super Rugby at the Waratahs, the value of a stint overseas - first in the UK and then New Zealand's Mitre 10 Cup - has done wonders for Kellaway.

Brittany Mitchell's Wallabies XV

[NB: World Cup players in bold]

Tom Banks, Andrew Kellaway, Hunter Paisami, James O'Connor, Marika Koroibete, Noah Lolesio, Tate McDermott; Pete Samu, Michael Hooper, Angus Cottrell, Cadeyrn Neville, Matt Phillip, Alan Alaalatoa, Folau Fainga'a, Angus Bell.

With just five World Cup players available for selection, it was hard not to use the whole allocation in the forward pack alone. Instead, a three-two split has been used to keep experience both up front and through the backline.

It would have been easy enough to use all three forward allocations on the front-row, with Brumbies' Scott Sio, Folau Fainga'a and Alan Alaalatoa all easily deserving a place in this Wallabies line-up, instead, Angus Bell has been brought in to replace Scott Sio and Michael Hooper has been named as the third World Cup player in the forward pack.

Sio's non-selection is no slight at his game, it's purely a numbers issue. Bell, although young with just six Super Rugby caps to his name, has made an impression in his debut season. At 19, he's the personification of the new age prop; he loves to scrummage but he also has a strong offloading game and can hit a hole; this was witnessed during the Waratahs' win over the Lions when he went over for his first Super Rugby try.

Only a year ago people fretted over the lack of developing locks, but with so many players putting their hand up for selection in 2020, worries will be allayed. Caderyn Neville was one of the first selected in the side; his work for the Brumbies so far this season has been impressive. Matt Philip followed closely behind.

While the captaincy is up in the air, Hooper earns his spot through his massive workload. The leading tackler in Super Rugby - 16 per match - Hooper has a motor that doesn't quit and his experience and leadership will be vital for a team packed with young stars. With plenty of young players nipping at his heels however, he'll need to show more work at the breakdown.

The No. 8 position was perhaps the hardest decision to make with both Harry Wilson and Pete Samu easily Australia's standout performers. Both have been impressive this season, Wilson making a name for himself quickly in an excellent debut against the Brumbies, while Samu's stepped up following his World Cup snubbing in 2019. His hard running and strong defence will have grabbed Rennie's attention and with experience behind him he earned his place in the squad. He'll be acutely aware of Wilson's form throughout 2020, though.

In the backs, 2019's John Eales medalist Marika Koroibete walks straight into the side and takes up the first of the two World Cup allocations. Rising Waratahs winger Mark Nawaqanitawase has made a name for himself with his superb aerial skills, but Koroibete's ability to bust through tackles and find his way to the line sealed his place.

James O'Connor takes the second World Cup allocation, but not as fly-half. He's been a standout in the No.10 jersey for the Reds since his move from inside-centre in Round 2, and he's stated he wants to get his hands on the ball more often, but with former Junior Wallaby Noah Lolesio playing so well for the Brumbies, O'Connor has been shifted into centres and so the young Brumbies pivot has been given the No.10 jersey. Lolesio is for me without a doubt Australia's future fly-half and there's no time like the present to give him the Wallabies playmaking role. With talented and experienced O'Connor outside him, he'll have plenty of ball-playing options.

Tate McDermott takes the scrum-half position, creating an inexperienced halves duo, but alongside Lolesio, he's the future for the Wallabies and has the talent to take on the starting role.

Joining O'Connor in the centres is Hunter Paisami. With Jordan Petaia ruled out through the middle of the year and a World Cup player alongside Tevita Kuridrani, Paisami easily slots into the vacant position. With 47 carries, 383 run metres and a try in six games, Paisami had made an impact before injury.

Andrew Kellaway takes the right wing to complement Koroibete's hard running on the left, while Tom Banks rounds out the side at fullback. One of the biggest losers in the last year's World Cup squad, Banks has cemented his place in this year's team list. The form fullback in 2020, Banks has left incumbents Dane Haylett-Petty and Kurtley Beale behind.