Wallabies in an inside centre pickle
The five primary contenders vying for the spot are Christian Lealiifano, Samu Kerevi, Israel Folau, Karmichael Hunt and Rob Horne. With Kyle Godwin and Tevita Kuridrani also adding their names to the already long list.
Attack coach Stephen Larkham stated that there were a number of combinations being trialled ahead of the Brisbane Test, with a decision to be made next week.
"We are and there are a number of combinations we’ve trialled," he said in an interview on rugby.com.au.
"Christian Lealiifano is one option, Karmichael Hunt, Kyle Godwin is up here. Then there’s different combinations with Tevita Kuridrani and Israel Folau.
"We've got two more days this week and we’ll finalise it internally next week," he added.
Lealiifano would appear to be the front runner, given his run of 2016 form. The only thing that might hinder Lealiifano’s chances is that he hasn’t been in camp this week and it does rob the Wallabies of a chance to properly run a Foley-Lealiifano combination. Cheika has emphasised the importance of combinations in selection.
Hunt has also missed out on the Wallabies training session on Thursday due to his struggle with a groin injury that still hasn't healed in the first week of Test training.
It would appear that his absence, combined with that of Brumbies playmaker Lealiifano has added more intrigue to the already interesting centre selection debate.
Meanwhile England coach Eddie Jones gave his view on selections when arrived in Brisbane, saying he expects Cheika to opt for a conservative lineup in the opening Test.
"Michael’s been fairly consistent in his selections and he’s got a great range of players to choose from," he said.
"There's exciting young talent coming through everywhere for Australia. So I’m sure the 23 they put on the field for the first Test is going to play with the aggression and enthusiasm that Cheika wants,"
Source: rugby.com.au
