Wallabies coach Michael Cheika will bring his World Cup plans to Canberra this week, checking in with ACT Brumbies stars and getting them up to speed with his vision for success.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Cheika will travel to Canberra as part of an Australia-wide tour to ensure World Cup hopefuls are aware what's required to force their way into the squad for the tournament next year.
Cheika took over as Wallabies coach in October after Ewen McKenzie's decision to quit, leading the team on a spring tour of Europe despite having just three days to prepare.
Since returning to Australia, his focus has returned to the NSW Waratahs' Super Rugby title defence.
But he also has one eye on the Wallabies' World Cup campaign and widening his player base to limit the transition time to Test rugby next year.
Former Wallabies captains Stephen Moore and David Pocock will be on the radar, along with Scott Fardy and Scott Sio who also missed spring tour selection because of injury.
Moore and Pocock are coming back from knee reconstructions, but are viewed as crucial cogs in the Wallabies' bid to win the World Cup in England and Wales.
Pocock has played just five games in two seasons with the Brumbies and his ARU contract expires at the end of 2015.
"I'll catch up with some of the guys who weren't on the spring tour," Cheika told Fairfax Media.
"They're in contention, but I didn't get to see them so I just want to fill them in on what's happened and I'm doing that everywhere.
"I've already done it in NSW and Canberra's next. It's just so everyone is up to date with what we did in Europe.
"We did a lot of stuff off the field. There's a new style of play and I want to get everyone up to scratch with that so that when we come in [for the World Cup build-up], everything is sorted."
Cheika has been thrust into the Wallabies job with Australian rugby desperately needing big international wins.
He started to put his plan in place in Europe, but will juggle his Super Rugby duties with World Cup planning this year.
He is also trying to finalise his coaching structure, with Brumbies' mentor Stephen Larkham firmly in his sights for an assistant coaching job for the World Cup.
Cheika has said previously he's willing to have his assistants double up as a Super Rugby coach, which could be crucial in any talks with Larkham, given his focus is on leading the Brumbies to a championship.
Cheika will also visit the Queensland Reds and organise catch-ups with players from the Western Force and Melbourne Rebels.
The Wallabies have just four Tests in the Rugby Championship to prepare for the World Cup. It means Cheika will have had the reins for just eight Tests when the tournament begins.
Flanker Michael Hooper looms as the likely captaincy candidate after taking over from Moore this year.
Moore was Wallabies captain for just five minutes before he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and a knee reconstruction cruelly ended his tenure.
Cheika used 35 players on the spring tour of Europe. But he is only allowed to take a squad of 31 to the World Cup and a host of players who weren't in Europe are pushing for selection.
They include: Moore, Sio, Pocock, Fardy, Jesse Mogg, James O'Connor, Karmichael Hunt, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Wycliff Palu and Nathan Charles.
Sio will be a candidate to bolster the maligned front row, which started to crack under pressure in Europe.
