Dave Rennie’s 35-man squad for the showdown against England in July is short on surprises, long on experience and big on second chances – both given and dangled. Boasting size, speed and versatility, it’s a squad with a triple purpose: beat Eddie Jones’s men in the three-Test series starting on 2 July, hone the starting XV while winning the 11 Tests to follow against tier-one nations, and send a warning shot to the world saying the Wallabies are settled, poised and potent enough to win the Webb Ellis trophy a third time.
With a 40% win record from his 20 Tests, Rennie knows the time to deliver has come. He now has three weeks to pick a side capable of snapping Jones’s run of eight consecutive victories for England over Australia and restoring much-needed pride in the old gold jersey. Those who don’t make the starting side for England will press their claims in Australia A’s team for the Pacific Nations Cup against Fiji, Samoa and Tonga running parallel 2-16 July.
