5 Uncapped Australians Who Could Earn 2015 World Cup Places

The final stretch is in sight as Australia's stars go about making their last-gasp attempts at clinching a World Cup place, with Michael Cheika proving he's willing to hand the inexperienced a chance in recent times.

The Wallabies have very much undergone a transformation under the departing Waratahs chief, and even those without caps to their name may still bank on a call-up for the squad that travels to England.

It's vital for a side to possess its contingent of seasoned veterans at such a tournament, but it's also pivotal that players be rewarded for fine form and risks be taken on the next wave of potential team staples.

We take a look at five players who may yet get their hands on a World Cup ticket, looking specifically at those yet to be capped for the Wallabies at Test level.

All of those mentioned are still long shots to make the World Cup, but a fortunate series of events may yet see some of those stars emerge from the crowd.

Starting our list off with a big wild-card selection, Adam Coleman made major strides as a prominent member of the Western Force pack this year to lay down his marker as a rising star at lock.

Western Force gave the 23-year-old his chance last year after being discarded by the Waratahs, which he promptly seized, improving from just five starts in 2014 to making 11 in 2015.

Intriguingly, the Force were the only Super Rugby team this year to score more tries through their forwards (16) than their backs (12), and only the Rebels (five), Crusaders (four) and Reds (four) scored more tries thanks to their locks—Western Force scored three.

ESPN Scrum's Brett McKay attests that Cheika would have been better off handing a young, up-and-coming asset like Coleman his chance rather than circumventing the new selection policy to bring back Kane Douglas from Leinster.

Unlike the aforementioned Coleman, Samu Kerevi has been involved in this year's Rugby Championship squad, but the Reds centre just missed out on the cut for the Bledisloe Cup Tests, revealed on Friday by Fox Sports.

Nonetheless, with two fixtures against New Zealand coming up and a final Test against the United States in Chicago before heading to England, injuries are to be expected.

Should that be the case, Fiji-born Kerevi may count himself among the top names being asked to fill in should the likes of Kurtley Beale, Tevita Kuridrani or Christian Lealiifano have to drop out.

The 21-year-old scored six Super Rugby tries this season and was a standout performer in a Reds lineup that disappointed for long stretches. He was one of the few Queensland backs to make Cheika's initial squad this summer.

The national team coach seems adamant to utilise fellow Reds playmaker Quade Cooper, which could work in Kerevi's favour in terms of synchronicity, while his potential at this stage appears abundant.

Rory Arnold has been regularly dubbed "difficult to ignore" this year, and if it's not his towering 6'10" frame that makes him stand out, it's the rampant strides he's made in Super Rugby this year.

One would hardly have believed it was Arnold's first year in the competition judging by the smooth nature with which he settled into the southern hemisphere's elite contest, starting 13 games in his debut season.

The 20-stone behemoth is assuredly one to keep an eye on, but despite his meteoric progress, Arnold isn't letting fame get the better of him. Jim Tucker of the Courier Mail quoted the lock, who earlier this year spoke of his relationship with coach Cheika:

“When you first meet Cheik, how passionate he is really hits you. He loves the physical aspect, which suits me fine. I’m not looking at World Cups. That’s way too far ahead."

Perhaps not as far as the player would suggest. For now, though, Arnold's chances look slim.

As with Coleman, the return of Douglas adds to second-row options that include Rob Simmons, Will Skelton, James Horwill and Dean Mumm, but Arnold offers a supreme lineout target and a fast-improving commodity to the team.

There's an intriguing battle of morals at present regarding what to do with Waratahs winger Taqele Naiyaravoro, who will move to Glasgow Warriors after the Rugby World Cup on a three-year deal.

As explained by Iain Payten of the Daily Telegraph in June, the 23-year-old is being pursued by his country of birth, Fiji, but Australia could end those hopes by capping the juggernaut themselves.

Having only made the move to union in 2014, Naiyaravoro is your classic example of a raw resource generated largely on brute strength and speed, but his skills as a footballer are undoubtedly developing.

The Scotland-bound hulk has also missed out on a place in the Bledisloe Cup squad, but should Cheika feel like taking a risk on some bruising power that can break a tackle or seven, Naiyaravoro may be it.

The only inclusion on our list with a Super Rugby winner's medal to his name, former Chiefs prop Toby Smith seems the most likely to earn that most cherished call-up for the World Cup.

The Rebels loosehead is still something of a surprise name to see on Cheika's list of players, but as the only uncapped figure in the frame to face the All Blacks, he's also an exciting prospect.

At 26 years of age, Smith is still young for a prop and it's clear his time in Waikato taught him a thing or two about how to conduct himself properly in the scrum.

James Slipper and Scott Sio will have something to say about Smith making his mark on the starting XV, but he's currently impressing selectors in all the right ways and earning his just rewards.

All statistics come courtesy of Statbunker.com.