Australia Rugby

It's happened again. Rugby’s disciplinary procedures have been made to look a laughingstock in recent days.

Australian flanker Michael Hooper was cited for striking Argentine fly-half Nicolas Sanchez in an off-the-ball incident during the Wallabies win in Mendoza last Saturday.

The Waratahs man was handed a one-match ban (reduced from an initial two for previous good behaviour) by the judicial officer Nigel Hampton QC.

But planetrugby.com’s Ross Hastie questioned the ban's validity given it was allowed to be served out in a club game:

Hooper and the ARU somehow managed to convince Hampton that Hooper was set to feature for local Sydney club Manly this weekend in a Shute Shield quarter-final against Randwick. Manly conveniently named their team with just one player - Hooper - on the bench in the day between the adjournment and the final verdict.

Smell fishy?

But the disciplinary laws came to Hooper’s rescue here, as theroar.com.au’s Spiro Zavos highlighted, quoting from Hampton’s judgement: "All matches are equal and if a player is scheduled to play, then the match should be included in the suspension if it has meaningful consequences to the player."

This result, of course, frees Hooper to play in the clash with New Zealand this weekend to decide the this year’s Rugby Championship destination. This gaping loophole has allowed one of Australia’s most influential players to effectively sidestep his ban by being named for that club match.

This isn’t the first time some sharp practice has been deployed in this way, as pointed out in the New Zealand Herald, which recalls a similar manipulation of the rules during the five-match ban for Andrew Hore after he lashed out at Wales’ Bradley Davis in 2012.

Rules are rules, though, and, as All Blacks legend Stu Wilson told the Herald, we shouldn’t blame Australia for exploiting the flawed system:

Good on the Aussies. You just have to point the finger at the International Rugby Board (now World Rugby) - the rules are a joke and they need to get it right.

If I was in the position of Australia, losing a key player, then I'd be trying to do everything to get him back in. So you've got to look at who makes the rules.

There is a simple fix World Rugby could quickly apply to this situation, and that would be to rule that any ban for an offence committed in Test rugby must be served at that level.

The second problem Hooper’s case brings back into the spotlight is the inconsistency in punishment. Going back to Hore’s case for a second, the All Blacks man got five weeks for something similar to Hooper’s moment of red mist, yet the Australian only ended up with one after Hampton deemed it at the lower-end entry point for punishment.

Bizarrley, SANZAR, the Rugby Championship's governing body, appealed the decision of its own judicial officer on the grounds that the ban was too lenient, with the ARU appealing back the other way, per the Australian Associated Press (via the Guardian).

It is a total mess that, not much more than a month away from the sport’s biggest showpiece, illustrates there is much to fix in the machinations of rugby’s disciplinary procedures.

It seems bizarre that a governing body such as SANZAR can appoint a judicial officer to deal with citing procedures and then have another level of authority whereby they can challenge their own decision-making process if they think it got the punishment wrong.

Iain Payten of the Daily Telegraph (foxsports.com.au) highlighted even more inconsistencies in recent cases:

This must mean [SANZAR] believe it is somehow the equal of Laurie Weeks’ flurry of closed-fist punches to the head of Jannie Du Plessis.

The Rebels prop was sent off and suspended for three weeks for landing 3-4 punches on the Shark’s head. This season Blues forward Hayden Triggs was suspended for one match after being sent off for punching Duane Vermeulen in the head with a closed-fist punch.

In the end, Hooper’s misdemeanour and the view on how severe it was is almost the side issue here. It’s the abuse of the ban and where it could be served that really stinks.

Another Australian franchise, the Brumbies, could, as Sam Worthington of Fox Sports points out, have pulled a similar trick to ensure the availability of wing Henry Speight, but they opted to forego having Speight sit out a club game and keep the spirit of the ban. But Worthington doesn't believe other clubs will follow in the Brumbies footsteps.

This whole, sorry saga has brought to light how easily rugby’s disciplinary policies can be abused, and that is something that needs sorting out.

When news broke that Wallabies and Western Force winger Nick Cummins was to leave for Japan last July, it added yet another disappointing headline for Australian rugby. 

Cummins' reasons for leaving Australia were compelling. One of seven children, two of whom have cystic fibrosis, he was motivated by the news his father Mark Cummins had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. His family badly needed financial support to pay medical bills, and the $300,000 contract on the table was more than he could make at home in Australia.

Australian rugby would miss "the Honey Badger" badly, and there was talk it could cost him a place in the Wallabies' 2015 World Cup squad, but the rugby community understood why Cummins had to go. An outpouring of support followed and off he went to play for the Coca-Cola West Red Sparks in Fukuoka.

Nothing but respect for Cummins. One of seven siblings, two have cystic fibrosis. His father, Mark, has prostate cancer. Finances essential.

— Ben Coles (@bencoles_) July 4, 2014

Five months later Cummins returned. A deal was brokered with the Red Sparks and Western Force, and hopes reignited that Cummins could be part of Australia's attempts to lift the Webb Ellis Cup in England. 

---

Meet the Honey Badger. It's a moniker Cummins earned when citing the aggressive nature of the diminutive African mustelid, is remarkably popular in Australia and across the rugby world. He is humble about his fame but enjoys being known by his colourful nickname. 

"I only enjoy it because it's a part of me. I'm not trying to be something I'm not," Cummins told Bleacher Report.

The earnest nature of the Badger is part of what endears him to so many people. He believes that "inside every man there's a yearning to express your wild side" and that "rugby is an outlet for that."

Cummins has a simple philosophy on his rugby career: "When you get out there, you've got to go balls out—not literally, of course."

The wild side of the 15-times-capped Wallaby is evident on the field, where, as David Campese explained, he "looks for contact rather than space."

For him, playing rugby is "like getting out in the bush and getting adventurous; it kick-starts the male side of things."

Is there a point where Nick Cummins ends and the Honey Badger begins?

"They're the same. They're the same and they're not. I sort of flick into one," Cummins said, laughing. "You might say I'm a split personality. Then other times...I sort of click into it when I have to. The person itself is still the same."

Cummins enjoyed his time in Japan, admitting his surprise at the quality. "Yeah, it was different; they're actually very skilful," he said. "They've even got some silky props."

Has his time in Japan made him a better player? "Bloody oath, it's another culture—a whole other style of game. It adds to [my game] massively," he said.

Away from the rugby field, Cummins embraced Japanese life, picking up the language and taking the time to explore away from his Fukuoka base: "Every experience you can get adds to you; it really adds to the mental side of things, too."

---

Born in the New South Wales town of Port Macquarie, Cummins grew up in Brisbane but remains a Blues man at heart, backing his home state in State of Origin. Now Cummins is back in Australia, but he couldn't help to drag the Force off the bottom of the Super 15 table this season.

His return to action was delayed by off-season surgery on a troublesome ankle, but Cummins is confident he's better than ever: "It's actually got increased range after my little clean-up. It's getting to be better than before."

Scoring a try in his return match was a great start, but Cummins admitted to some butterflies before the match.

"There were a few nerves getting about, but I've played with a lot of these blokes before so it was comforting, in a sense," he said. "I just sort of slotted back in, but I just got the one meat."

As his fans know, "meat" is his way to refer to a try following the Australian tradition of twisting rhyming slang. "Try" becomes "meat pie" and, eventually, just "meat." Cummins' lexicon is filled with such enigmatic turns of phrase.

With the season done, Cummins has now turned his attention to dreams of World Cup glory.

"It's daunting, but it's something I really want to do," he said. "The memories would last forever." 

With the tournament to be held in England, Twickenham will be the site of the final. Said Cummins: "They fill the place with energy, those Pommy bastards." 

If he can help the Wallabies to a record third World Cup, he might switch his attention to Rio 2016. Next year's Olympics will be the first to include rugby sevens, a discipline where Cummins has previous experience. He was the Aussies' top try scorer in 2007. 

Is the chance to claim Olympic gold tempting to him?

"I would bloody love to," he said. "Maybe I'll drop a few kegs [kilograms] and get into it, but it's tough. A tough style of rugby. You've got to be mentally tough. I'd love to have the opportunity. I'll put my hand up, but for now I'm focusing on this year."

Longer term, Cummins admits he would consider a switch to rugby league under the right circumstances. Years ago he was signed up to play for South Brisbane, but despite being "bloody keen to get amongst it," an opportunity to play club rugby with Randwick took him to Sydney instead. 

Now we find him in Perth, and potentially in England later this summer. Where the journey of the Honey Badger goes next nobody can say for sure, but we can guarantee it will be quite the adventure and that meat pies will be eaten.

Sam Rooke is Bleacher Report's Team Stream Lead for Australia. Follow him on Twitter @SamRooke89.

Almost four years to the day since his last appearance in an Australia jersey, Matt Giteau is poised to return to the Wallabies line-up in this year's Rugby Championship.

Giteau last represented his country in a defeat to Samoa on July 17, 2011, but the Australian Rugby Union's relaxed overseas policy has seen the Toulon playmaker come back into the international mix.

The Courier Mail's Jim Tucker (via Fox Sports) confirmed this weekend that Giteau had been named as part of coach Michael Cheika's 31-man squad for the 2015 Rugby Championship—and he's set to play a star role.

It seems almost fate-like that the 32-year-old's Wallabies comeback should fall so close to the anniversary of his first international exit, and we discuss why Giteau will ignite Australia upon announcing his return.

Something Old, Something New

The international landscape has changed tremendously since Giteau last played a direct role in it, but in many ways, transitioning back to the Test arena is bound to have a familiar feel.

Australia are seeking change after settling for third place in each of the last two Rugby Championship campaigns, falling some distance behind New Zealand and South Africa in their quest for silverware.

However, while Giteau brings all the advantages of a new arrival, he won't bring any of its potential burdens, having already racked up a spectacular total of 92 caps since making his Test debut in 2002.

Ex-England centre Will Greenwood was among those to applaud the re-selection of Giteau and Toulon team-mate Drew Mitchell, hailing the former as "uber talented":

The uber talented @giteau_rugby and silky smooth @drew_mitchell back in Wallaby training squad for World Cup. Slippery as eels... #rwc2015

— Will Greenwood (@WillGreenwood) July 2, 2015

Cheika will welcome the rejuvenation. Despite being an old soul in pure numbers, Giteau will offer a fresh perspective to a squad full of young talent, but somewhat short on seasoned stars with winning experience.

The Top 14 titan comes from an era when the Wallabies were seen as one of the best teams in the world. Bob Dwyer, who coached Australia to glory at the 1991 Rugby World Cup, says Giteau can fire his old side to glory at this year's England extravaganza, per Delme Parfitt of Wales Online:

Giteau brings the players outside him onto the ball and makes them carry the ball in front of him, so then he can get around them easily ... I just think he’s so far ahead of the rest, it doesn’t matter.

It [2015 Champions Cup final] was the number one world class performance by a flyhalf in the second level of rugby, if you can call European Cup rugby that, it was absolutely first rate. His acceleration to get the backline moving was fantastic. He ran straight and got his backline running straight.

Giteau will be working with former Brumbies and Wallabies team-mate Stephen Larkham, a combination of wizened figures that's bound to get the back performing to specification in no time.

Dwyer touched upon the player's potential to help those around him play to their best, which we'll address later, but Giteau's presence in the team alone will be an enlightening tool for many of the younger figures in the squad.

Matt Of All Trades

Despite being an expert technician at fly-half and inside centre, proven time and again during his four years at the Stade Mayol, one of Giteau's most obvious benefits is his unrivalled versatility.

I asked Rugby World's Paul Williams and Brett McKay of ESPN Scrum to summarise in three words what made the World Cup hopeful so alluring to Cheika, with both in agreement that versatility sat among his greatest strengths:

@TomSunderland_ evening, Tom. My three words to sum up Giteau's value are.

Covers five positions.

Hope it helps, Tom

— Paul Williams (@thepaulwilliams) July 12, 2015

@TomSunderland_ Experience is one of my words, funnily enough. Other two: variety + goalkicking. Last one could become very important..

— Brett McKay (@BMcSport) July 13, 2015

The player would have his backers to start in either the 10 or 12 jersey regardless of who was fit and healthy, but his ability to provide cover anywhere in the backs except wing is a terrific asset to boast.

Laura-Jane Jones of Sky Sports believes Giteau is unmatched in terms of malleability, a "Jack of all Trades" tag that can sometimes prove the downfall of some players too versatile for their own good:

@OllyWard I am a huge Giteau fan and think his skill set is unrivalled. Actually think him and QC could excel, if not too small for Top14?!

— Laura-Jane Jones (@MissLJJ) June 13, 2015

In fairness to Matt Toomua, the Brumbies star offers his own pedigree at both fly-half and inside centre, but he's merely not on Giteau's level in terms of quality in those roles; very few are.

Cheika will pray injuries don't force him to shift Giteau about too often and the Rugby Championship provides a good chance for the player to tie down one position ahead of the World Cup.

It's not every day a coach gets the opportunity to pick a three-time European Cup winner who sits among the world's elite in one role, never mind several.

Southern Foundations With a Northern Twist

And speaking of European rugby, Giteau's time in the south of France could come to be a blessing for the Wallabies, despite foreign temptations being viewed for so long as a bane of the national team.

He and Mitchell will make history in the Rugby Championship, where they're poised to become the first overseas-based players ever to represent Australia, and they deserve their place in the record books.

What will be extremely interesting, though, is to witness how Giteau's time in France will benefit him when it comes selection, what more can he offer that those confined to Super Rugby cannot?

It's well-founded Giteau is best-suited to a puppeteer role regardless of where he's fielded, and OptaJason outlined just how prolific the maestro was in teeing up his team-mates last season:

12 - Despite making just 10 apps in a 26-game season, @RCTofficiel's @Giteau_Rugby registered the most try assists in the T14 (12). Return.

— OptaJason (@OptaJason) July 2, 2015

Playing for Toulon, the first team in history to claim three back-to-back European crowns, it's evident Giteau has been not only featuring for the continent's very best, but pulling their strings for much of his stay.

Nick Cummins was quoted by Vince Rugari of the Associated Press (via Fox Sports) this week as saying his former Western Force team-mate still looks as spritely as ever among a younger cast:

“Bring in the old dogs, they’ve still got some fight in them. You see Gits out there, he’s still got it. Back in the day six, seven years ago I was playing with him at the Force and he still has that same zing. Credit to him, I don’t know how he does it. He’s going to be dangerous.”

However, he's now coming back into a lineup which, with the return of Mitchell as well, is beginning to remind fans of the team who beat the All Blacks 26-24 back in 2010, per the Sydney Morning Herald's Paul Cully:

https://twitter.com/whiskeycully/status/618419177074872320

That Bledisloe Cup meeting was the Wallabies' second-but-last win against New Zealand, and Cheika will be hoping old faces can mix with new ones to create a new legacy for the green and gold.

The former Brumbies and Western Force technician will give the vast majority of Australia's Rugby Championship foes a taste of something they've never faced before, bringing with him a broadened skill set complete with French influence.

The Key to Unlocking Wallabies War Chest

So it's established Giteau is a dynamite acquisition on the individual scale, but no one man is an island, and Australia will need far more than just a single star to succeed at the Rugby Championship.

It's just as well, then, the recalled superstar specialises in the trade of enhancing those around him, something the Wallabies have been crying out for in the half-back positions especially.

Waratahs pair Bernard Foley and Nick Phipps have done their best to lead Australia as half-back tandem of choice, but as coach Dwyer touched upon earlier, Giteau simply optimises others for a living.

SA Rugby magazine have examined what Giteau's arrival means for Australia icon Israel Folau in particular, the full-back who would lead his team to huge titles were he delivered the service necessary to do so:

FEATURE: @giteau_rugby can help @IzzyFolau become the world's best fullback. https://t.co/lqtgIekUxn pic.twitter.com/QKFgkUKps8

— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) July 8, 2015

However, beyond that lies a slew of questions just begging to be answered in relation to what upgrades the mechanical Giteau can enact upon a back line that's struggled to reach its peak at times.

Will his introduction squeeze the best out of Tevita Kuridrani? What role will future Toulon team-mate Quade Cooper have to play in all this? Can Giteau give Adam Ashley-Cooper one final, fantastic hurrah?

What's so appealing about Giteau, though, is his lack of flash or flair in the way he carries himself, despite his style of play being so far to the contrary.

In terms of on-ball prowess, there aren't few in the world who are of his level, and yet Giteau has been quoted by Simon Thomas of Wales Online as saying if he isn't needed by his team, he's happy to step aside:

That’s the biggest thing, if I feel like I’m not adding to this team I’ll go to ‘Cheik’ and say ‘look, there are better options here’. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I’ve come back to have a crack at something. Hopefully it all works out. You know within yourself. You know if you’re struggling, you know if you’re not up to it. You can’t be selfish. A World Cup is a huge honour and a huge occasion.

Any time you play for your country, it’s a huge honour and a huge occasion. It’s not something you want to take lightly and disrespect the jersey, as far as playing if I feel I’m not up to it. That’s why every training session I’m out there trying to prove myself and earn the respect of the players and coaching staff. It is like when I first came into the Wallabies, you have to find your feet and find within yourself that you belong.

He may be turning 33 later this year and eyeing his final run at a Rugby World Cup, but Giteau sound like a player only just starting out his career, with a renewed vigour to impress.

In essence, that's what makes him such a terrifying prospect for his Rugby Championship enemies, taking on a superbly talented man possessed with the determination to make up for lost time.

A post-Rugby World Cup mass exodus threatens to leave Australian rugby in a weakened state as of later this year, but Israel Folau's commitment to his native land provides cause for optimism.

The official Wallabies Twitter account announced on Wednesday that their star full-back had signed a new three-year deal with the Australian Rugby Union and the Waratahs:

So grateful for the year that we've had as a team. It's been a pleasure! You take the ups and downs through rugby and keep moving forward.✌❤

— Israel Folau (@IzzyFolau) June 27, 2015

Having featured as a star component for the New South Wales franchise en route to their 2014 Super Rugby title win, Folau etched his name out as one of, if not the best full-back in the world.

The news comes just days after the reigning Super Rugby champions were ousted from this year's competition following a 35-17 semi-final defeat to the Highlanders.

Hear what @IzzyFolau had to say after signing a three-year contract with Australian Rugby.https://t.co/PFxJe4SJar

— Wallabies (@wallabies) July 1, 2015

It had been suggested ex-National Rugby League star Folau could swap codes once more in a bid to make Australia's Sevens team for Rio 2016, with ARU chief Bill Pulver offering an ultimatum earlier this year, per Fox Sports.

It read "Olympics or the Wallabies—not both," and Folau has lifted Australian rugby spirits by choosing to stick with the latter until 2018, especially considering the stream of the international talent heading for a 2015 exit.

Among the list of experienced Australia stars moving for pastures new later this year is Will Genia, James Horwill, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Sekope Kepu, Wycliff Palu, Scott Higginbotham, Quade Cooper and more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwLrkmKeDr0

However, it's no longer just the veterans who are opting for more lucrative prospects abroad as potential Wallabies staples join the exodus, too, with the likes of Taqele Naiyaravoro, Nic White and Paul Alo-Emile also departing.

At 26 years of age, Folau is in a crucial stage of his rugby development, and while offers will assuredly have been flooding in to lure his superbly athletic skill set, his renewed loyalty shows not all is lost.

Australia will begin their 2015 Rugby Championship campaign in July hoping to improve upon the performances of the last two tournaments, finishing a distant third to New Zealand and South Africa in 2013 and 2014.

Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph's Jamie Pandaram, Folau recently hinted the relationship he shares with Michael Cheika, his coach for both the Wallabies and Waratahs, may have lent a huge hand in any decision: 

He knows each individual, that’s a strength of his. There was one stage there, about a month ago, I felt mentally drained from playing footy. I was trying to hide it, I didn’t want to show the team or coaching staff that I was feeling that way.

He came up to me, asked me if I was all right, and asked to make sure that I was enjoying footy and to just have a go. Hearing those words from him lifted me a whole lot, because usually he wouldn’t say anything to me. He lets me do my prep and get myself right.

It's barely been six months since Cheika took over at the Australia helm, hardly enough time to truly gauge exactly how the team is improving under his guidance, with only a November series to go by.

But one thing every coach desires is to have all his best players at his disposal; in Folau, he can now rely upon possessing at least one genuinely world-class star for the foreseeable future. The full-back goes on to say of his mentor:

People wouldn’t know that we don’t talk that much, but the connection, the feeling or energy of each other, is the most important thing. I don’t say much, and he doesn’t say too much to me, but just by the body language and mood, he can read it, which is why he came up and told me that.

Here and there Cheik will want to try different things and I’m open to that. For me, if I get told something by Cheik, even something not related to footy, but just to give you positive comments and feedback to raise your spirits, it goes a long way with the guys. You feel confident to go out there and perform to the best of your ability.

It's a time of massive transition in Australia. This summer's exodus has dredged up familiar debates regarding the short-term nature of a rugby career and the options to make money in France or Japan while fit and healthy.

Many of those heading for the exit may understandably be downtrodden on this year's World Cup prospects given the lack of Wallabies success in recent years, but Folau seems one capable of getting up after being batted down:

Player	Moving From	Moving To
Will Genia	Reds	Stade Francais
James Horwill	Reds	Harlequins
Quade Cooper	Reds	Toulon
Sekope Kepu	Waratahs	Bordeaux
Adam Ashley-Cooper	Waratahs	Bordeaux
Wycliff Palu	Waratahs	Toyota Verblitz
Taqele Naiyaravoro	Waratahs	Glasgow Warriors
Scott Higginbotham	Rebels	NEC Green Rockets
Nick Cummins	Western Force	Coca Cola West Red Sparks
Nic White	Brumbies	Montpellier

Him, Cheika and indeed the whole of Australia will hope this summer involves the ex-NRL maestro doing most of the batting, rather than vice-versa, and it comes at a crucial juncture for the team as a whole.

An established batch of Australian stars may be jumping ship, but a new wave of up-and-coming talent may see Folau as an example to follow in the hopes that they can emerge a new generation of Wallabies stardom.

Australian rugby took on a drastic change in April after the ARU announced its plans to ease its policy on selecting overseas players, a transition which stands to benefit a very elite sample of Wallabies.

With England hosting the Rugby World Cup later this year, the Australian Rugby Union confirmed it would "allow an elite group" of foreign-based players to once again pull on the green and gold.

The new rules are still rather specific, with a player allowed to represent "if they have played more than 60 Tests for Australia and have held a professional contract with Australian Rugby for at least seven years."

Their involvement at the World Cup is still far from assured, but we've picked the standout candidates who could be in line for a recall to the squad in time for the global tournament.

Drew Mitchell

Thankfully for Drew Mitchell, he accumulated 63 Australia caps across an eight-year spell before departing for Toulon in 2013, meaning he just about qualifies for an international return under the new rules.

It's great news for Michael Cheika, too, as the Wallabies coach gets to examine the prospect of recalling a back-three utility arguably playing his best-ever rugby, as was shown in this season's Champions Cup triumph.

Having scored 30 tries for the national team before taking his leave of Australia two years ago, Mitchell possesses a Wallaby scoring ratio of just under one try every other game on average—nothing to shrug at.

What's more, one might even suggest the 31-year-old has taken his game up a notch since moving to the Top 14 and his barnstorming score from deep against Clermont in this season's European final was nothing short of sublime:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hySSWuP5J0A

It's dazzling moments of magic under intense pressure such as this that Cheika will surely analyse and look upon as something he needs, especially with the threats of Wales and England looming in Pool A.

OptaJonny points out just what a prolific figure the winger-cum-full-back is when it comes to beating his opponents with ball in hand, just shy of being the Top 14 leader in that regard:

2 - @RCTofficiel's Drew Mitchell ranks 2nd for defenders beaten in the T14 and Champions Cup combined. Wallaby? https://t.co/e2Pvxi7G40

— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) May 8, 2015

The wide areas were something of an issue for Australia last summer and during their November series, where Nick Cummins' absence left Cheika waiting on Henry Speight to qualify for national selection.

What's more, cover for Israel Folau at the back certainly wouldn't go astray, with Mitchell even possibly bringing the Waratahs talisman competition for the starting berth.

George Smith

Experience is something that never goes astray at a major tournament and with 111 Australia caps to his name, they don't come much wiser than breakdown specialist George Smith.

Smith, an ex-Toulon man himself, is currently plying his trade with Lyon after leaving Japanese outfit Suntory Sungoliath last year. Former Wallabies assistant coach Tim Lane has vocalised admiration for the back rower, per the Daily Telegraph's Jon Geddes (via Fox Sports):

George has been judged one of the best players week in-week out by the French rugby magazine Midi Olympique. The Top 14 is a good standard of rugby and George is physically as good as he has ever been. At the breakdown he wins two, three, four penalties a game and his turnover rate is also as good as ever.

Had he been playing Super 15 and Test rugby in that period it probably have would have been a different story for him. He played the majority of the time at No.8 for us just because of his skill level with the ball at the back of the scrum. 

You can play a lot off the back of the scrum with him. With his experience, with his workrate in defence and in attack he is still up to it. And if they were to look at him he wouldn’t let them down, he would kill it.

Falling short of expectations isn't really a process that runs through the mind of a professional like Smith, who would be coming back into the Wallabies team for a third time after a recall in 2013.

The fact selectors saw the veteran as fit for a return against the British and Irish Lions that year showed what an evergreen talent he was, and at 34 years of age—he'll be 35 before the World Cup—Smith is still fit as a fiddle.

Captain Michael Hooper isn't a replaceable figure right now and Smith may not be an outright case to start, but if ever a down and dogged fighter was needed to help seal a lead, there'd be few as reliable as he.

Smith even earned his way into the most recent Barbarians squad to take on Ireland and England later this year, showing just how strong the faith remains that he is still up to an elite challenge:

Legend from land down under with cupboard full of caps & decades of breakdown mischief @QantasWallabies George Smith #rugby #rugbyunited

— Barbarian FC (@Barbarian_FC) May 13, 2015

Able to play across the back row and to a high standard at that, the Wallabies centurion could yet make for a sensational story if his Top 14 form earns him another run-out in national colours.

Matt Giteau

Possibly the most obvious case in point to make his way into Cheika's setup, Matt Giteau has arguably been the most critical driving force behind Toulon's success in recent years.

But despite winning three successive European titles with the French giants, he still casts an admirably humble figure, telling Fox Sports (via Telegraph's Nick Mulvenney) he's uncertain as to whether he can make the grade:

It is different – there is no question it is different. The game over here is a bit slower to Super Rugby. As far as Test rugby, it’s really, really hard for me to say. The last time I played was in 2011. If am chosen, if I am selected, I would love to be a part of it but I haven’t played at that level, so I don’t know if I am up for it. That’s probably the biggest question.

I would certainly love to test myself and give myself every chance to have a go at it. But there are certainly no promises there. If you’re not up for it, you’re not up for it.

People may look upon retired Jonny Wilkinson or any of Toulon's Southern Hemisphere stars as most critical to their cause in past seasons, but the terrifically versatile Giteau has always been there in a pinch.

After again playing a lead role in the club's Champions Cup victory earlier this year, Giteau called it the "best feeling" of his career, showing he's sampling every bit of his time in Europe:

"The best feeling of my career..." @giteau_rugby gives his verdict on a historic third European title #ChampionsCuphttps://t.co/DQX4ZNg4QF

— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) May 3, 2015

Following a staggered experiment with Quade Cooper and with neither Bernard Foley nor Matt Toomua standing out as elite choices at fly-half, the 32-year-old could yet be the answer Cheika needs in that position.

It merely helps the Australia coach that Giteau is so capable at inside centre and could assuredly be counted on to do a job elsewhere if need be, the perfect sort of asset to boast at a Rugby World Cup.

The USA has attracted yet another super power of world rugby to their shores, having been scheduled to play Australia in Chicago, as reported on the Australia Rugby Union's official website. Set to be played on September 5 at Soldier Field, the match will act as a final hit out for both teams ahead of the Rugby World Cup in England, starting on September 18.

It is a huge coup for rugby union in the USA, having now attracted two top-tier nations in as many years. Their match against New Zealand's All Blacks at the end of last year was deemed a huge success, despite suffering a heavy loss. The game, also played at Soldier Field, saw the 61,500-seat stadium sell out, while being watched by more than one million people across the country on television.

Most importantly it acted as a brilliant advertisement for the sport in a market which has been largely untapped in the past. In general, it seemed a hugely positive experiment.

The question now is: Can it work again? 

Sure it is great for USA rugby to be attracting opponents of this calibre. But the fact remains that the standard of their game has not yet caught up. Is it really going to be good for the game to have the American public seeing their team take on two teams who are multiple levels above them in consecutive years?

The USA is a nation used to being on the other side of the ledger and it may be hard for them to take to a sport in which their team is so far behind the world's top teams.

It is not that they are not capable in the long term. They have the basics and are fine competing against teams of their own level.

But they struggle with the pace the top teams play at, as most minnow teams do. It was evident last year, particularly on defence, as the All Blacks got the ball into space so quickly, the USA did not adjust fast enough and ended up getting hopelessly lost in their positioning down the wider channels.

That is the difference between the top teams and the rest. They all tend to have the basic skills, but being able to execute them under pressure and with less space and time available is where their true abilities are shown. When matched with a team at a higher level, the minnows can find that they just are not capable of executing and making decisions quickly enough.

To reach that level would require a more gradual progression. In terms of advancing their game, the USA and other minnow teams would perhaps be better off touring countries such as New Zealand and Australia and play provincial and Super Rugby teams. That way they are playing teams more at their level and at a level above them, but not too far above them. 

From there they could adapt to a faster-paced game, which would then help them compete with the top teams.

Of course that would not help so much in terms of spreading the game's popularity, which would help attract more players and better athletes to the sport. But better athletes do not necessary mean better rugby players, much more important is being able to execute in as little time as possible.

From that point of view a mixture would perhaps be better. Have the occasional game against top-tier opposition to boost public interest, but focus on regularly playing teams that are closer to your own level.

They are doing this, to an extent. But the Pacific Island teams, who they play regularly, have a well-known style which is somewhat limited. It is not a bad thing to continue to play them, but it would be helpful to mix it up by touring various countries, as the top provincial and Super Rugby teams around the world would offer better and more varied opposition.

Their match against English club Harlequins, scheduled to take place in Philadelphia later in the year, is a great initiative along those exact lines. If they can lure teams to their shores like this, then that is even better.

But their game against Australia will act as another promotion for the game of rugby union and it should be a fun game for the public to get involved in. The Australians have struggled in recent times and are not at the same level as the All Blacks, despite being one of the few teams capable of beating them. Despite this, it is still hard to see the result as being anything other than a comfortable win for the men in gold.

Ahead of the World Cup it will offer great preparation for the American team too.

The only danger is that these sorts of games start doing more damage than good, as the American public comes to realise that while their team has potential, they just are not there with the world's best.