Bold selection calls as Eddie Jones stuns with Wallabies World Cup squad as Will Skelton skippers the side

Wallabies head coach Eddie Jones has named gargantuan second-row Will Skelton as the captain of Australia for the Rugby World Cup in France.

Skelton has never led the side before but steps into the role as previously named co-captain James Slipper has fallen down the front-row pecking order below Angus Bell, while the second co-captain Michael Hooper misses out on selection in a bold call from Jones.

Tate McDermott is the vice-captain for the 2023 tournament.

Alongside the omission of the Test centurion is veteran Quade Cooper, who also misses out on selection after failing to get up to speed quickly enough after his Achilles injury.

This leaves one specialist fly-half in the squad in Carter Gordon whilst Ben Donaldson also plays at pivot but is listed as a utility player.

Max Jorgensen is one of three uncapped players and at the age of 18, he will become the youngest Wallaby to debut at the tournament. Blake Schoupp and Issak Fines-Leleiwasa are the other players who could debut at the World Cup.

Young side

The average age of the squad is just 26 and the average caps at 20 – the lowest since the 1991 tournament.

Jones backs his young squad and believes the players earned their way into the set-up and deserve to head to France.

“It’s a young squad, it’s an exciting squad and it will be a successful squad,” he said. “We are making good progress. Our challenge is to continue to improve. To get a little bit better every day in everything we do on and off the field. As I’ve said since I took over, in Australian rugby we have the talent, but we don’t yet have the team. That’s still the case. But we are getting there and I’m backing that we will surprise a few people.

“Rugby World Cup is a tournament, and tournament rugby is different to competition rugby. Look at the Women’s Football World Cup. Favourites get beaten. Upsets happen. It’s all part of the challenge. All the teams start from the same place. We all get the same opportunity. The team that improves the most is generally the team that will win it and that’s the task we have set ourselves. We have been improving and we will continue to improve.

“I’ve backed the young blokes because they earned it. Simple as that. I haven’t handed it to them. They grabbed it. It’s exciting for me to go to work each day with these guys who are just busting to improve, to learn and to get better. They want to succeed, and they will succeed and that excitement is rubbing off on everyone. We’re in a good place.

“The experts have written us off. No one believes we can do it, but we believe. The coaches believe, the players believe and that’s all that matters.

“Being part of a team that gets the opportunity to compete at a World Cup is a rare privilege. Look at the fun the Matildas are having and the joy they are creating. Look at the way the country is rallying around them. This is what we want to do. We want to build that same type of excitement. That same kind of expectation and the way we will do it is by everyone in the squad giving their best effort every day. We can’t wait.”

? Michael Hooper & Quade Cooper.
?? Will Skelton.
3? Uncapped players.

? Eddie Jones has made some surprising selections for his Wallabies' #RWC2023 squad.

?? https://t.co/alaxPbneW4 pic.twitter.com/YzUprDlq8r

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) August 10, 2023

Wallabies Rugby World Cup squad

Forwards: Angus Bell, Pone Fa’amausili, Zane Nonggorr, Blake Schoupp, James Slipper, Taniela Tupou, Matt Faessler, David Porecki, Jordan Uelese, Richie Arnold, Nick Frost, Matt Philip, Will Skelton (c), Langi Gleeson, Tom Hooper, Rob Leota, Fraser McReight, Rob Valetini, Josh Kemeny

Backs: Issak Fines-Leleiwasa, Tate McDermott (vc), Nic White, Carter Gordon, Lalakai Foketi, Samu Kerevi, Izaia Perese, Jordan Petaia, Max Jorgensen, Andrew Kellaway, Marika Koroibete, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Suliasi Vunivalu, Ben Donaldson

Warm-up fixture

August 27: France v Australia, Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, 17:45 local (16:45 BST, 15:45 GMT)

Rugby World Cup fixtures

September 9: Australia v Georgia, Stade de France, Paris, 18:00 local (17:00 BST, 16:00 GMT)

September 17: Australia v Fiji, Stade de Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Etienne, 17:45 local (16:45 BST, 15:45 GMT)

September 24: Wales v Australia, OL Stadium, Lyon, 21:00 local (20:00 BST, 19:00 GMT)
October 1: Australia v Portugal, Stade de Geoffroy Guichard, Saint-Etienne, 17:45 local (16:45 BST, 15:45 GMT)

READ MORE: All the 2023 Rugby World Cup squads and team updates