Australia Name Four Newcomers in Experienced ANZAC Test Team

Australia are set to debut four players at test level ahead of their ANZAC Test clash with New Zealand on Friday night, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald. The wing combination of Josh Dugan and Alex Johnston will wear the green jersey for the first time, while the in-form Will Chambers will be inside them in the centres. Trent Merrin, too, makes his debut off the interchange bench.

The starting trio on debut all bring plenty of flair and pose attacking threats. Johnston is fast and reasonably agile, as is Chambers, who is also adept at running into holes.

Dugan on the other hand brings more of the big, fast and strong-type game. He was dogged with issues earlier in his career but has been one of the most dangerous players in the game playing at either fullback or centre for the Dragons in the NRL. Despite having not played on the wing before, he has the skill-set to be dangerous there. In any case, it is not uncommon for Australia to use fullbacks on the wing.

Aside from that, it is a fairly experienced and predictable team that will line up to avenge their Four Nations loss to the Kiwis at the end of last year. While there are a handful of newcomers, the key positions are all held by players with a wealth of experience.

Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk form a deadly halves pairing, equally capable of controlling a game as they are of tearing it to pieces. Both have good kicking games but are among the best play-makers going around, meaning the newcomers will merely have to fit in with these two geniuses.

Alongside them you have the tough and ever-reliable Cameron Smith captaining the team from hooker, while Billy Slater has been named despite having not played in recent weeks due to injury. 

In that you have one of the best spines to ever play the game. They control the flow, providing the spark and the composure for the men outside.

Their forward pack, which lays the platform for these men to do their work, remains fairly solid too. Aside from Sharks lock Paul Gallen, it is a pack which includes all the usual suspects. Greg Bird and Sam Thaiday form an experienced and hard-working second-row, while Corey Parker backs them up at lock. 

Thaiday's form was in question earlier in the year, but it comes as no surprise to see coach Tim Sheens go with the tried and true, particularly after last year's end-of-season loss, in which many of the team's most experienced players were unavailable. Bird was caught up in the highly controversial Gold Coast Titans drug scandal but has been solid since returning, while Parker has been one of the best in the table topping Brisbane Broncos team.

The reliable and consistent Matt Scott takes one prop position, while Aaron Woods fills the other. Woods, a strong-running youngster, has catapulted himself to become one of the game's best in recent years and has been in a rich vein of form in 2015. 

It is a strong pack, made even stronger by the decision to name four forwards on the interchange bench. Along with Merrin, you have the big-game player Nate Myles, as well as the strong and versatile Luke Lewis to be injected. All are good options. Perhaps the only questionable selection would be James Tamou, who is an athletic prop capable of making surging runs but who has struggled for form thus far this year.

They will lay the foundation for the likes of Thurston and Cronk to create for the men out wide. Greg Inglis, perhaps the form fullback in the NRL, pairs with Chambers in the centres, although Inglis may yet end up in the No. 1 jersey if Slater is declared unfit to take the field, with the speedy Michael Jennings providing cover at centre.

Either way, you have an attacking threat at fullback. There is no doubt that Inglis is more dangerous with the space he gets at fullback, but it is hard to drop Slater, possibly the best all-round fullback to ever play the game. Not only a strong attacking player, his positional play is of the top drawer and his ability under the high ball is, for the most part, very good. The most ideal situation, from an Australian perspective, would be to have both on the field.

On the outsides Johnston and Dugan will be under plenty of scrutiny; the key for them will be to try to not do too much and focus on doing the basics, while taking the chances they get.

Manly No. 7 Daly Cherry-Evans has been named as the team's 18th man, while Raiders forward Josh Papalii has been named in an extended squad, as well as Jennings.

There is no doubt it is a strong team and they should enter the game as favourites. Australia has not lost the ANZAC Test since 1998, but New Zealand looks to have the most talented pool of players they have had to choose from in many years. They will have to be at their best to win this year, but they are a group that has done it time and time again, making them still the top team in world rugby league.