Having been dropped from the Wallabies and Rebels setup, James O’Connor has been plying his trade in the Northern Hemisphere with London Irish. However he has been very vocal with his intent to play in the 2015 World Cup. At this stage the Queensland Reds seem the most likely Australian club to take the troubled but perhaps reformed young star.

 Nobody at Ballymore will confirm the lingering suggestion that O’Connor’s presence next year is a formality but nobody is denying it either, with both coach Richard Graham and Horwill hardly avoiding the issue when quizzed during the week.

 Questions remain about O’Connor’s record off the field but he appears to have been a model citizen during stints in English and French rugby over the past nine months.

 James Horwill, the Reds captain, expressed his faith in the QRU to make the right decision. However he emphasized the fact that “anyone that comes here, no matter who it is, has to come here for the right reasons and fit into our culture. That’s the most important thing we’ve stressed. No matter where they are, a Test player or a young guy, they have to come here because they want to play for Queensland, they want to fit into our way of playing and want to do things our way.

 After a dreadful season the Reds have been clearing their roster of names like Shipperly and Harris creating speculation for big signings. Another name being thrown up is Karmichael Hunt, currently playing footy on the Gold Coast. Having come from League, to AFL, could he have as big an impact as Israel Folau?

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Wallabies coach Ewen Mckenzie will, next week, announce his squad for the 2014 French test series. The former Queensland coach will pick from an Australian conference packed with newfound depth. The question is, will Link pick the “tried and tested” or will he opt to follow his propagated policy of picking on form?

Matt Hodgson is tipped to be one of four Western Force players to be included in the Wallabies’ first squad of the season. Hodgson, Ben McCalman, Nick Cummins, Nathan Charles and Angus Cottrell or Kyle Godwin, depending on how Ewen McKenzie splits the forwards and backs, are all well deserving of selection. There may be more than five, if McKenzie is feeling adventurous. The Force, who only had claim to one regular Wallaby starter last year in Nick “Badge” Cummins, are often perceived to be a team of imports. However, exceptional form this year of the Australians within the team will make selection choices very difficult for McKenzie.

Under Deans’ reign, Matty Hodgson was labelled as too small for a national jersey but the captain of the Western Force is leading the competition for pilfers in 2014. He will certainly challenge the incumbent and 2013 John Eales Medallist Michael Hooper who is also in excellent form and tipped as a future captain.

Incumbents such as James “Big Kev” Horwill and Rob Simmons will also have their positions heavily challenged by the up and coming Luke Jones of the Rebels and of course the workhorse that is Scott Fardy.

It will be interesting to observe the direction in which Link will take the Wallabies as we head near the next World Cup. Will he pick on form or will he stick with the favourites? All will be revealed next week….

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Tuipulotu, at only 21 years, measures in at 1.98m and weighing 120 kilos. It appears that he has leapfrogged Wellington’s Jeremy Thrush in the national pecking order.

Fekitoa, 22, has made the most of his lifeline at the Highlanders having received no love at his home-town Blues. The Aucklander has been a powerful presence in midfield and has shown the ability to beat defenders with both pace and power and has been solid on defence.

The other uncapped players to be included in the group that will be whittled down to 31 to face the English are hookers Liam Coltman (Highlanders) and Nathan Harris (Chiefs) and halfback TJ Perenara, though the Hurricanes No 9 was a regular squad member last year.

Among the more interesting omissions are Chiefs prop Ben Tameifuna – said to be the target of French clubs, as well as the Tongan national team — Hurricanes front-rower Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, Crusaders utility back Tom Taylor and Canes loose forward Brad Shields.

Hansen was limited to a squad of 35 and said there were several players already on the radar who were not attending the camps.

Hookers: Keven Mealamu (Blues), Nathan Harris (Chiefs), Dane Coles (Hurricanes) and Liam Coltman (Highlanders).

Props: Charlie Faumuina and Tony Woodcock (Blues), Ben Franks (Hurricanes) and Wyatt Crockett and Owen Franks (Crusaders).

Locks: Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues), Brodie Retallick (Chiefs), Jeremy Thrush * (Hurricanes) and Dominic Bird and Sam Whitelock (Crusaders).

Loose forwards: Jerome Kaino and Steven Luatua (Blues), Sam Cane and Liam Messam (Chiefs), Victor Vito (Hurricanes) and Richie McCaw, Kieran Read and Luke Whitelock * (Crusaders).

Halfbacks: Tawera Kerr-Barlow (Chiefs), TJ Perenara (Hurricanes) and Aaron Smith (Highlanders).

Five-eighths: Aaron Cruden (Chiefs), Beauden Barrett (Hurricanes) and Colin Slade (Crusaders).

Midfielders: Ma’a Nonu (Blues), Conrad Smith (Hurricanes), Ryan Crotty (Crusaders) and Malakai Fekitoa (Highlanders).

Outside backs: Cory Jane and Julian Savea (Hurricanes), Israel Dagg (Crusaders) and Ben Smith (Highlanders).

* Thrush will attend the Wellington camp only; Luke Whitelock will participate in only the Christchurch camp.

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Spanning well into its third month, this case is a crucial test for the ARU’s new contracting system for players of national interest. It highlights the conflicting priorities of the Super Rugby franchises and the union that bankrolls them. The ARU’s offer is a clear signal to the 24-year-old workhorse forward that, despite his seminal contribution to the Waratahs’ campaign this season, he is still just a bench second-rower in the eyes of Ewen McKenzie, as the Queensland partnership of James Horwill and Rob Simmons is still preferred by the Wallabies coach.

Where it gets tricky is the Waratahs’ strategic importance to the ARU. Bill Pulver contends that the success of the ARU as a business relies heavily on the performance of the NSW franchise. After the departure of Rebels lock Hugh Pyle to France trimming local talent even further, Cheika will likely start looking offshore for Douglas’ replacement if he does indeed head to the Aviva.

How can Pulver balance the constraints of the ARU’s financial situation with the need to keep Australia’s most valuable players in the country? A difficult task, and one that needs to be addressed soon.

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