ACT Brumbies coach Dan McKellar says the bulk of his players have earned the right to be given a Wallabies opportunity as Australian rugby attention turns to the World Cup.
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The Brumbies were knocked out of the Super Rugby title race on Saturday morning, losing to the Argentina Jaguares in a semi-final clash.
They were the only Australian team to play in the finals this season and went of an end-of-season blitz to emerge as a championship contender.
Brumbies players will return to Canberra this week before joining the Wallabies for fitness training in Sydney to prepare for the international season.
David Pocock is still racing the clock to be fit for the World Cup after a calf injury limited him to just three games for the Brumbies this year.
But how Test coach Michael Cheika juggles several other Brumbies will create plenty of intrigue given their sparkling form.
"I think [Wallabies] selection will happen. Guys have put their hands up, even in our last game. Joe Powell was one of our best and Rory Arnold has fronted up," McKellar said.
"There are a lot of guys who have put in huge efforts this season and you like to see them get rewarded for that."
BRUMBIES NEWS
The Brumbies won eight of their last nine games during the regular season. In comparison over the same period, the NSW Waratahs and Queensland Reds won three of nine games and the Melbourne Rebels won just two matches.
Christian Lealiifano was the best flyhalf in Australia this year, but he hasn't played for the Wallabies since 2016 following a battle with leukaemia.
Tom Banks is pushing for a chance to replace Israel Folau at fullback, Tevita Kuridrani wants to reclaim the No. 13 spot, Sam Carter is hoping for a World Cup lifeline and Joe Powell will compete for scrumhalf selection.
Pete Samu, Henry Speight, Toni Pulu and James Slipper will be hoping for opportunities, while Scott Sio, Rory Arnold, Folau Faingaa and Allan Alaalatoa are Wallabies certainties.
Faingaa is the front-runner to be the Wallabies' first-choice hooker this season after a stellar Brumbies campaign, during which he scored 12 tries.
The Jaguares put him under intense pressure at lineout time in the semi-final, forcing mistakes and miscued throws.
"We just didn't execute the way we needed to, but that's a credit to the Jaguares," McKellar said.
The 24-year-old has just completed his second Super Rugby season and was called into the Wallabies camp last year after just a handful of games for the Brumbies.
"We had a lot of lineouts in that first half against the Jaguares and we weren't as clinical as what we have been," said back-rower Lachlan McCaffrey.
"Folau has been the best throwing hooker in Australia this year. You've just got to give credit to the Jaguares, they kept putting pressure on us and defended our lineout very well."
Former Brumbies scrumhalf Nic White is also back in Australia hoping to get a shot at World Cup selection.