Australia - player profiles

JOHN EALES
(lock)
Eales has been there, done it, got the T-shirt, trackie bottoms andprobably the trainers too i.e: World Cup, Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cupwinning captain.
As a player, his basic job has been to secure the Wallabyline-out for ten years but he is much more than that, an inspirationalskipper whose leadership skills will be vital to his tyro team on a shortbut tough tour.
He can kick important goals too - remember the last-gaspfourth penalty which denied England victory at Twickenham in 1998? Eales'nickname is Nobody because, would you believe, Nobody is perfect andanybody who can thump Sean Fitzpatrick and then tell the referee hedeserved it, gets most people's vote unless you're a Kiwi.

ROD KAFER
(fly half)
If nothing else, Kafer is out of the ordinary in that he has wore his firstWallaby jersey at the grand old age of 28.
But he took his chance by beingthe heart and hands of a Bledisloe Cup victory in slippery Sydney ninemonths ago and as a result became an indispensable member of the squad,often playing in the centre outside Stephen Larkham. Replacing that injuredmagician will take some doing but Kafer's pre-tour form, despite theworries of a sick baby son, has put him ahead of his younger rival EltonFlatley.
He has proved that working hard at the game does bring itsrewards.'Tugboat' is built low to the ground, has adeceptive sliding runand is bruisingly hard to stop. But it is his ' soft' hands which couldmake all the difference to the Wallaby back line

GEORGE SMITH
(open side flanker)
Two years ago, 20-year-old Smith was playing schoolboy rugby. Now, as hesteps into the boots of legendary breakaway David Wilson you can't miss theirrepressible Smith in his dreadlocks. Born of an Australian father andTongan mother, Smith shows great similarities to "little big man" Wilson.
He tackles fearlessly and has the leg strength to stand at the breakdownand rip the ball away without being knocked aside. He's quick around thepark but his good hands set him apart and it was his stand-in service tothe backs during the 64-13 warm-up win in Japan that earned the youngestWallaby the first of what will be many caps in the World Cup Final repriseagainst France.

SAM CORDINGLY
(scrum half)
You can't miss Cordingley in his black headgear, something he has wornsince being knocked senseless by a Springbok opponent while playing forQueensland Res in the Super12.
You can't miss his crisp passing either orhis powerful running off the base of the scrum, his good decision makingand his dogged defence.
All those qualities have got him into the Test sideaahead of perennial No 2 Chris Whitaker and the Wallabies are hoping thatSam can make sure they won't miss the influential but injured GeorgeGregan.