With less than 100 days until the British & Irish Lions touchdown in Australia, the anticipation is building for the once-in-12-year event Down Under.
Certainly the quality of Super Rugby Pacific this season is helping to revive interest in rugby in Australia, while also serving as a valuable selection guide for Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt -- players are performing like they know Test spots are on offer.
As well as the three Tests, four games against Australia's Super Rugby franchises, and a combined Indigenous-Pasifika outfit, this Lions series will also involve a rare combined Australia and New Zealand Invitational team that will face the tourists in Adelaide on July 12.
Former All Blacks coach Ian Foster was last week unveiled as a member of the coaching staff, the World Cup runner-up revealing he had already fielded some enquiries from interested players.
So how could a matchday 23 look? Rugby Australia has indicated it will be doing everything it can to help the Wallabies win the Tests with the Lions, which means those players on the fringes of Test selection will likely be prioritised for the Invitational fixture.
But you also want some Kiwi star quality -- at least what's on offer in Japan -- and what about some former Wallabies who deserve a farewell?
We've taken a pop at a matchday 23 below!
[A couple of things to remember, first; current All Blacks and even fringe players won't be available because of New Zealand's own series against France, while the Brumbies play the Lions on the Wednesday before this game in Adelaide.]
No. 15: Jock Campbell
The Reds fullback is currently sidelined by an arm injury, but he should be back for at least the back half of the Super Rugby Pacific season. A Wallabies player under Dave Rennie a few seasons back, Campbell has drifted down the outside pecking order in recent years, but he remains a classy option at the back who is dangerous on the counter. Elsewhere, if RA is looking to bring Tom Banks home from Japan, this game might be a decent starting point, while Mac Grealy has impressed in his move west to the Force.
No. 14: Tim Ryan
The breakout Australian star of Super Rugby Pacific 2024, Ryan has had a steadier start to 2025. He did however look sharp in the Reds' win over the Highlanders last weekend, and he will be eyeing off another strong showing against Wallabies hopefuls Potter and Pietsch when the Force hit Brisbane on Saturday night. Ryan will likely get a crack at the Lions with the Reds in Brisbane 10 days earlier, but he may be worth another shot here as, at just 21, he is definitely a Wallabies' hope of the future. Brumbies Corey Toole and Andy Muirhead could also be wing options, but they will likely face the tourists only three days earlier, so backing up for this game may be too much of an ask.
No. 13: Joey Manu
The latest NRL player to try his hand at rugby, Manu has been getting better with every game he has played for Toyota Verblitz, where he is coached by Ian Foster. A powerful ball-carrier who played fullback, in the centres and even five-eighth in a distinguished career with Sydney Roosters, Manu has found his feet at outside centre in Japan and would form a powerful AU/NZ midfield with the veteran midfielder below.
No. 12: Samu Kerevi
At his best, Kerevi was one of the premier inside centres in the game. But his recent Wallabies performances have been below par, headlined by the red card he received against Wales last year. Still, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt isn't flush with options at No. 12, which may make this the perfect opportunity to give Kerevi a run against world-class opposition. If Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii are Schmidt's preferred midfield pairing, and Hunter Paisami providing cover beyond that, Kerevi may yet have a role to play against the Lions should injury strike the Wallabies backline stocks.
No. 11: Dylan Piestch
The former sevens star has made a fine start to his time at Western Force, despite injury again rearing its head. Pietsch could yet be in the Wallabies squad, but with Max Jorgensen, Harry Potter and Filipo Daugunu all making superb starts to 2025, and Andrew Kellaway and Tom Wright almost guaranteed Wallabies starters, Pietsch may be the man to miss out. If that is the case, then this fixture would be the perfect tune-up for a start against the Lions should he be required later in the three-Test series.
No. 10: Richie Mo'unga
As long as he gets the green light from Toshiba, Mo'unga will be the first Kiwi Foster taps for this squad. And now that the All Blacks selection debate has been squared away -- Scott Robertson is resigned to the fact Mo'unga can't play Test rugby while in Japan -- this may be Mo'unga's only shot to face the Lions, given he will be 35 by the time they visit New Zealand in 2029. Mo'unga would also give this bilateral team some genuine superstar power; pairing him with his former All Blacks halves partner below would also help with backline cohesion.
No.9: Aaron Smith
The World-Cup winning scrum half will be a walk-up selection for this side, providing he can get the requisite clearance. Smith is widely considered one of the best halfbacks to have ever played the game, and his combination with Mo'unga at international level has always been sublime. While he may have lost a step of pace, the accuracy of his pass, underrated running game and all-round experience would be invaluable for a side that will be brought together on limited preparation.
No. 8: Langi Gleeson
'Uninvited' to the Wallabies camp at the start of the year after he indicated his future beyond this season lay offshore, Gleeson has since been in irresistible form for the Waratahs in Super Rugby Pacific. It may be that Schmidt still rewards players who are committed to Australian rugby, despite the coach's own looming departure, meaning Gleeson could be overlooked for the Wallabies 36-man squad. If that is the case, he should be a guaranteed starter in this team; there is also speculation that Gleeson's deal with Montpellier is not yet signed, sealed and delivered, certainly Waratahs teammate Charlie Gamble indicated NSW players were trying to "change his mind" when talking to Stan Sport after last week's win over the Brumbies. Nick Champion de Crespigny could be an option if Gleeson does work his way back into Schmidt's good graces.
Super Rugby Pacific boss Jack Mesley tells the ESPN Scrum Reset team that he is keen to bring back "Super Round" -- possibly staging the event in Fiji.
No. 7: Michael Hooper
There have long been calls to get Hooper back into a gold jersey one last time after he was unceremoniously given the boot by Eddie Jones ahead of the 2023 World Cup, and this clash presents the perfect opportunity to farewell one of Australia's greats in style. It helps, too, that Hooper answered an injury SOS from Foster and is now well into a playing return with Toyota in Japan. Foster quipped his star signing was "going pretty good" too, so you should expect the alltime Wallabies great will be in Adelaide. Why not making him skipper, too?
No. 6: Shannon Frizell
The former Highlanders and All Blacks back-rower is another Kiwi plying his trade in Japan. Frizell is a hard-running, hard-hitting blindside who started in the No. 6 jersey in the 2023 Rugby World Cup final. The 31-year-old is in his second season with League One club Toshiba Brave Lupus -- where he plays alongside Mo'unga -- who currently sit atop the ladder. Frizell would add a physical, aggressive edge to the Invitational lineup, though he can get himself into sin-bin trouble, an ugly cleanout on Hooper his latest misadventure.
No. 5: Ryan Smith
A standout for the Reds so far this season, Smith is on the fringes of a Wallabies call-up. A workmanlike lock in the traditional mold, Smith's set-piece work is strong and he is also increasingly becoming a ball-carrying option. Smith's Reds teammates Josh Canham and Angus Blyth would also be good options here, pending which direction Schmidt decides to go with for his Wallabies locks -- and whether Will Skelton is among them.
No. 4: Brodie Retallick
One of the best All Blacks locks of all time, Foster will surely have Retallick high up on his list of Kiwi recruits. Retallick did it all in an incredible 109-Test career, and pretty much became the prototype for the modern day second-rower. At 33, he is still playing quality rugby in Japan with Kobe and may see this game as a rare opportunity to face some of the world's best players once more.
No. 3: Massimo de Lutiis
The shock inclusion in Joe Schmidt's January Wallabies camp, there are huge raps on de Lutiis in Queensland. The 21-year-old has had a taste of Super Rugby Pacific this year, impressing with his scrummaging and ball-carrying ability. The fact he was invited to the national camp is evidence enough he has already caught the eye of senior Wallabies officials; this game could be the perfect introduction to international rugby for him.
No. 2: Nic Dolly
The one-Test England hooker has wasted little time settling into life in Perth, adding excellent depth to a Force hooking contingent that also includes Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Tom Horton. The Sydney-raised Dolly played his only international under Eddie Jones in 2021, which makes him available immediately for the Wallabies this season. With the likes of Matt Faessler, Dave Porecki and Paenga-Amosa likely blocking his path to a Test call-up early in 2025, Dolly is another player for whom this clash could prove the perfect stepping stone to international rugby.
No. 1: Alex Hodgman
Given he became the fourth man to represent both the Wallabies and All Blacks when handed a start against Georgia last year, Hodgman is almost the perfect player for this combined Australia-New Zealand concept. He has however slipped down Schmidt's Wallabies loosehead pecking order, though his scrumming ability was on show for all to see after he came off the bench and helped power the Reds to victory over the Highlanders last weekend. At 31, he may have a few years of international rugby in him yet.
Bench: Lachlan Lonergan, Isaac Kailea, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain, Sam Cane, Ryan Lonergan, Tane Edmed, Darby Lancaster