Rugby: Wallabies may keep key players fresh for All Blacks clash

Will Genia of the Wallabies. Photo / Getty

Michael Cheika may not call on backline trumps Will Genia and Kurtley Beale until Australia's Bledisloe Cup opener in August as he juggles World Cup planning with the more immediate pursuit of major silverware.

While Genia and Beale will both be available for next month's home Tests against Fiji, Scotland and Italy after completing their European seasons, the Wallabies coach says he may keep them fresh for the All Blacks.

"They're both available. It's whether I decide to go there or not," Cheika said after Australia were pitted in Pool D alongside Wales, Georgia and two yet-to- be-determined qualifiers from Oceania and the Americas at the 2019 Rugby World Cup draw in Japan.

"Will will be finishing this Saturday, his last match for Stade Francais, the Challenge Cup final in European Rugby, whereas Beale is probably going to go on for another two or three weeks more with the commitments to (Wasps in) the English Premiership.

"We'll make a decision based on we think those guys finish up the season and how they're feeling and what our plans are for the rest of the year.

"But it's a question of jumping together with the guys and deciding to go with June or we decide to wait until August.

"I don't need to call it now. I'll just wait and see how they pull up at the end of the season."

If Genia doesn't play, Cheika may opt to thrust uncapped NSW Waratahs halfback Jake Gordon into the Test arena during the June Tests, having drafted the 23-year-old into his Wallabies train-on squad last month.

The coach admitted it was a balancing act introducing newcomers to the international fold during a World Cup cycle without compromising results.

"You've got to blood new players. You've got to get them into it. You don't just give that away," Cheika said.

"We've obviously been doing that over the last year, blooding new players, and we'll blood some new players this year - but based on what we've seen of them in Super Rugby and what we think their potential is.

"Some guys might get those opportunities.

"But there's some very important games between now and then. There'll be three opportunities between now and the Bledisloe Cup and there's also the Rugby Championship, important trophies for us.

"The World Cup's important; that will be the pinnacle and we're planning for that, but not to the excuse of not performing on our day to day, which is our pursuit of the Bledisloe and the Rugby Championship."

-AAP