Australia's serious dearth of experienced hookers has been revealed by Michael Cheika selecting in his Wallabies squad three youngsters with just two Tests caps between them.
At least by the end of the Test series against Ireland, which is being led to Australia by the most experienced Test rake of them all - Rory Best - Cheika will know whether he will have to send an SOS to Tatafu Polota-Nau to return from England ASAP.
No matter what, it is high time for Australia to discover the next generation of Test hookers, as Polota-Nau's Test days are coming to a close. So here is the ideal opportunity for 21-year-old Rebels' Jordan Uelese, 22-year-old Reds' Brandon Paenga-Amosa and 23-year old Brumbies' Folau Fainga'a to consolidate the spot by making Best look second-best during the three Test series.
Uelese is the only one to experience Test football, but Paenga-Amosa and Fainga'a have shown this season they have the spirit and will to make it. Maybe Fainga'a has of late shown a bit too much edge to his game, which saw him red carded last weekend against the Bulls in Pretoria following a fairly tame headbutt of an opponent.
Still Fainga'a is bound to get a fair deal from Cheika, because he boasts that element of cocky aggression which the Wallabies head coach loves. As Cheika said of Faingaa when the squad was announced: "He's got a good little swagger, I like his attitude."
Overall it was a fairly predictable squad, with few surprises. Jack Maddocks, Curtis Rona and Tom Banks deserve their backs spots, even though I would have preferred the inclusion of Reds No 10/fullback Hamish Stewart.
The black spot in the Australian team is No 10. There is only one candidate - Bernard Foley - and until that changes, the Wallabies are in serious danger of free-falling. More specialist No 10s have to be developed, and here was the chance for Stewart to spend time with the main men.
Joe Powell was also lucky to be chosen for the third scrumhalf spot ahead of Jake Gordon. Gordon has performed considerably better than the sometimes underwhelming Powell this year.
Banks was elevated to squad status after an excellent Brumbies road trip of South Africa, when he showed exceptional speed and will to attack from all parts of the field. When he is good, he looks a fine prospect. But Banks can also be very bad, and when that happens, he can be at the centre of some diabolical moments. Until he becomes more consistent, Banks is an interesting rather than compelling selection.
As for the Test team, while Cheika is bound to go for Israel Folau at fullback, I am far from convinced this is his best position. While the 'Folau is great' bandwagon is overloaded at the moment, numerous opposing coaches have twigged that his positional play at fullback often leaves a lot to be desired.
The Chiefs found him out several times last weekend, in particular during several sweeping attacking moves where Folau in defence was not sighted. He had simply disappeared. The All Blacks have also in numerous Tests been able to expose Folau's indecision through astute kicking.
Ireland coach Joe Schmidt will be right onto this, working on ways to nullify Folau's effectiveness. You can guarantee that Ireland won't make the mistake of other opponents of kicking straight at Folau, but in ways that forces him to turn quickly when under intense pressure. Folau can be slow to react, and Ireland, All Blacks and the rest are ready to pounce.
Forget about what some of Folau's immediate family think and tweet. He is a winger first; fullback second.
I would far prefer Beale at fullback, giving him greater space to roam, and instead play Samu Kerevi at No 12 inside a similarly bullocking runner in Tevita Kuridrani. Kerevi has played well all season for the Reds, while Kuridrani has been effective the past month.
Until a fortnight ago, I would have given Adam Coleman the cattle prod by overlooking him for the first Ireland Test, as his 2018 performances for the Rebels have been substandard. But he has finally got his act together, and will hold onto his lock spot - an important selection especially as he provided much needed pugnacity to the Wallabies pack last season.
It is also crucial that Taniela Tupou is brought into the Test front-row. Tupou is something special; the complete package - boasting bulk, mobility, excellent ball skills, the ability to decimate defenders and an understanding of what is required to make a difference. He is the modern age tighthead prop, and must be encouraged. Sekope Kepu is the ideal alternative when the Tupou battery starts to fade.
Likely Test team: Israel Folau; Reece Hodge, Tevita Kuridrani, Kurtley Beale, Marika Koroibete; Bernard Foley, Will Genia; Caleb Timu, Michael Hooper ©, David Pocock, Adam Coleman, Rory Arnold, Sekope Kepu, Jordan Uelese, Scott Sio. Reserves: Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Taniela Tupou, Allan Alaalatoa, Rob Simmons, Ned Hanigan, Lukhan Tui, Nick Phipps, Dane Haylett-Petty.
My team: Beale; Folau, Kuridrani, Samu Kerevi, Koroibete; Foley, Genia; Timu, Hooper, Pocock, Coleman, Isack Rodda, Tupou, Uelese, Sio. Reserves: Paenga-Amosa, Kepu, Alaalatoa, Arnold, Tui, Phipps, Hodge, Haylett-Petty.