Australia

Profiles of the 2015 Rugby World Cup teams.

Australia will need to start with, and maintain, a high standard of rugby in Pool A  - which also includes England, Wales, Uruguay and Fiji.

There won't be any room for slip-ups, and the two time winners will be well aware of this.

Fans will be hoping Coach Michael Cheika can turn the Wallabies around in the same way he did with the NSW Waratahs, guiding the perennial underachievers to their maiden Super Rugby title last year, playing an attacking brand of rugby.

The Wallabies maligned forward pack has been hard at work under new scrum coach, former Argentinian hooker Mario Ledesma to beef up their set-piece frailty.

Backs

Scrum-halves Will Genia (Stade Francais), Nick Phipps (Waratahs).

Fly-halves Quade Cooper (Toulon), Bernard Foley (Waratahs).

Centres Kurtley Beale (Waratahs), Matt Giteau (Toulon), Tevita Kuridrani (Brumbies), Matt Toomua (Brumbies).

Wings Adam Ashley-Cooper (Bordeaux-Bègles), Rob Horne (Waratahs), Drew Mitchell (Toulon), Henry Speight (Brumbies), Joe Tomane (Brumbies).

Full-back Israel Folau (Waratahs)

Forwards

Props Greg Holmes (Queensland Reds), Sekope Kepu (Bordeaux-Bègles), Scott Sio (Brumbies), James Slipper (Queensland Reds), Toby Smith (Melbourne Rebels).

Hookers Stephen Moore (Brumbies, capt), Tatafu Polota-Nau (Waratahs).

Locks Kane Douglas (Queensland Reds), Dean Mumm (Waratahs), Rob Simmons (Queensland Reds), Will Skelton (Waratahs).

Back-rows Scott Fardy (Brumbies), Michael Hooper (Waratahs), Ben McCalman (Western Force), Sean McMahon (Melbourne Rebels), Wycliff Palu (Waratahs), David Pocock (Brumbies).

Coach

Michael Cheika

-AFP