In the coming weeks, Joe Schmidt will select 34 players to join him in London for the Wallabies’ grand slam tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland.

He will also select another 30 to play for the Australian XV against Bristol and England A.

While it seems like a cast of thousands is flying to London, the 64 names will quickly be filled out by Schmidt.

The debate is bound to be fierce alongside his assistants Mike Cron, Laurie Fisher, Geoff Parling and Eoin Toolan, who each have a voice at the selection table, especially after a 1-5 win-loss record throughout The Rugby Championship.

“As a group of coaches, we’re pretty hard on ourselves,” Schmidt reflected following the Wallabies latest 33-13 loss to the All Blacks in Wellington last weekend.

“Are we managing to get what we need from the group, and have we got the right group?

“There’s a number of things we’ll reflect on but there are a number of positives over the last four weeks and, even, the last two weeks against the All Blacks.”

With the three-Test series against the British and Irish Lions first-up on the international calendar for the Wallabies, anyone who’s hoping to feature in the showpiece event wants to be on the plane to London.

As Schmidt said: “Those four Test matches, they make up the Lions for next year, so we get a good look at their personnel. It’s going to be a really tough tour but if we keep building we put ourselves in a position of potentially being competitive next July.”

But weighing up who is included in what touring party, and whether someone would benefit from a proper pre-season, are considerations for one of the game’s most experienced international coaches.

Another is whether a player would benefit from being named in the Australian XV and later join the Wallabies squad after the two tour matches. Schmidt, it’s believed, will call up another two players for the second half of the Wallabies tour once the Australian XV duties are wrapped up.

Joseph Suaalii – the country’s soon-to-be most expensive player – is one such figure who could perhaps benefit from making his return to the XV-man game from rugby league via the Australian XV.

While the Wallabies squad likely won’t change much from the one that featured throughout the Bledisloe Cup series, a couple of tweaks could occur.

The first is whether Schmidt calls up anyone from overseas, with French-based Will Skelton – the man Eddie Jones chose to lead the Wallabies at last year’s World Cup, before breaking down after the first-up win – and Japan-based centre Samu Kerevi the two most likely men to be asked to join.

Schmidt discussed calling up both experienced campaigners throughout The Rugby Championship.

If he believes they are needed for next year’s Lions series, November’s four Tests loom as significant markers to get to know the world class options.

The other compelling reason for Schmidt to want Kerevi is Hunter Paisami – the man who has worn the No.12 jersey throughout 2024 when fit – is expecting his second 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 during the grand slam tour. It’s awkward timing given London isn’t exactly a stone’s throw away.

Schmidt must also weigh up how many players he can carry who have recently returned from injury, with match form and fitness crucial heading into four important Tests.

It means the New Zealander, who helped lead the All Blacks to the World Cup final last year after a decorated tenure with Ireland, must determine whether he can pick Dave Porecki, Blake Schoupp, Lachlan Lonergan, Liam Wright, Rob Leota and Filipo Duagunu in his Wallabies squad, or at least some of them.

The other question is what to do at fly-half, with Noah Lolesio wearing the No.10 jersey in seven of the nine Tests to date this year.

Although Lolesio has been solid enough, he’s not necessarily kicked on how many hoped. But nor does he have Tom Lynagh and Ben Donaldson, who have been selected in every squad to date under Schmidt, breathing down Lolesio’s neck either.

Indeed, neither have been given many minutes under Schmidt, especially throughout the Bledisloe series where Lynagh didn’t get on in Sydney and Donaldson was only used late in the piece in Wellington.

Given Schmidt’s reluctance to use either playmaker, should he look at Tane Edmed?

Having played for Australia A previously too, there doesn’t seem like much point rolling him out in the emerging squad either.

After all, Edmed is match fit and the National Provincial Championship’s highest points scorer after a strong campaign to date for North Harbour.

If anyone needs big minutes, it’s Donaldson and Lynagh.

The hooker position is one that’s developed overnight. That’s in large part because Brandon Paenga-Amosa is up and running in the gold jersey, one-Test Australian-𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧-and-raised England international Nic Dolly recently put on the Force jersey for the first time, and last year’s most-capped Wallabies captain Dave Porecki is nearing return after a terribly frustrating nine months with an Achilles issue. As is Lachie Lonergan, the crafty Brumbies rake. If he does, his teammate Billy Pollard, whose running game is obvious but set-piece craft still an area of significant improvement, could be left on the outer.

So what might the two squads look like?

Possible 34-man Wallabies squad:

Forwards: Allan Alaalatoa, Angus Bell, Matt Faessler, Nick Frost, Langi Gleeson, Isaac Kailea, Fraser McReight, Josh Nasser, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Tom Robertson, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, James Slipper, Will Skelton, Carlo Tizzano, Taniela Tupou, Rob Valetini, Jeremy Williams, Harry Wilson

Backs: Ben Donaldson, Josh Flook, Jake Gordon, Len Ikitau, Max Jorgensen, Andrew Kellaway, Samu Kerevi, Noah Lolesio, Tane Edmed, Tate McDermott, Hunter Paisami, Dylan Pietsch, Joseph Suaalii, Hamish Stewart, Nic White, Tom Wright

Possible 30-man Australia XV squad:

Forwards: Dave Porecki, Lachlan Lonergan; Alex Hodgman, Blake Schoupp, Tom Lambert, Zane Nonggorr, Massimo De Lutiis, Rhys van Nek; Josh Canham, Tom Hooper, Ryan Smith, Angus Blyth; Nick Champion de Crespigny, Rob Leota, Liam Wright, Seru Uru, Luke Reimer

Backs: Ryan Lonergan, Teddy Wilson; Tom Lynagh, Lawson Creighton; Lalakai Foketi, Joey Walton, David Feliuai; Filipo Daugunu, Harry Potter, Darby Lancaster, Jock Campbell, Tim Ryan, Corey Toole