The weekend performances from the Australian sides in action -- the Queensland Reds' narrow defeat to the Sharks included -- cemented the notion that Robbie Deans will have a rich vein of talent to tap when the Wallabies' international season begins in a few months.

But before anyone gets too excited at the prospect of belting the English in two tests in June, it's worth glancing back at the carnage of a bitterly disappointing 2009 test campaign for the Wallabies.

Fact is, the personnel likely to get the nod for national duty this year isn't vastly different to the mob who bored us to death at Murrayfield as Australia crashed 9-8 to a belligerent, brave but basic Scotland and were crushed like autumn leaves 33-9 against the All Blacks in the last Bledisloe Cup clash.

In the last test the Wallabies played, against defensively inept Wales, Deans tweaked the team slightly after the Scotland debacle and the Australians ran in four tries for a 33-12 victory.

Injuries aside, the incumbents from that November 28 test, might feel they have a good shot at being in the lineup when the Wallabies open their test season against Fiji on June 5.

Certainly the second row, the five eighth and centre combinations will likely have a different look and there's much to be said for coach Dean's attempts to uncovered a few unpolished gems during the spring tour, but speculating on the makeup of a possible Wallaby team at this stage of the year, it's hard to see too many of the usual suspects missing out.

The positive for Deans this season has been the brilliant form of several young or relatively inexperienced players. Will Genia, Quade Cooper, James O'Connor, Matt Hodgson and Dean Mumm have been outstanding, while the return from injury of Rob Horne, David Pocock and Richard Brown ensures depth and healthy competition for places.

Bullocking Digby Ioane is awesome, if fit, and Tatafu Polota-Nau is playing out of his skin for the Waratahs.

Scrummaging -- so long the weak aspect of Australian plays -- has been solid for the most part for all the Aussie provinces and the return to ball in hand, running rugby and deft passing, largely by the Reds backline and sporadically by the Waratahs has been nothing less than scintillating on occasion.

At the same time, regulars such as Berrick Barnes, Ryan Cross, Mark Chisholm and Stirling Mortlock probably have failed to live up to their own high standards so far in 2010 while the form of potential match winner Matt Giteau continues to simmer rather than boil. Talented backup halfback Luke Burgess is consistently erratic, James Horwill has been lost to injury and the legendary George Smith has retired from test footy. Kurtley Beale is only now getting a chance to shine at the Waratahs, as are Wallabies tourists Tyrone Smith and Matt Toomua at the Brumbies.

A few of Deans' national squad bolters from last year remain works in progress -- Dave Dennis and Luke Morahan have shown flashes of their potential, while halfback Richard Kingi will head to Melbourne in 2011 to get out of Genia's shadow at the Reds.

Prop Salesi Ma'afu has been a solid performer for the Brumbies and a couple of other of Dean's front row experiments in recent seasons; the Force's Pek Cowan and NSW's Sekope Kepu, have made progress, although Cowan's future must be at loosehead prop rather than hooker.

Most disturbing for the Australian coaching staff will be the sub-standard play of most of the Australian Super 14 sides in a few key areas, likely to be targeted by Martin Johnson's underperforming England outfit.

The leading South African and New Zealand Super sides know they have an edge in the kick-off (receiving and kicking), the rolling maul and crucially, lineouts. The Aussie Super 14 sides also often come off second best in the power game -- the abrasive, close-to-the-ruck hit up to get forward momentum.

For the most part this is a reflection of Australian rugby's core weakness, the second row. The loss of Dan Vickerman to his studies in England and the ever-so-promising Horwill in round two of the Super 14 with a season ending knee injury has severely depleted the Wallabies' stocks of quality locks.

Several of the leading candidates for a spot in the second row are actually converted flankers, Waratahs' workhorse Mumm amongst them. However the New Zealand-born, 26-year-old has taken most every chance presented to him since he led the Wallabies mid week squad last November and deserves a slot.

His locking partner? Certainly Queensland's Adam Byrnes and veteran Van Humphries have been doing the job for the Reds and youngster Rob Simmons looks the goods for the future, but test rugby is another step up, particularly for locks.

Deans' protege, Dave Dennis fitted in as No 4 in the midweek Wallabies squad, but NSW has wisely been playing him on the side of the scrum making space for one of the surprise packets of the year, Kane Douglas.

Douglas stamps his presence on a game in the way you want those big blokes to, with passion and directness. If Deans wants to blood another youngster he might just be the man.

But one of the older warriors in Australian rugby has been making a compelling case for a spot in the test side, ever since Deans provided a wake up call by leaving him out of the Wallabies squad during the Tri-Nations in 2008.

Nathan Sharpe won back his place but an injury curtailed his 2009 season. The 32-year-old's work rate has been questioned in the past, but this season, leading the badly depleted Western Force, he's managed to be a regular standout.

The backrow seems to pick itself, especially if Pocock is fit. Current captain Rocky Elsom (at 6) has been a little less than his usual dominant self in recent weeks, but most of the Brumbies have been running hot and cold this season and he's thoroughly irreplaceable in terms of making something happen on the fringes of a ruck.

Palu too, has his ups and downs, but similarly he provides much of the go forward, even if his one-outs are a little predictable and his ball retention sometimes less than stellar.

Hodgson has been wonderful for the battered Force and, as a Deans favourite would likely edge the Waratahs' warhorse Phil Waugh as backup to Pocock. Other impressive performers who might find favour at the side and back of the scrums include Queenslander Scott Higginbotham and mobile Ben Mowen from NSW.

The front row looks relatively settled, although Polota-Nau's irresistible form probably gets him the nod as the starting hooker ahead of Stephen Moore.

Benn Robinson has maintained his reputation as one of the best looseheads going around, despite a few wobbles this year, and should retain his spot, and there's definitely an argument for an all-NSW front row, with big Al Baxter in career best form. However, the 69 test cap veteran was unceremoniously dumped from the Wallabies squad as he continued (unfairly) to run foul of refs last season, and the hike back into a starting role seems too taxing, particularly with the Brumbies' Ben Alexander in good shape.

In the backs, the big question for the last 12 months is where should Matt Giteau be playing, five eighth or inside centre? Looks like Quade Cooper has solved that puzzle rather emphatically.

It wasn't shaping as the greatest 12 months in the young life of Cooper the day after Peter Hynes' bucks party in December when Cooper was charged with burglary. But the 21 year-old has bounced back to steal the show at the Reds this year.

Genia's beautiful service from halfback has given Cooper the space and time to be wildly inventive while his kicking game has improved markedly too. Nevertheless, if you live by the sword you likely die by the sword: Cooper's brain explosions are the price the Reds pay for his brilliance. The tripping incident against Cheetahs was plain stupid -- more telling, perhaps, was one daft decision he made against the Sharks.

With the Reds charging to a big lead after half time, Cooper, moments after his team had scored its third try to leap to a 21-9 lead, opted to take a cheeky, short drop out from his own quarter line. The aggressive move fell in a heap and minutes later the Sharks scored, initiating a monumental momentum swing and winning comeback.

Having said that, it must be noted Cooper scored one try, provided the last pass in the Reds' other three touchdowns and saved a five pointer with a last ditch tackle.

The issue is whether this terrifying brilliance will translate on the test scene. At this (very early) stage, it appears Deans would have little choice but to hand the No. 10 to Cooper, bumping Giteau to 12.

But an Australian outfit with Cooper as playmaker, must be prepared to fully embrace his occasionally unstructured creativity.

And not a small part of the Reds' effectiveness this season has been Anthony Faingaa's straight, hard running from inside centre off Cooper's pass, providing the direct route to the line should the jinking and jiving Cooper's attempts to mess with the opposition's mind go wrong.

Giteau, on the other hand is as much a facilitator of attack as he is an attacking threat. Crash ball expert, he is not, although he has the capacity to take the ball to the line. Regardless, the enormity of his talent is enough to guarantee his spot.

If Berrick Barnes continues to regain his best form -- and he was terrific against the terrible Cheetahs -- he'd be a worthy bench option as a 10 or a 12 replacement, although the same could be said for precocious James O'Connor or even in form Waratah Daniel Halangahu.

The outside centre slot is currently Ioane's although that was in the absence of the injured Mortlock and Horne when the Wallabies lined up against Wales.

Certainly Mortlock looks like he's been playing injured this season. He appears to have lost a step in pace and has been beaten on the outside a few too many times. He can't be written off, however, and a fully fit Mortlock is still a potential match winner.

Horne's playing time has been limited as he comes back from injury, but he's rarely failed to impress when he's appeared. He seems to be having a tough time, injury wise, however. His hamstring seems to his least appealing physical attribute. The next few weeks will determine whether he's still a potential test player or his time has come.

Ioane has done nothing wrong as an outside centre, but as a winger he has a little more license to pop up all over he place in attack.

Drew Mitchell, Peter Hynes, Lachie Turner and even current fullback Adam Ashley-Cooper (also an outside centre option) will surely be amongst the names Deans and his co-selectors consider for wing spots.

Mitchell has been formidable and at times inspiring for NSW since moving from the Force. He finishes movements effectively but, like Ioane, heads inland occasionally to initiate something special in the midst of those rumbling forwards.

At full back, Ashley-Cooper was a prime offender at times last season in the mindless kicking category, but the massaging of the breakdown rules to help attacking teams has allowed him to do what he should always do and back himself with ball in hand. Along with O'Connor, he's got an unexpected ability to break first-up tackles.

What to do with O'Connor, will be one of Dean's biggest challenges. The youngster has been used at 10, 12 and 15 for the injury-riddled Force this season. The only thing consistent in his season has been his excellent form. He's an attacking threat, a fine defender and kicks with poise and purpose.

Deans showed his hand when he trotted O'Connor out as a fullback in the Tri Nations last year. The teenager was found wanting occasionally with the high ball, but a year is a very long time in a 19 year-old's life and he may just be ready to make the Wallaby 15 jumper his own.

The only other really contentious sport in the squad for some observers, is the backup halfback role. Genia replaced Burgess in the starting role last season and the NSW No. 9 had to be content with cameos off the bench.

Burgess's form has been good for the Waratahs this year, but he still represents a very different proposition as a distributor for a backline than Genia and other leading contenders such as Josh Valentine.

Perhaps perversely, I fancy the contribution Burgess's backup the Waratahs, Josh Holmes, has made off the bench this year. He is solid and reasonably quick at the base, has good pass and can sniff out a try. He'd be my bolter along with second rower Douglas on the bench.

Things can change dramatically over coming weeks, but to start the discussion about the Wallabies of 2010, here's my current team.

15. James O'Connor, 14. Drew Mitchell, 13. Rob Horne, 12. Matt Giteau, 11. Digby Ioane, 10. Quade Cooper, 9. Will Genia, 8. Wycliff Palu, 7. David Pocock, 6. Rocky Elsom (c), 5. Nathan Sharpe, 4. Dean Mumm, 3. Ben Alexander, 2. Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1.Benn Robinson Bench: Stephen Moore, Sekope Kepu, Kane Douglas, Matt Hodgson, Josh Holmes, Adam Ashley-Cooper, Peter Hynes.