Selection Day: The five burning questions before the Wallabies World Cup squad is named

The wait is nearly over as Eddie Jones prepares to name a 33-player squad for Rugby World Cup 2023.

Jones will officially announce his squad on Thursday, with the group set to come together in the Northern Territory.

It mirrors Jones' 2003 campaign, with the coach hoping they can recapture the magic that saw the team make the World Cup Final despite losing four of their last five matches before the tournament.

With the squad announcement hours away, there is still an element of the unknown about how it will look

Rugby.com.au looks at the five biggest questions heading into the announcement.

1 MICHAEL HOOPER AND THE CAPTAINCY CONUNDRUM

It's the second most talked about calf behind Sam Kerr's.

Wallabies legend Michael Hooper initially thought he'd be back for the Bledisloe Cup, however, finds himself racing the clock to be fit for the World Cup.

Hooper said he was 'desperate' to make the plane when accepting his eighth Matt Burke Cup at the Waratahs end-of-season awards night.

His influence over the inexperienced squad is massive, with the 31-year-old renowned for lifting for the big occasions

It also leaves a major question mark around the leadership. The form of Angus Bell has left co-captain James Slipper to finish the game from the bench whilst Allan Alaalatoa is out for the year after his devastating injury.

Tate McDermott stepped up as captain valiantly last week against the All Blacks, although it's a tall ask of the scrumhalf to accept the added responsibility and pressure that comes with a World Cup after just a single game with the armband at Test level.

2 OTHER INJURY CONCERNS

Hooper is by far the only player heading into the World Cup with a knock or two.

Len Ikitau is the most notable, dealing with a broken scapula. It's a 6-8 week injury, which has the Brumby right on the verge of being fit for the first game.

His centre partner Samu Kerevi could find himself in a similar situation, appearing to break his hand during the loss against the All Blacks last week.

Both are crucial to the Wallabies' chances, with Kerevi starting to find form after returning from a long-term injury whilst Ikitau is the defensive captain of Jones' backline.

Along with this, Jordan Uelese's knee remains a concern after he was a late withdrawal with a knee injury.

3 THE SPLIT OF THE SQUAD

From what we've seen from the squads that have been announced, there's no real true method on how to split the forwards and backs in the 33-player squad.

Here is what teams have opted for so far

• New Zealand: 15 backs/18 forwards (six props)
• South Africa: 14 backs/17 forwards (two hookers)
• Argentina: 15 backs/18 forwards (five props)
• England: 14 backs/17 forwards (three hookers)

What's interesting about this is when you then compare it to Eddie Jones' squad of 35 (including Hooper) for the Bledisloe Cup: 13 backs/20 forwards/two utilities.

Len Ikitau likely comes straight back in for Alaalatoa, leaving a 14/19/2 split, which then could prove a key indicator of which players will drop out as it goes to 33 players.

It then poses the question of whether Jones will value versatility over having players who play out-and-out positions. Ben Donaldson can cover 10, 15 and potentially 12 at a stretch. Even though he hasn't been selected for a Test this year, Jones signalled him out for praise along with Suliasi Vunivalu. But is there room for both?

4. HOW MANY DEBUTANTS?

There are currently three players in the Wallabies squad yet to debut.

Matt Faessler got a sudden call-up against the All Blacks and showed enough to prove he can thrive at Test level. As for the others, it still remains an unknown.

Ryan Lonergan has been a constant in the Wallabies squad, still searching for his chance to shine. With no one able to pull a Matt Giteau and cover nine, it's expected Jones will name three specialist scrum halves.

Blake Schoupp is another yet to get his chance after being in and out of the squad. Schoupp is unique in that he can cover both loosehead and hooker. Does this mean Jones takes only two hookers if he backs the Brumbies 'brick s***house' to make the move if needed?

Dylan Pietsch can provide major value under the 'utility' tag, although the back-row and the back three are two positions that have ample depth and players that can float between positions.

5. BOLTER WATCH

There are a lot of expectations that the squad will largely resemble the one that went to New Zealand.

However, Jones has shown he isn't afraid to make the big calls.

A month ago, Reece Hodge, Pete Samu and Tom Wright were short odds to be selected, however, found themselves out of the squad completely.

They have returned to club Rugby with a point to prove as results continued to allude the Wallabies.

All three have vast experience they can add to the squad if called upon for the hallmark event.