Twelve months after Eddie Jones recalled five players from abroad for The Rugby Championship and World Cup, Joe Schmidt is expected to largely pick from within by selecting at most two players from overseas.

Almost three weeks out from the Wallabies’ opening TRC clash against the Springboks in Brisbane on August 10, The Roar understands Schmidt is strongly considering only calling up winger Marika Koroibete and lock Will Skelton from overseas.

But neither player is considered locked in yet, with Schmidt to weigh up his options over the coming days after winning his opening three Tests in charge.

Other World Cup Wallabies Richie Arnold and Samu Kerevi aren’t expected to be called up while Quade Cooper, who featured in all three TRC clashes last year, isn’t likely to be touched either.

“I think we’re open to bringing guys in,” Schmidt said following the Wallabies’ 40-29 win over Georgia on Saturday.

“But we’ve also been impressed with the guys that we’ve had, and while the performances have ebbed and flowed and we’re frustrated by that, when we’ve flowed we’ve actually looked pretty good, I think, with the players we have.

“So if we can supplement that with a couple of guys who make a difference, that’s great – but at the same time it means leaving someone out who’s contributed really well so far, so it’s just finding the balance there and trying to build from there.”

Insiders have told The Roar that Skelton is a “50-50” chance of joining the Wallabies, while Koroibete is a stronger possibility of linking up with Schmidt’s squad in Brisbane late next week.

Skelton, who was Eddie Jones’ surprise pick as Wallabies captain for last year’s World Cup, is thought to be considering whether he wants to put up his hand for selection after a taxing 24 months.

It comes after Skelton recently re-signed with Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle side in the French Top 14 until mid-2028.

Last week, former Wallaby turned pundit Morgan Turinui said Skelton could be the answer to unlocking the nation’s issues at the maul.

“I’d be bringing Skelton straight back in, off the back of our maul defence,” Turinui said on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts.

“Lots of smarter people than me are saying it’s not so much tactics sometimes around (maul) placement, but you just need some bodies to destroy some of the seams.

“In terms of what you’ve seen in France with his play there, that’s exactly what he does. He’s my first call.”

Former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper described Skelton’s ability to destroy a maul as “devastating”.

Interestingly, however, Hooper added that he would only consider a foreign player to join the Wallabies if they were desperate to compete – and not just on game day.

“You can sense it in players, like are you here for the right reasons? Are you really going to push on a Tuesday training? Because that’s what the Wallabies – and what every good team needs – is you need to be pushing,” Hooper said.

Koroibete’s hopes of a recall could rest on whether Filipo Daugunu is suspended.

The Reds-bound winger was controversially handed an upgraded red card during the Wallabies’ 40-29 win over Georgia in Sydney after making dangerous contact in the air with his opposite outside back Demur Tapladze.

Tapladze was concussed and forced off after collecting Daugunu’s knee after the Wallaby leaped into the air to try and charge down the winger’s kick.

Should he be suspended, Koroibete, the two-time John Eales Medallist who started every Test last year, would be favoured to start against the back-to-back world champions.

Schmidt’s desire to look within isn’t a surprise.

Since signing on as Wallabies coach in mid-January, the New Zealander, who coached Ireland and was Ian Foster’s assistant at the 2023 World Cup, has expressed his strong desire to pick from within.

“I’d be great if we can select almost entirely [from] Australia … rather than chase guys from overseas,” Schmidt said at his opening press conference.

Although there’s debate about whether Schmidt should turn to overseas to try and stiffen up his second-row stocks, one area that is about to be strengthened is in the front-row.

The Roar understands new Force hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa is in Sydney and recently started packing down in scrums against Angus Bell, who is on the comeback trail from another devastating foot injury. But it’s unlikely Bell will be rushed into the Wallabies squad given his frustrating run of misfortune over the past two years.

Fellow hooker Dave Porecki, who led the Wallabies for three of their four World Cup fixtures, is likely to be fit towards the backend of The Rugby Championship.

Waratahs outside back Max Jorgensen was also with the Wallabies last week as the prodigious young talent continued his own comeback.

As first reported last week by The Roar, Liam Wright’s immediate future however is clouded, with the Reds and Rugby Australia considering the best course of action for the flanker after missing the past two Tests.