The Wallabies are optimistic of fielding a full-strength line-up for their World Cup final against defending champions New Zealand, having escaped their bruising semi-final win over Argentina intact.

Influential pair David Pocock (calf) and Israel Folau (ankle) took injuries into the 29-15 victory at Twickenham on Monday morning (AEDT), but coach Michael Cheika gave encouraging reports about the star duo, as well as injured prop Scott Sio.

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Folau looked out of sorts against Los Pumas and played just 60 minutes before coming off after appearing to be hurt in a tackle, but Cheika insisted that was always going to be the case.

The coach said the initial plan was the same for Pocock, though the tireless back rower completed a full 80-minute shift after injuries to other forwards – including workaholic number six Scott Fardy, who has a painful hip injury but is also ready to back up against the All Blacks.

Cheika was also positive about the progress loosehead prop Sio was making from the elbow injury that kept him out of the semi-final, while even winger Rob Horne, whose shoulder injury suffered in the pool stages nearly forced him on a flight home, is also very much in contention.

Sio’s injury is to his right elbow, which he uses to bind with hooker and captain Stephen Moore, and it is believed he will be able to play through the pain as long as there is enough strength left in the wing to properly bind the scrum.

But the wily coach was cautiously optimistic of being able to call on the young buck Sio.

“We wanted to give him the opportunity to be right, even for last week, we were seeing how he went (and) if he got the movement back in his elbow,” Cheika said.

“He just had a lot of blood in there. There’s no ligament damage or anything.

“He needs it for binding and scrummaging, (and) it’s subsiding pretty quickly now so we’re feeling pretty good about his chances of playing.”

If Sio does not have the strength to bind properly, Cheika would be better off sticking with the experienced James Slipper in the number one jersey.

The Queensland skipper had a difficult game against Argentina and conceded three scrum penalties, but Sio was similarly dominated in the quarter-final against Scotland.

As he has been throughout the tournament, 33-year-old centre Matt Giteau was a sore and sorry figure at training after another gruelling encounter, but is not believed to be in doubt to face the All Blacks in his second World Cup final.

He left Monday’s win shortly after half-time with a groin complaint, having previously battled a rib injury, but the veteran has simply been putting the bumps and bruises down to old age.

– AAP