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Holders of equivalent positions facing anaesthetists (8,7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

opposite numbers

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'holders of equivalent positions' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both related to thinking as well as being plural nouns.
Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?

'facing anaesthetists' is the wordplay.
'facing' becomes 'opposite' (as in two things facing each other).
'anaesthetists' becomes 'numbers' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'opposite'+'numbers'='OPPOSITE NUMBERS'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for opposite numbers that I've seen before include "Workers who correspond" , "They may confront each other across the street" , "Rivals doing the same job" , "Counterparts" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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