Sione Taula will be the odd man out when he stands next to 14 Super Rugby players on Sunday, but the Canberra Vikings hardman is on a mission to make sure he doesn't look out of place.
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Prop Taula is the only non-ACT Brumbies player in the Vikings' starting XV for their National Rugby Championship season-opener against Queensland Country at the Gold Coast.
Queensland Country will roll out Wallabies lock Rob Simmons for a Test selection battle against Vikings second-rower Rory Arnold.
But Canberra tradie Taula is ready to step on to the stage and anyone at Vikings headquarters will tell you the front-rower is one of the toughest in the team.
He played through the pain of a broken arm two years ago and was on the job site on Thursday when the Vikings team was named.
He's unfazed by the challenge of playing against Queensland Reds giant Taniela 'Tongan Thor' Tupou and ready to make his mark in the third NRC season.
"I can't wait. I'm very happy to get my chance alongside guys that play for the Brumbies," Taula said.
"We had a few scrums [at training] and a few of the [Brumbies] boys were giving it to me. I love it.
"I've got a job where I finish at 3.30pm so I can get to training. We spend the day at houses fixing things. I'm pretty buggered by the time I get to training but it's worth it."
Vikings coach Wayne Southwell has named young gun playmaker Nick Jooste to take the No. 10 duties for the first time as he steps up to launch his Brumbies career.
Rio Olympic Games sevens reserve Henry Speight has been named on the bench while lock Rory Arnold will make his comeback from a fractured elbow.
Queensland Country, coached by Wallabies great Toutai Kefu, will use nine players from the Reds' Super Rugby squad, with Simmons axed from the Australian team and sent to NRC duties.
Taula made his NRC debut in the competition's inaugural season two years ago, but broke his arm in his first match and played on for 20 minutes to finish the game.
He waited until training the following week to tell team medical staff something was wrong with his arm and he needed a plate and eight screws to hold it together.
Taula, 31, is hoping his third crack at the NRC has better results after considering quitting rugby when he was suspended for last season's Canberra rugby grand final.
"My body is fine and everything like that, I just want to finish what I started," Taula said.
"I'm just happy to be having another crack and I actually feel stronger now so I'm really looking forward to what's going to happen this season."
NATIONAL RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND ONE
Sunday: Queensland Country v Canberra Vikings at Bond University, Gold Coast, 3pm.
Vikings team: 1. Sione Taula, 2. Robbie Abel, 3. Leslie Leuluaialii-Makin, 4. Rory Arnold, 5. Blake Enever, 6. Tom Staniforth, 7. Jarrad Butler, 8. Jordan Smiler, 9. Joe Powell, 10. Nick Jooste, 11. Lausii Taliauli, 12. Jordan Jackson-Hope, 13. Andrew Smit, 14. James Dargaville, 15. Robbie Coleman. Reserves: 16. Connal McInerney, 17. Faalelei Sione, 18. Nick Dobson, 19. OJ Noa, 20. Dean Oakman-Hunt, 21. Brent Hamlin, 22. Isaac Thompson, 23. Henry Speight.
