He's overcome a life-threatening heart condition to earn a rugby recall and ACT Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham believes back-rower Ita Vaea has the potential to become a "Wallabies great".
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Vaea's return to Super Rugby went to a new level in the Brumbies' 27-15 win against the Western Force at Canberra Stadium on Friday night as he showcased his trademark aggression in his first 80-minute performance in three years.
The 26-year-old Tongan powerhouse had blood clots on his heart in 2012 and his career appeared over after stacking on 30 kilograms when doctors ordered him to avoid all physical activity.
World Cup winner Larkham is confident the powerhouse No.8 can be the physical back-rower Australian rugby has been lacking.
"[Vaea] came to us very overweight and he's battled to get it down. He still gets up and pushes through and he's get the right mentality to be a Wallabies great," Larkham said.
"But at this stage for Ita, it's baby steps. It's getting back into Super Rugby this year like he has and putting consistent performances together before anyone thinks about that next level.
"[Vaea] had a fantastic performance [against the Force], he's getting his fitness to where it needs to be and it was his best game so far.
"He was very dominant with his ball carry and good with his defence. He's one of those guys who can push himself even when he's fatigued."
Vaea's return has been remarkable after doctors told him he could have had a stroke or died during a game had scans not discovered the blood clots at pre-season training three years ago.
With Fotu Auelua out injured for the start of this season, Vaea received a call to rejoin the Brumbies on a temporary contract and he's played all four games.
He will get a chance to impress Wallabies coach Michael Cheika over the next two weeks as the Brumbies battles the Queensland Reds in Brisbane before a clash against childhood idol Wycliff Palu and the NSW Waratahs.
Vaea was likened to former Wallabies No. 8 Toutai Kefu before his heart condition ruled him out of rugby and Brumbies skipper Stephen Moore has backed the 119kg battering ram to burst into Test contention.
"Ita has been fantastic to have around the group. He's got a way to go physically but one thing about Ita is that he really pushes himself on the field," Moore said.
"We're lucky to have him and hopefully he'll be at [the Brumbies] for a long time ... Michael Cheika has made it clear that anyone playing well in Super Rugby is eligible [for the Wallabies].
"Anyone can put their hand up, Ita is certainly doing that. When you talk about big ball-carrying back-rowers, that's something we've lacked in Australian rugby and it's good to see some options."
Vaea would battle against Ben McCalman, Palu, Jack Schatz and Brumbies teammate Auelua for a spot at the World Cup.
He turned down an offer from French rugby last year to have one more crack at Super Rugby and the decision is paying dividends.
"Just for Ita [his comeback] is fantastic. He had serious health issues that were more important than football," said Force coach Michael Foley.
"The fact he's overcome that and played well, you can only be pleased for him."
