The ACT Brumbies are confident George Smith is ready for an increased Super Rugby workload as the club prepares to fill the void left by David Pocock.
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Pocock will have a knee reconstruction after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in the team's dominant win over the NSW Waratahs at the weekend.
But in perfect timing for an injury crisis, Brumbies and Wallabies legend Smith is poised to reclaim the No.7 jersey he owned for a dominant decade in Canberra.
Smith has signed a short-term deal to return to Super Rugby after retiring from Australian rugby in 2010.
His stint is due to expire on May 31, which would rule him out of a potential finals campaign as he returns to his duties with Suntory in Japan.
Colby Faingaa is the other openside flanker on the Brumbies' roster and if Smith departs early, the young gun will shoulder the workload.
Smith played 67 minutes against the Waratahs - his first Super Rugby match in two years.
It was much longer than the 32-year-old expected to be on the field.
But his performance showed he's still got the skill that made him the Wallabies first-choice flanker for a decade.
And when asked if Smith was ready for more action in Pocock's absence, Brumbies coach Jake White was unequivocal.
''That's a dumb question. He played 70 minutes against the Waratahs and if that's the standard he plays after being out of Super Rugby for so long, he's proved in one game that he's got it,'' White said.
''He comes back after two years out of Super Rugby and look what he did - he made big turnovers, big tackles and big plays.
''He had one week training with the Brumbies and that's how he went, so it's great to have him.''
Pocock also backed Smith to have a massive impact on the competition.
''You wouldn't have known he'd been overseas for two years, I thought he totally dominated the last 69 minutes against the Waratahs. He was superb,'' Pocock said.
White will take a 26-man squad to South Africa on Monday morning for games against the Durban Sharks and Cape Town Stormers.
It's the start of a four-week period of matches against South African teams.
All the players from the win against the Waratahs will travel - with the exception of Pocock - while Faingaa, Ruaidhri Murphy, Etienne Oosthuizen, Tevita Kuridrani and Zack Holmes will also tour.
Wallabies centre Pat McCabe has had scans on his injured hamstring. He will not travel with the squad, but could return to Super Rugby against the Pretoria Bulls at Canberra Stadium on March 30.
The Brumbies were outstanding against the Waratahs in what White described as the best all-round performance of his tenure.
They scored a four-try bonus point and are undefeated after the first three rounds.
They have also conceded minimal points in three games, including keeping their opponents scoreless in all three second halves they've played.
Ben Mowen and Jesse Mogg have rocketed into Wallabies selection contention with Robbie Deans casting his eye over both in the effort against the Waratahs.
If the Brumbies beat the Sharks in Durban, they will set the record for the longest away winning streak in Super Rugby history.
''I think what we're seeing in this group is maturity,'' Brumbies captain Ben Mowen said. ''We've got a greater understanding of the way we want to play. We're comfortable with defence and attack and now we've got to up the tempo. We're moving closer and closer to where we want to be.''
BRUMBIES' TOURING SQUAD: Ben Alexander, Dan Palmer, Scott Sio, Ruaidhri Murphy, Stephen Moore, Siliva Siliva, Scott Fardy, Sam Carter, Etienne Oosthuizen, Pete Kimlin, Ben Mowen, George Smith, Colby Faingaa, Fotu Auelua, Nic White, Ian Prior, Matt Toomua, Christian Lealiifano, Zack Holmes, Andrew Smith, Tevita Kuridrani, Henry Speight, Joseph Tomane, Clyde Rathbone, Jesse Mogg, Robbie Coleman.
