ACT Brumbies young gun Rob Valetini has emerged as a genuine back-row option to make his Wallabies debut this year, despite two knee injuries limiting him to three games in his first Super Rugby season.
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Fairfax Media can reveal 20-year-old Valetini is on the Wallabies' radar as a bolter for the spring tour squad and he has four chances to impress coaches in the remaining National Rugby Championship games.
He was left out of the Wallabies squad announced on Friday because he is only one game into a comeback from a knee injury. But he has been added the Canberra Vikings starting team to play on Sunday and Wallabies coaches will be watching closely.
The Vikings' match against the NSW Country Eagles in Armidale will be Valetini's second game in four months after his Super Rugby campaign was ruined by medial ligament problems.
But the powerfully-built rookie has impressed in his limited game time and the Wallabies view him as a "legitimate" Test candidate for the tour of Europe.
Blooding Valetini now would give the Wallabies a chance to see how he handles international rugby and whether he would be ready to be a part of a World Cup campaign next year.
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika opted against rushing Valetini into his squad for two Tests in South Africa and Argentina, despite losing Pete Samu (knee) and Lukhan Tui (family reasons) from the back row.
Cheika earmarked Valetini as a player to watch before he had even played a Super Rugby game, but now he wants the Australian junior representative to get game time in the NRC to prove he's capable of the step up.
It effectively means the last four games of the NRC regular season and potential finals loom as an audition for Valetini to earn his first Wallabies call up.
The Wallabies' will play a third Bledisloe Cup match in Japan on October 27 before starting the spring tour for Tests against Wales, Italy and England in November.
Brumbies outside centre Tevita Kuridrani is racing the clock to recover from a torn pectoral in time to force his way back into Wallabies gold.
Kuridrani was expected to miss three months after suffering the injury in the last game of the Super Rugby season on July 14. The recovery timeline could make him available for the end of the Vikings' season or Wallabies duties.
Samu is expected to miss up to four weeks after hyper-extending his knee last weekend, making him available for the third Bledisloe Cup showdown against New Zealand.
Valetini, a hulking 193 centimetre, 113 kilogram versatile back-rower, made his Super Rugby debut as a teenager in round one, but his professional dream hit a hurdle when he damaged his medial ligament against the Japan Sunwolves in the same game.
He made his return three months later, but managed just two more games before he re-injured his knee and was ruled out for the rest of the Brumbies' season.
The Wallabies have been trying to fit openside flanker stars David Pocock and Michael Hooper into the back row, but the third spot is still up for grabs.
Tui, Samu and Ned Hanigan have had opportunities this year, but Angus Cottrell could be the next after he was added to the extended Wallabies squad on Friday.
Tui was a noticeable absentee from the Wallabies squad to face South Africa and Argentina after the 21-year-old told his teammates he needed time away from rugby to be with his family.
Tui played the game against Argentina last week just days after the sudden death of his stepfather, and was involved in an altercation with a fan who remonstrated with the team following the loss.
Uncapped scrumhalf Jake Gordon and loose forward Cottrell have been called into the 30-man squad for their clash with the Springboks in Port Elizabeth on September 30 and Argentina in Salta on October 6.
"There’s an opportunity presented to us now to get some good victories overseas and that’s going to come from consistency in the way that we play," Cheika said.
"We have got some news additions to the squad and these guys have shown plenty of grit and determination to get an opportunity at a higher level so now we’re looking for them to add that to the mix.
"We’re very determined to make sure that we repay the faith and show people what we’re about in the way we play."
NRC ROUND FOUR
Sunday: NSW Country Eagles v Canberra Vikings at Armidale, 1pm.
Vikings: 1. Sione Taula, 2. Connal McInerney, 3. Tom Ross, 4. Blake Enever, 5. Darcy Swain, 6. Rob Valetini, 7. Michael Oakman-Hunt, 8. Ben Hyne, 9. Joe Powell, 10. Wharenui Hawera, 11. Andy Muirhead, 12. Jordan Jackson-Hope, 13. Irae Simone, 14. Lausii Taliauli, 15. Mack Hansen. Reserves: 16. Josh Mann-Rea, 17. Vunipola Fifita, 18. Max Bode, 19. BJ Edwards, 20. Brodie Leber, 21. Ryan Lonergan, 22. Noah Lolesio, 23. Len Ikitau.
Wallabies squad: Allan Alaalatoa, Rory Arnold, Adam Coleman, Angus Cottrell, Folau Faingaa, Ned Hanigan, Michael Hooper (captain), Sekope Kepu, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, David Pocock, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Tom Robertson, Izack Rodda, Rob Simmons, Scott Sio, Caleb Timu, Taniela Tupou, Tom Banks, Kurtley Beale, Israel Folau, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, Jake Gordon*, Dane Haylett-Petty, Reece Hodge, Marika Koroibete, Jack Maddocks, Sefa Naivalu, Nick Phipps, Matt Toomua.
