A double Wallabies comeback could be a perfectly-timed boost for the Canberra Vikings' hopes of clinching a National Rugby Championship finals berth in the last round of the regular season.
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The Vikings face a must-win battle against Brisbane City on Sunday if they want to keep their title hopes alive, and the potential return of Rory Arnold and Tom Banks looms as a game-changer.
The Wallabies tourists are back in Canberra after a two-game trip to South Africa and Argentina, where the ACT Brumbies duo played a combined 10 minutes.
Their involvement for the Vikings, however, hinges on Wallabies coach Michael Cheika clearing them to be able to play despite spending the past two weeks as professional trainers.
Arnold played 10 minutes against South Africa, but was left out of the squad to play Argentina last weekend. Banks was unused on the bench in the come-from-behind win against Argentina.
Both Arnold and Banks will be desperate for game time to secure their place in the Wallabies squad for the third Bledisloe Cup match on October 27 and the spring tour of Europe.
Banks made his Test debut in August and has been picked to play two of the past three Tests, but Cheika hasn't been able to find a way to inject him into two matches against Los Pumas.
The Vikings' opponents could also be bolstered by Test-match talent, with Samu Kerevi nearing a return from injury and hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa back after being added to the Wallabies squad.
Brisbane City also boasts Test and Super Rugby discards Quade Cooper and Karmichael Hunt, who are both on the outer with the Queensland Reds despite having contracts.
The star-studded Brisbane side has won four games in a row and need to beat the Vikings to force their way into the top four.
The addition of Arnold and Banks would provide the Vikings with their own star power after losing against the Fijian Drua last week, while scrumhalf Joe Powell is also trying to win back his Wallabies spot.
The tightness of the NRC means the Vikings could still snatch a top-two finish if results go their way, but skipper Ben Hyne says their only focus is toppling Brisbane.
Hyne played for Brisbane City when they beat the Vikings in the grand final three years ago. The 24-year-old then packed his bags and drove to Canberra for a chance to train with the Brumbies.
"Brisbane City are on a bit of a roll [this season], so they'll be full of confidence. They'll be wanting to make the finals, so it will be a great game," Hyne said.
"All the teams are quality in the NRC and Brisbane City are no different to Fiji. We've put [the loss to Fiji] behind us and we can get back to playing some good rugby."
Josh Mann-Rea and Rob Valetini have endured injury-interrupted years, but both returned to the field last weekend and are set to retain their places against Brisbane.
Valetini has been earmarked as a potential bolter for the Wallabies' spring tour squad, but his knee problems could convince Cheika to leave him out of the squad to give him more time to train.
Meanwhile, Tevita Kuridrani and Pete Samu are both expected to be available for selection for the end of year Tests in Japan and Europe.
NRC ROUND SEVEN
Sunday: Brisbane City v Canberra Vikings at Bottomley Park, 3pm. TV time: Live on Fox Sports 503.
