
Brumbies star Noah Lolesio belongs in the Wallabies squad according to assistant coach Scott Wisemantel, but whether he will retain the No. 10 role for their Rugby Championship opener against Argentina on August 7 is yet to be decided.
The young flyhalf showed he could deliver on the big stage in his solid display when Quade Cooper was a late omission against England.
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Whether he can remain in the starting lineup when Cooper returns from his calf injury, and with James O'Connor also waiting in the wings, is the selection race Wallabies fans will have a close eye on.
"Noah's done well, and it's all part of his development. I think we have to realise he's still quite young as a Test footballer," Wisemantel said.
The Wallabies assistant said it'd be incorrect to assume Cooper is a lock to step right back in.
"Who is going to start at 10? Right now, we don't know," he said. "Let's see how they go on the training field. We're going to review and review hard. We've got three - Noah, Quade and James. So we don't know what the answer is right now."
In a bid to hone his skills for Wallabies selection, this past week O'Connor returned to Brisbane club rugby with Brothers and also had a surprise training session with the Yamba Buccaneers. Wisemantel said O'Connor came back to Wallabies camp "fit and well", adding intrigue to the flyhalf competition.
Head coach Dave Rennie and his support staff, including former Brumbies coach Dan McKellar, have been busy studying the Pumas in the lead-up to their two Test matches in Argentina.
Wisemantel explained how McKellar has brought great value to the coaching ranks since joining as a full-time assistant.
"It's a really nice perspective because it's like you've got another head coach there," he said. "He sees things through from a broader picture.
"The other area that Dan's really bought a lot of strength to is around that line-out and the maul, and it's really nice to work with him from an attacking point of view.
"In the last game there was a lot of variation between being wide, mauling, breaking out from mauls, so it's good fun.
"All the boys now know why the Brumbies blokes love him."

The Wallabies masterminds were impressed with Argentina's performance in their recent series against Scotland and won't be underestimating the challenge the Michael Cheika-led team present.
"They're holding the ball for longer periods, and they're doing really well, so they'll test our defence," Wisemantel said. "Then from an attacking point of view, they're filling the front field.
"There's 13 In the front line, and their spacing is really broad. We've got to come up with a plan to attack that."
It's a much-anticipated showdown against the former Wallabies coach, but the Australian staff aren't expecting Cheika to have Argentina play the same style he devised when he was coaching the green and gold-clad men.
"What he's doing, he's doing really well. He's relying on the the attributes that set some of his players apart, whether it's through power or skill, and then mixing it up," Wiseman said.
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The Wallabies believe the difference-maker will be how well they can take their opportunities - something that came down to a few key plays in their two most recent, narrow defeats to England.
"We had two tries that went begging in the last match," Wisemantel said.
"The biggest difference between Super Rugby and Test level is at Test level you probably get four chances in a game - maximum - and you've got to take them.
"That was a good learning experience and something that we've got to be better at."
The Wallabies travel to Argentina on Friday for their Sunday week clash in Mendoza, before taking on the Pumas again in San Juan on August 13. The squad will then continue their Rugby Championship campaign with three Tests on home soil against South Africa (August 27, September 3) and New Zealand (September 15) before a trip across the ditch to face the All Blacks at Eden Park (September 24).
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Melanie Dinjaski
Melanie Dinjaski is an experienced sports journalist at the Canberra Times with a genuine love of all sports. She's covered every code from NRL to NFL, and has experience in print, digital, podcasting, TV and video journalism, having spent time working in newsrooms at Nine, Fox Sports and Seven before moving to the capital. Melanie aims to bring Canberrans all the sports news they need to know - have a story worth sharing? Get in touch!
Melanie Dinjaski is an experienced sports journalist at the Canberra Times with a genuine love of all sports. She's covered every code from NRL to NFL, and has experience in print, digital, podcasting, TV and video journalism, having spent time working in newsrooms at Nine, Fox Sports and Seven before moving to the capital. Melanie aims to bring Canberrans all the sports news they need to know - have a story worth sharing? Get in touch!