Just two months after fearing his international career was over, Nathan Sharpe is set to be a pivotal figure in Australia's Bledisloe cup team to take on New Zealand in an historic Hong Kong clash.
Coach Robbie Deans will be forced to field a new-look back row for Saturday week's clash with the All Blacks after receiving more injury bad news today.
The luckless Hugh McMeniman and rookie Peter Kimlin were both ruled out of the Hong Kong showdown - and almost certainly the first Test of the European Spring Tour as well - after breaking down during another demanding team training session.
Scans revealed ligament damage after McMeniman rolled his ankle, while Kimlin strained his quad in what Deans described as two slices of "momentary bad luck", to add to the loss of second-rowers Dan Vickerman and James Horwill, and breakaway Rocky Elsom.
And the latest injuries to the versatile pair - who can both play lock or blindside flanker - further depletes the Wallabies pack and makes Sharpe's experience and quality in the line-out essential for the November 1 showdown.
"These things happen when you're pushing the boundaries," Deans said.
And with powerhouse No.8 Wycliff Palu only "straight-lining" in his slow recovery from a knee injury, Test newcomer Richard Brown is favoured to start at No.8, with Dean Mumm to play blindside flanker.
As ever, George Smith or Phil Waugh will be the openside flanker for the fourth and final trans-Tasman derby of the year - although young Force powerhouse David Pocock will be pushing for a debut off the bench.
Putting on a brave face, Deans said "you've always got 22 fit blokes that we'll name and they're all here because we believe they offer us something".
"So whoever does get the call-up will be excited about that and it will be a great opportunity for them."
The All Blacks lead the 2008 series 2-1 and are assured of retaining the Bledisloe Cup for a seventh straight year, but Deans bristled when a journalist said New Zealanders were treating the match - being played at a neutral venue for the first time - as a dead rubber.
"There's no such thing as a dead rubber when you pull on your country's jersey," he said.
"Who suggested it's a dead rubber? Which one in particular? Names ... give me facts."
Kiwi Deans is not only desperate to get another one over the All Blacks, but eager to make a positive start to what shapes as a torrid block of six internationals on successive Saturdays.
After the All Blacks, come Italy in Padova, England at Twickenham, France in Paris, Wales in Cardiff and the Barbarians at Wembley.
"Six Tests back-to-back, from our perspective. Essentially it's a World XV we'll be playing in the last game," Deans said.
"It's going to be a good tour. There's some good destinations we play at, there's some opponents who have historically given Australia a lot of challenge.
"But that's a great opportunity for us and for this group in terms of growing."
The supercoach suspected his entire 34-man touring squad would be required to step up.
"There will be many challenges coming our way and obviously there will be some attrition and, if there's not, we won't be going hard enough," Deans said.
"You just give everything you've got in each instance and then respond to the fallout."
Deans will give star winger Lote Tuqiri until the last minute to prove his fitness for the tour as he continues to recover from minor knee surgery.
"Lote is seeing a surgeon again tomorrow. He's done a lot of volume work because we're obviously trying to maintain his base.
"But he obviously hasn't been running a lot, so hopefully he'll get the all-clear and then he'll literally hit the ground running at that point. Obviously it will be a matter of how he responds to that.
"We won't pick him until he's 100 per cent."
with AAP
