LUKE Burgess, Australia's discovery of the season, has ended almost three months of frustration with a Test recall for Saturday night's landmark Bledisloe Cup clash with the New Zealand.
Burgess has beaten veteran Sam Cordingley to the half-back role for the first Test of the Wallabies' demanding six-match spring tour after missing the bulk of this year's Tri Nations tournament with a knee injury.
Although his 22-man squad will not be announced publicly until Thursday, coach Robbie Deans told the late-blooming 25-year-old of his decision before the Wallabies' first training session in Hong Kong on Tuesday morning.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JOIN our live event blog and have your say as we feature the final Bledisloe Cup clash between Australia and New Zealand from Hong Kong. Coverage of the historic clash will get under way from 7.30pm, Saturday November 1. The Test will also be showl liver and exclsuive on FOX SPORTS.
Competition: Fly to Hong Kong to see the Rugby Sevens
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Luke did really well with his entry to Test level and was unlucky to pick up an injury," Deans said.
"He's done well with the time he's had with us, he's just getting (his international career) underway so we just want to keep pushing on with that and he brings a real energy.
"It's tough on Sam Cordingley, but Sam's probably already had more than he probably thought he was going to get this year.
"And it won't be the last rugby that he gets either. He's a great bloke in the group."
In other developments today, lock Mark Chisholm learned he would start his first Test of the year, while Timana Tahu joined fellow dual international Lote Tuqiri on the unavailable list and Ryan Cross moved into contention to retain his place in the centres alongside skipper Stirling Mortlock.
Chisholm thought he might well be consigned to life as a bench-warming utility, having been alternating between blindside flanker and lock in recent seasons, before getting his big chance due to a foot injury to James Horwill and Dan Vickerman's career sabbatical.
"The last couple of years I was getting that feeling," said Chisholm, who played the most recent of his 35 Tests at last year's World Cup in France.
"I got put in at six a fair bit, but the last couple of years I've really concentrated on being a lock and it was great that Robbie recognised that."
Chisholm's selection comes just three months after being struck down with chickenpox.
"It was a big surprise because all my brothers and sisters had it when they were young so I just assumed that I got it along with them, as you do," he said.
"It hits you and knocks you around a bit, but I'm back now."
Deans said Chisholm thoroughly deserved to play in what will be the first-ever Bledisloe Cup match contested on neutral territory.
"He's played some really good rugby," Deans said.
"He was in our initial squad. Through misfortune, he didn't get to play.
"He's one of those blokes that's been around for a while but hasn't fulfilled what he's wanted out of the game yet, and he's probably a little frustrated by that.
"So this is his chance, he's obviously pretty excited about it and he's got an awareness of how important it is because he's got that sense of having these chances previously and not taking advantage of them.
"So if he brings that urgency, I'm picking you'll see a pretty good performance out of him."
The luckless Tahu will have to wait for his chance after back stiffness ruled him out of contention for a place in the match-day squad.
Deans also revealed Tuqiri was no hope of making his return from a knee injury until at least the third Test of the tour against England at Twickenham on November 15.
And although the expectation is that Berrick Barnes will make his comeback from a shoulder injury on Saturday, Deans ran Cross and Mortlock together for most of Tuesday's session to suggest that combination may be retained against the All Blacks.
