Wallabies lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto says prop Aidan Ross is ‘like no other’ as he prepares to join an exclusive group of players to play for both the Wallabies and All Blacks.
It comes as the lock hit back at any suggestions the Australians were taking Japan lightly as they begin their end-of-year tour in Tokyo on Saturday.
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Ross will become the fifth player to pull on the gold and black when he comes off the bench at the National Stadium, following the footsteps of fellow Red Alex Hodgman.
Ted Jessep, Des Connor and Owen Stephens are the three other previous men to have represented both countries at Test level, with Ross becoming eligible midway through the British & Irish Lions tour.
The prop debuted for the Reds during that tour and instantly impressed Salakaia-Loto, with the pair once again packing down for AUNZ.
It leaves the lock excited to follow the ‘Big Horse’ into Test Rugby as he steps in the void left by the retiring James Slipper.
“He's like no other, I think he's been good for the group. He's different, he's come from outside of the group but he's been a huge addition in terms of his experience across the ditch and he's played a fair bit of footy,” Salakaia-Loto said.
“He's someone who adds to our depth at loosehead, especially with the departure of ‘Slips’. I think he's been working hard in the background playing this year for the Reds and he's been toiling away so his opportunity is this week and he'll grab it with both hands.”
The Wallabies have made widespread changes since the second Bledisloe Cup, including the appointment of two-cap back-rower Nick Champion de Crespigny.
It led Japan coach Eddie Jones to suggest it favoured the hosts, but with competition rife for positions, Salakaia-Loto brushed it off.
“The boys are excited. I don’t know where the whole second-string thing is coming from ...Everyone that's playing this week is an opportunity for us to take the team forward and really keep improving on what we want to improve and keep bettering the team,” he said.
“At the end of the day, we’re just worrying about ourselves and what we’ve got to do and getting our s*** in order so I guess anything outside noise is irrelevant to us.
“If you were to call Nick Champion de Crespigny second-string, I’d run fast if you said that to him.
"We’re just excited to play this week, a lot of boys getting some game time after some time out.”
One of the returning players is winger Dylan Piestch, who has remarkably recovered from a nasty jaw injury.
Pietsch surprised doctors and fans alike with his rapid healing after a nasty collision with Siya Kolisi left the Force star bloodied.
“It was a pretty abrupt collision. I noticed pretty much straight away,” he said.
“I had my mouth shut for a week. It was actually going a lot better than what we initially thought. We initially thought it would be six to eight weeks with my mouth shut on a liquid diet, but that only lasted a week.
“I couldn't clench my jaw for a couple of weeks. I was sitting there trying to gym with my mouth open. It looked a bit weird to most boys.
“It was definitely a hard rehab. Probably the hardest I've gone through mentally. Not being able to do a lot, not being able to talk or eat or anything like that was pretty challenging.
“I'm so glad to be back now. To be here with this group is really special.
