In a young career dominated by big numbers, Tate McDermott reckons it's the small things that have Massimo De Lutiis on the cusp of becoming Wallaby No.1000.
Since Patrick Carew was awarded the first Wallabies cap 127 years ago - Carew has alphabetical order to thank for the honour - the hulking Queensland Reds prop is set to join the club.
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Rugby Australia even dug up Carew's original cap for the occasion, shipping it to Townsville as part of a likely post-match presentation.
The 22-year-old has been named on the bench to face Japan in Townsville, having joined the squad in Osaka a week ago as injury cover for Zane Nonggorr.
It was fellow Southport School product Nonggorr who inspired a crack at rugby, De Lutiis telling AAP early last year of the transformational eight weeks locked in his home gym.
"I wasn't anything special; didn't have an athletic bone in body," he said. "Watching Zane ... I was like, 'I want to be that'. So I said to myself, 'My time's now'.
"When I came back to school all my friends were like, 'What the hell, look at you. You're massive and I made the first XV."
He's played just 13 matches for the Reds due to injury, including a nasty quadriceps tear on the first day of pre-season before he'd debuted.
He used that time in rehab to build on already impressive strength, culminating in a record 202.5kg bench press that broke Queensland sporting records.
The Gold Coast talent, also eligible for Italy, rejected serious approaches from Irish rugby to instead commit to Australia earlier this year.
"Such a big achievement for someone still relatively young for a prop," Reds teammate Tate McDermott, also named on the bench for Saturday's Townsville Test, said.
"Everyone talks about his strength and gym, but I've been most impressed with how he's developed around the field.
"He tore his quad in a 40-metre sprint on day one of pre-season and there was still a lot of unknowns and the next year then he answered a lot of those questions.
"Strong in the scrum and ball carry and did the little things well. That's what's got him to this point, not his bench press."
Reds centre Isaac Henry, who will start in the No.13 on Saturday, became Wallaby No.999 in Osaka last week.
It took 67 years to cap 500 Wallabies, when Michael Purcell debuted against Wales in 1966, while Sefa Naivalu won cap No.900 10 years ago.
"There's been talk around the Wallabies squad for a while; who's going to be that 1000th player," McDermott said.
"It's pretty cool ... he's four digits.
"He's a great man, funny guy but he's been a student since he touched down in Osaka and had his feet under the desk.
"I'm keen to sit with him on the bench and then see him do his stuff."
