NSW Waratahs assistant coach Lachlan McCaffrey believes Pete Samu deserves to be in the conversation for the Wallabies as he prepares for a milestone game at home.
Samu has thrived since returning to Sydney, set to play his 150th provincial game on Friday against Moana Pasifika.
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This includes stints in New Zealand, France and the ACT, with McCaffrey and Samu teammates at the Brumbies before the former number eight shifted into a coaching role, in charge of defence at Daceyville.
With that, McCaffrey is better placed than anyone to judge Samu's talent, believing he's only getting better as he looks to add to his 34 Test caps.
The 34-year-old played one game in 2025 off the bench against Italy after spending time in and out of the Test set-up.
"I've had huge admiration for Pete, first of all watching him at the Crusaders, then being able to play with him at the Brumbies in the back row and then obviously leaving and watching him excel over in France too. I don't think he's ever had a poor game when he's pulled on a Wallaby jersey, too and I think that says a lot about him," he told reporters.
"He's never let anyone down, he's never been disappointing in the Wallaby jersey, although he hasn't had as many opportunities as he would have liked.
"He's got a similar game to Charlie Cale, a little bit in terms of rugby smarts. They know when to pop up, they're opportunistic. I always think the hardest thing to coach is rugby smarts and rugby IQ so to have more players in your 1-23 that have that I think as a coach, it's a blessing.
"There are probably not many better forwards or backs with 'Pistol's' rugby IQ and experience, so I just think it gives him a massive advantage if I were selecting a squad and a team when it comes down to those conversations."
Samu has built a winning culture wherever he has gone, helping establish Bordeaux as a powerhouse in World Rugby after a series of titles with the Crusaders and Brumbies.
The back-rower is looking to do the same at the Waratahs, relishing the chance to be home after a decade away as he gets used to the speed of Super Rugby.
"I've really enjoyed this time coming back home. I think the last time living here I was living alone, I was single, so it's pretty cool to come back into Sydney with my wife and now four kids," Samu said.
"I think coming back, I don't know if the game's gotten faster or just gotten slower [laughs]. I'm really enjoying being back in Super Rugby, it's probably the best comp in the world.
"...It's probably not the start we wanted, but a massive opportunity in front of us for the rest of the competition so we'll be looking to hopefully make a statement and that starts this week."
