Wallabies prop James Slipper has shrugged off any concerns around his calf injury as he begins his quest to break the record as the most-capped Wallaby.
Slipper missed the end of the Super Rugby Pacific season with the strain picked up during the round 14 clash with the Rebels.
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The former Wallabies captain was originally named to return for the semi-final against the Blues, only to withdraw last minute with an eye towards the next six months.
"The calf is going well, I ran pretty well at the end of last week" Slipper said to reporters.
"It was disappointing not to play for the Brumbies in that semi-final, but at the end of the day, it was probably the right call not to play.
"I'm confident it's at a point where I can push it."
The fitness of Slipper will take extra significance this year as record watch begins for the veteran prop - just five Tests behind George Gregan's 139 appearances as most capped Wallaby.
If he plays every game this year, it will see Slipper tie the record in Perth against South Africa, the place where he debuted, and break the record against Argentina.
Slipper has already indicated he has another goal circulated in the form of the British and Irish Lions tour in 2025.
However, his focus remained on cherishing each moment he gets in the gold jersey, a message amplified with returning teammate and fellow 35-year-old Kurtley Beale sitting next to him.
"(The Lions) might have been circled on the calendar but you never know when your last game is going happen," Slipper said.
"That's what special about is you don't know. I'm not guaranteed to play next week or another game so you get given the opportunity.
"To hit the milestone would be great and when I get there, I'll probably think about it more but you've still got to get there. I'll take it week-by-weel and see what happens."
Slipper is one of a small group of Wallabies left from last year's World Cup, which saw next week's opponents Wales register a thumping 40-6 defeat in Lyon.
The focus remains on the future under new staff and head coach Joe Schmidt, however, Slipper admits there's fuel to fix last year's woes.
"This group has made a point that we're going to look forward but have an understanding of what's happened in the past as well," Slipper explained.
"Last year was disappointing. Everyone knows that and the whole country knows that. The Welsh have also had a tough Six Nations so they're a team that's been pretty consistent with their selection so yes, they got the wood over us big time last year and we're expecting a pretty physical game here.
"We don't want to look too far back. There's a new coaching staff, new players in the squad...it was a disappointing result from last year and one we want to fix."
