Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has alleviated concerns that Jake Gordon, Will Skelton, and Rob Valetini will miss the British & Irish Lions series due to injury.
The trio were notable absences from the side to face Fiji on Sunday in Newcastle after picking up knocks.
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All three were big parts of Schmidt's squad in 2024, with Gordon starting the majority of games at scrum-half.
As for Valetini, he ended the season as the John Eales Medalist for a second consecutive year, while Skelton's class is renowned worldwide as one of the best locks in the world.
“They're doing great. Will and Bobby, they trained well, albeit not with the side but they're hitting some good speeds and their movement's good,” Schmidt said to the media.
“Jake trained with the side today, so he's very close to being able to...if it was the last game of the season and we were desperate to have Jake, but we've got Tate [McDermott] and Nic [White], so we're not desperate around nine anyway. So Jake will work his way back through there.
“But I'd be very confident all three of those guys will be ready to train at the start of the week for that first lead-in to the British and Irish Lions' first test.”
The setbacks provide the chance for Tate McDermott and Langi Gleeson to start after excellent Super Rugby seasons.
Nick Frost and Jeremy Williams resume their partnership in the second row, while Schmidt has backed David Porecki to start at hooker on his return from a two-year absence.
“We wanted to mix it up a little bit. He scrummed with Angus Bell and Taniela Tupou a fair bit during the season, but [we wanted] to mix it up and get him familiar again with James Slipper and Alan Alaalatoa. I know it's almost like speed dating, trying to get these guys together as quick as we can to try to build some combinations," Schmidt believes.
“ I think there are a number of really positive combinations, and I think it's easy for us to slot Billy Pollard in amongst those two props because he played with them most of the season. Matt Faessler was the hooker that started most often, but he hadn't played. But for this one right here, right now, we felt we wanted to have a team mixed on what they earned last year and then also current form of Super Rugby.
“It will be just another game for him, but he also knows it's a real opportunity for him...he's going to remain measured and process-focused, and that's some of the experience that he brings. He's the most experienced of the hookers that we have in the squad at the moment."
