Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has backed debutant Lachlan Shaw to match it with the British & Irish Lions' lathered pack on Saturday in Sydney.
23-year-old Shaw will make his Test debut off the bench in the Nations Championship opener in front of a packed-out crowd.
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It continues his meteoric rise after entering the year with just six Super Rugby starts to his name.
Now, Shaw is set to go up against Lions trio James Ryan, Joe McCarthy and Tadhg Beirne in the second-row, with close to a dozen returning from last year's 2-1 series win.
Beirne, who was player of the match in the opening Test win over the Wallabies, will likely go head-to-head with Shaw off the bench.
Schmidt handed Beirne his Test debut in 2018 against the Wallabies and was brimming with confidence that Shaw could make a similar impact.
"He's a high-volume player. He's lean and athletic, so his ability to get up and contest is first-rate and at the same time, his ability to play close to the ground is very good for such a big man," the Wallabies boss said on Shaw.
"Across the board, I thought he had a really good Super season and there's a good investment for us going forward. He's a young man that's really driven to be where he is and to go even further."
For Shaw, the call-up is a dream come true for the Queenslander who moved south to pursue it.
A stint with NPC side Manawatu in 2024, ironically the same provincial club as Schmidt, helped take his game to the next level and realise his childhood wish.
“Honestly, it would be a massive dream come true. I've aspired to be a Wallaby forever since I started playing rugby when I was little," he told Rugby.com.au on his Wallabies ambitions last month.
“It would be an awesome achievement to be able to be named in that squad and have that exposure and have that chance to be a part of that program."
Wallabies back-rower Rob Valetini backed his club teammate to deliver and make an impact in the lineout, with Shaw third in Super Rugby for lineout steals (11) behind Wallabies teammate Jeremy Williams and Japan captain Warner Dearns.
"I think he's a great lineout option, he's quick off the ground and very light to lift," Valetini remarked.
"I think he'll be looking forward to getting out there and debuting and we've got a lot of confidence in him to go out there, not putting any pressure on him or anything, but just for him to go out there and do his job."
