ACT Brumbies and Wallabies fullback Tom Wright is adamant his recovery from a long-term injury won't affect his game-breaking ability as he looks to inspire his side against arch-rivals NSW Waratahs on Friday in Sydney.
Wright has started four games in 2026 after suffering an ACL injury during the Rugby Championship in South Africa.
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It's left the 28-year-old to quickly find his feet after joining a Brumbies team in the midst of securing their spot in the finals.
"That was the thing I found pretty well straight away is I joined the team for a number of weeks before playing and the guys had got 12 games under their belt so it's trying to bridge that gap between myself and the rest of the group and, furthermore, the rest of the comp," Wright told reporters.
"It's good to get the feet under the desk and someone told me, the best way to figure out if you can still swim is just dive in. It's been good to do that and freshen up off the bye, which was nice."
Wright will have the perfect opportunity to show his ability against teammate Max Jorgensen, the man who filled in for him in his absence.
"I've just been trying to worry about Andy [Muirhead] taking this jersey off me, so I haven't been thinking about it," he said on the competition for Wallabies spots.
"I think there's been so much talent in Australian rugby for so long that if I keep worrying about it or I start worrying about everyone else, I'll be worried more often than I'm not. So I think it's good that we've got heaps of talent, particularly in the outside backs."
Known for his breathtaking ability to turn a game in its head, Wright is adamant his decision-making won't change, taking inspiration from the likes of Siya Kolisi and Antoine Dupont, who have both returned from similar injuries to their best.
"There's been frustrations but I'd rather love and die trying than leave a gun in the holster, keep coming off and waiting to try something or see where my game's at," Wright admits.
"I was shy of eight months and see guys coming back under six or even fourth months and excel at the top of their game.
"[Dupont] is cutting around as if nothing happened after a similar injury, so I had absolute full faith in all the Brumbies and Rugby Australia medical staff."
