They share Fijian roots, a close bond and a room on the spring tour, now Tevita Kuridrani and Henry Speight will experience Test rugby together for the first time.

Speight’s four-year wait to become an Australian Test player will end in Dublin on Saturday (Sunday morning AEDT) after being named on the wing to face Ireland at Lansdowne Road.

The pair grew up on different sides of Fiji but struck up a close friendship when they linked up at the Brumbies in 2012.

And nobody will be more pleased than Kuridrani to see 26-year-old Speight become an Australian Test player and leave a long and frustrating eligibility battle behind.

“I’m really happy for him,” Kuridrani said of Speight, who played in the tour-opening win over the Barbarians.

“He’s come a long way and I think everybody’s been waiting for him to put on that gold jersey. People back in Fiji have been waiting for it.

“I’m really enjoying him being here. We talk Fijian all the time on the field and off it and tell jokes from Fiji. It’s been pretty good fun.”

Speight need only look at his Kuridrani’s rapid progress for inspiration on making the most of his Wallabies opportunity.

Kuridrani, 23, only made his Test debut last year but has developed into Australia’s form player in recent months and shapes as a potentially devastating attacking weapon for next year’s World Cup.

The 196cm, 102kg wrecking ball has been terrorising defences of late and puts him rapid improvement down to feeling more comfortable with his role in the team.

“I think last year was more a learning stage for me,” said Kuridrani, who moved to Australia from Fiji with his parents in 2007.

“I was a little nervous and not really sure of what my job was within the team but not I’m confident in knowing what the team needs from me.

“I feel like I’m playing really well at the moment.”

Kuridrani had a mixed night when he played in Australia’s 32-15 win Ireland in Dublin a year ago.

He got to face one of his childhood idols in legendary Irish centre Brian O’Driscoll but was red-carded and suspended for five weeks over a tip tackle on Ireland forward Peter O’Mahony.

“That was pretty disappointing and silly from me and I’ve learned form that,” Kuridrani said.