Surprise No.8 selection Ben McCalman has survived on the Wallabies fringes for four seasons but now he’s hellbent on using new-found power to seize the day against Argentina.
Picked ahead of Scott Higginbotham due to his toughness in close-quarters combat, McCalman believes he’s poised to produce career-best Test form in Saturday night’s Rugby Championship clash on the Gold Coast.
The 26-year-old back-rower enjoyed a break-out Super Rugby season for the Western Force this year before a groin injury struck.
The secret to his success was an enhanced gym program that gave him more leg drive and strength, helping him to become one of the leading tackle-breakers in the competition.
But the groin strain, suffered in late May, taxed McCalman’s power game and has taken him almost four months to overcome.
He was still carrying the worsening problem when he started the dour 6-0 second Test win over France in June, finishing as the leading tackler at Etihad Stadium.
With Wycliff Palu in form for the NSW Waratahs, and Higginbotham providing an impact off the bench for Australia, McCalman was completely overlooked for the opening Rugby Championship clashes with New Zealand and South Africa.
But he looks back at the omissions with some positivity as it’s allowed him the rest and time in the gym to regain both strength and confidence he’ll need to combat the confrontational Pumas pack.
“It’s frustrating for me having that small injury throughout the year when I felt like I was playing my best footy,” McCalman told AAP.
“I guess it’s been a blessing in disguise these last four weeks not being picked and getting it strong again.
“Hopefully I can pick up where I finished in Super Rugby and do my best to remain in the team.”
With the sidelined Palu expected back from concussion for the South Africa-Argentina tour which follows, McCalman needs a huge game to end his run of fleeting appearances.
Not since starting 10 straight Tests after debuting in 2010, has he held on for more than three games in a row in a 32-Test career that includes 15 caps off the bench.
McCalman doesn’t have the brute force of 116kg Palu nor the pace or X-factor of Higginbotham, but coach Ewen McKenzie is a big fan of his work-rate and all-round abilities.
While 8kg lighter than Palu, McKenzie says his output is similar in combative games against big, abrasive opponents.
“It’s a like-for-like change,” he said. “Benny has had to bide his time but he’s always been near and dear in his attributes, particularly in the types of games we’re playing at the moment.”
