Joe Tomane admits triumphing in the fierce selection battle between Wallabies wingers can be bittersweet when it comes at the expense of his “fro bro” Henry Speight.
The Brumbies duo, who share afro hairdos and a tight bond, dream of carrying their exciting Super Rugby partnership onto the international stage for Australia.
But the irony of 24-year-old Tomane’s recent return to form and fitness is that he’s effectively prolonging Fijian-born Speight’s wait for a Test debut after a four-year eligibility battle.
After a rugby union career littered with injuries, former NRL star Tomane is finally getting a roll on and he looks set to retain a starting spot in Saturday’s clash with France in Paris.
The wing is one of the most hotly-contended positions in Michael Cheika’s squad, with Rob Horne and Speight pushing to oust incumbents Adam Ashley-Cooper and Tomane.
When former Melbourne and Gold Coast player Tomane switched from rugby league in 2012, he made competing at next year’s Rugby World Cup his main goal.
He’d dearly love to nail down a starting position on the spring tour, but acknowledges having Speight also fighting for a spot complicates matters a little.
“He (Speight) is a great character and I know his time will come,” Tomane told AAP.
“It’s something that you can’t control but he’s definitely a talent that will represent Australia in the near future.
“It does (make it harder) in some ways but also it doesn’t because he plays on the right wing. If anyone’s keeping him out of a spot, it’s Ashley-Cooper so he should go hit him up.”
While Speight has had to bide his time, Tomane also knows all about staying patient.
Had he not suffered a host of injury setbacks since returning to his junior sport in 2012, he would likely have added significantly to his 13 Test appearances.
Tomane admits he’s never taken his eye of his World Cup dream but recent years have taught him the importance of not looking too far ahead.
“It (the World Cup) has always been on my radar,” said Tomane, who is signed with the Brumbies until the end of 2016.
“But right now, I’m not focusing on it. It’s a year away and I’m just trying to keep improving.”
Like the rest of his teammates, Tomane is bracing for a backlash from France this weekend following a 3-0 series win in Australia in June.
The Wallabies are likely to face a hostile atmosphere at Stade de France but they received a warm reception from locals at training on Tuesday.
Almost a thousand spectators turned up for the afternoon session at Stade Jean Moulin in suburban Paris, with the locals applauding during an intense 90-minute hit-out and queuing up for autographs after the session.
