Replacement Wallabies lock Peter Kimlin has vowed to make the most of his spring-tour experience regardless of whether he earns his maiden Test cap or not.
Speculation the 23-year-old would be named as James Horwill's replacement for the upcoming tour of Hong Kong and Europe was confirmed on Thursday completing a rapid rise for the Canberra Grammar product.
The towering Brumbies second-rower expressed sympathy for Horwill who was ruled out with a foot injury last Friday, but the proud red-head now has his sights set on cracking the Test team during the gruelling six-match tour.
"It's good being in the squad now but hopefully I can push for the 22," Kimlin said at Wallabies training on Thursday.
But while not content to be confined to the stands, Kimlin knows there is still work to be done and is prepared to bide his time.
"Not great expectations," he said when asked to outline his goals for the tour.
"But just to learn off a lot of the guys who I've looked up to throughout my career like George Smith and Nathan Sharpe and Matt Giteau… just to rub off them and gain from that experience."
Kimlin is well accustomed to waiting his turn having started from the bench in all but one match for the Brumbies this season.
His patience was rewarded throughout Australia A's recent Pacific Nations Cup campaign where he played a starring role at starting lock.
Coach Robbie Deans admits the promising lock's form for the A team sealed his place in the touring party.
"Without a doubt it contributed the fact that he responded well to that opportunity and showed that he could foot it in particular physically," Deans said.
"But obviously the other thing he showed in the way he did respond to that is mentally, he just ate it up and that's always an important part of it."
Deans added: "He was a bloke who was on the radar anyway from our perspective and it was probably inevitable that he was going to get the opportunity at some point."
"It may have come a little bit earlier than he was anticipating but he's a very athletically able player and he's no slug either so he gets some exposure early and he's very excited about that."
The Wallabies completed the second of four lead-up camps in Sydney on Thursday and will reassemble on Monday morning.
Injured duo Wycliff Palu (knee) and Lote Tuqiri (knee) pounded the pads, and each other, in a gruelling boxing session on the sidelines throughout Thursday's session - a decision on their availability for the tour is yet to be made.