Two years after he left behind the gold jersey to pursue the good life in Europe, re-called winger Drew Mitchell has put his hand up to be the Wallabies' inside man in the lead up to the Rugby World Cup.
The 63-Test veteran was named alongside Toulon teammate and good friend Matt Giteau in the Wallabies' extended 40-man squad for the Rugby Championship, which starts in Brisbane on July 18.
After two seasons playing in the European Rugby Champions Cup, Mitchell says he has valuable inside knowledge on the players the Wallabies will be facing in the upcoming Rugby Championship and World Cup.
"We play in a team with players from more than 10 or 11 countries, a number of which are going to be at the World Cup for their respective countries, and we're also playing in Heineken Cups and Top 14 where you have a lot of players from South Africa, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales," he said.
"You have a lot of Fijian boys up in the Top 14 as well, so all these teams we could potentially be coming up against ... certainly we have a better insight into them and the way they play the game than I had before I went to France."
That is at least part of the appeal for Wallabies coach Michael Cheika. Mitchell and Giteau have played more than 150 Tests between them, making them an attractive balancing element for Cheika as he reaches for new talent in Samu Kerevi, Taqele Naiyaravoro and Rory Arnold. Their recent first-hand experience in northern hemisphere rugby is the icing on the cake.
It is now a matter of determining whether either player cuts the mustard after years away.
"Cheika's had a little bit of time with this group on the spring tour and the other [sessions throughout the Super Rugby season], so it's getting on the same page and buying into what this group's about and trying to find our place within that group," Mitchell said.
"Not only that, we've got to get to know a few guys and re-acquaint ourselves with guys that we've known and learn plays and things. It's going to be an overload of information to take on, as well as physically trying to get that work in as well. Hopefully, amongst all that, we can show that we do deserve to be here and get an opportunity to pull the jersey on."
