Two shock Wallabies bolters emerge. A trial by fire could seal their fate

“More time [to develop] is obviously beneficial, but no doubt he’s ready. That’s not my decision, but experience is never a bad thing for anyone.

“I’m very confident that if he did get the call-up and if they put the right structure around him, he’d be fine – he’s a tough kid.”

A spate of injuries has also opened the door for Campbell to return to the international fore, having fought through a series of niggling physical concerns last year to hit the form reminiscent of his 2022 campaign.

The 28-year-old played four games for the Wallabies that year, before falling off former coach Eddie Jones’ radar in the build-up to the ill-fated World Cup.

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Without Wilson and Petaia, how Lynagh and Campbell navigate such a trial by fire could seal their Wallabies fates.

“It’s always the end goal; I don’t really look at someone getting injured, it doesn’t perk me up or anything like that, but obviously that’s in the back of my mind trying to get a gold jersey,” Campbell said.

“Compared to a lot of boys, my body’s awesome, and I think everyone’s playing with something, so I’m lucky at the moment that my body’s feeling good.

“I’ve been happy with my form lately, I was a bit up and down to start with, but … I’ve just been focusing on what I can do for the team and how we can get in a position to hopefully sneak into the top four.”