Wallabies prop Isaac Kailea is looking to return the faith shown in him as he looks to complete his return to the Test arena.
Kailea has had a rocky journey since making his Wallabies debut in 2024 amid a club change and growing competition.
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Since his Test debut in 2024, the prop has made three starts at Super Rugby level.
Remarkably, it's the same amount as he has in the gold jersey: twice for the Wallabies that year, plus a start for Australia A the following year.
With James Slipper taking a well-deserved break, Kailea was beaming as he talked about what the opportunity meant.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity. Day one I came up to Les [Kiss, Wallabies coach] and he said ‘I want you to be yourself’ on and off the field," he told reporters. “He doesn’t want me to be in my shell, which is good because a lot of the boys that are here I’m quite comfortable with, and it’s almost that continuation.
"I think coming in after two years off, it’s an easier transition than I’m assuming for guys in for their first time.
“They've built a pretty good foundation over those last two years, and I'm pretty excited to come back in and help continue that build.”
Kailea found himself down the pecking order at Daceyville over the past two years, with Angus Bell and Tom Lambert favoured.
The Chilean-heritage loosehead believes the adversity will only make him better as he looks for a recall.
“I took it as a bit of a challenge as well. I had a lot of conversations with Dan {McKellar] and the ‘Tahs," he believes.
“I think the way my career had gone up until that point, I played three games my first year, a couple more the next year and then the year after that, I played pretty much all the games at the Rebels and onto the Wallabies so a bit of adversity is always good for someone.
“I think I've come out the other side of that a better person and hopefully a better rugby player if I get the opportunity. It was a challenge, obviously, but it was one I'm glad I had at that time in my career.”
