Sam Carter will get a chance to show Wallabies coach Michael Cheika what he's missing when the ACT Brumbies skipper plays for the Barbarians against Australia later this month.
Carter started the first two June internationals for the Wallabies but was benched for the third Test and then dropped for the Rugby Championship.
The 16-Test lock has been picked in the Barbarians by Alan Jones who coached Carter's father David in the Wallabies almost 30 years ago.
Carter will play for the National Rugby Championship ladder-leaders' Canberra Vikings in the lead-up to the October 28 fixture in Sydney.
The 28-year-old is looking to bring Canberra its first NRC title, while also vying for a spot on Cheika's five-Test spring tour.
Carter has led the Vikings forward pack in four NRC appearances this season but it's his actions off the field which have been just as impressive.
Australian under-20 flanker Angus Allen is still finding his feet in his first NRC campaign and he said it was Carter who calmed a terrified teenager on his first day of preseason.
"I was really nervous and then Sam Carter pulled me aside and said 'take a breath mate, you deserve to be here, so just play like it' and that really resounded with me," Allen said.
"I felt a lot more comfortable with the boys after that and have really enjoyed myself this season, there's a really good vibe throughout here.
"The camaraderie is unreal because the Super Rugby boys come down and take us club boys to their level instead of dropping down to ours."
The 20-year-old from Leeton has a similar look and build to a young David Pocock and Allen said he'd love the opportunity to serve an apprentice under the Brumbies superstar this summer.
"Doing a preseason with the Brumbies would be an absolute dream and it would be pretty surreal training with guys you had posters of on your wall when you were younger," Allen said.
"It would be unreal but I'm still young and my body has a long way to catch up to the likes of David Pocock, so I'm in no rush and just keen to take small steps and keep moving forward.
"My old man is 193cm and 120kgs and my older brother is the same height and a year older, so hopefully I've got a bit more growing to do."
