Latest Wallabies debutant Carlo Tizzano is salivating at the chance to pull on the gold jersey again as the Rugby Championship heads to his home city Perth on Saturday.
Tizzano took his opportunity with Fraser McReight (finger) ruled out, finishing as one of the Wallabies’ best in the 33-7 defeat in Brisbane.
Tickets to the Wallabies home 2024 Test fixtures are available here.
The 24-year-old didn’t miss a tackle as he led both sides with 22 whilst his breakdown steal early in the second half showed he was up for the challenge against a world-class pack.
“It was awesome. It was a big step up but I loved every minute of it,” he told reporters.
“The boys really helped me out throughout the week and it didn’t feel like I was out of place and that’s credit to the leads and the coaching staff for making it so seamless.”
Tizzano has always pushed himself against the best so the chance to go up against Siya Kolisi, who covered the open-side role even with the number six on his back, filled him with confidence.
“I really love that I got just thrown straight in the deep end against the best in the world,” he notes. “That’s an awesome way to test all the hard work you’ve been putting in over all the years since you’re a kid and to see where you put yourself.
“That comparison to what the best looks like, it’s awesome. I’ve been really lucky training with and being teammates with ‘Hoops’ (former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper) for a couple of years as well so I’ve always had that benchmark there as well.
“…We’re going to attack this week, we’re really excited for it and we’re up for the challenge.
“They’re the best in the world and we want to be the best in the world so what better than to play them two weeks in a row so we can make the adjustments and go from there.”
Tizzano is one of the biggest success stories out of WA pathways in recent memory as the Wallabies prepare to face the Springboks in the second Test of the Rugby Championship.
Whilst guys like Jeremy Williams and Issak Fines-Leleiwasa have found Test success after making the move west, Tizzano was born and bred in Perth, cleaning up best and fairest awards as a school kid in the Fortescue Premier Grade as the new Optus Stadium was being built.
The chance to return to Perth as a bonafide Wallaby and run out in front of a packed crowd was all the motivation the flanker needed.
“To be playing in front of a home crowd is going to be unreal. I can’t wait. I think a Test at Optus Stadium is exactly what Rugby in WA needs,” Tizzano added.
“It keeps raising awareness about the game that we’re a growing sport in here in Western Australia.
“…For this week, to be able to put forward a good performance we can really be proud of at Optus Stadium, especially for me, and in front of the Perth fans, that’d be something I’ll remember forever.”
