Miles Amatosero was always destined to play for the Waratahs.
Even when the giant lock was 17,000 km away in Clermont, the 21-year-old always had his sight set on the sky blue. He will get the chance to debut on Saturday against the Queensland Reds, selected to start at Suncorp Stadium.
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When you look at the size of Amatosero, it's easy to see why the French club was so keen to bring the teenager in, eight centimetres taller than fellow lock partner Jed Holloway.
Amatosero was signed straight out of high school and what was meant to be a trial turned into four years at Clermont.
Suddenly, the former Waverley College standout was pulling on a different blue and gold jersey in France as he debuted as an 18-year-old in the Top 14.
“It was difficult in the beginning in the Academy because there weren’t so many foreigners so there wasn’t much English at all in the Academy," he told Rugby.com.au
“I was really forced into learning (French) which was probably a really good thing but it accelerated quickly but early on, when you’re trying to get all your admin stuff done and no one speaks English, it’s difficult. A lot of using Google Translate. It was a big step for me to go into the pros because there were a lot more foreigners and English-speaking people which was great because it was getting pretty difficult to me.
“I was lucky enough to have a Kiwi Edward Annadale, who was there two years prior to me, and it was lucky because we progressed the same and he knew French so he really helped me through it all. He’s not Australian, but having someone who’s close to home was definitely refreshing.”
In his third game, Amatosero was already starting against the likes of Scottish superstar Finn Russell and Kurtley Beale, learning lessons beyond his years.
“I wasn’t supposed to start but I got the start and then the other lock went down with an injury, so I was locked onto the field for 80 minutes on synthetic and I just remember towards the end of it, my body was cramping with like 10 minutes to go," he recalled.
“At the end of the game, I was just sitting there in the chamber and I’m going ‘Man, I’ve got so much respect for these games who do it week in and week out, how many games in a row.
“I questioned myself thinking if I was up for this and as time progressed, really learned to love that pain and the grind of it.”
Whilst his former classmates were heading to Uni, Amatosero was getting his PhD in set piece.
"How infectious their love for the set pieces really had an impact on me because here it’s just a part of the game whilst it’s the key part there. It’s almost the game," he observed.
“It’s coached a lot more there, there’s a lot more depth and availability for coaching at every level, pretty much any level of the game has a great coach teaching set-piece.
“You play a home game, line up for a scrum and the fans get the drums going and they’re all signing and getting you up for it. It’s infectious, you see how they love it and you do too.
“Learning to love it at such an early age has only benefited me because I really get a lot more excitement and pride towards dominating the set piece space."
As Amatosero continued to develop, he caught the eye of French officials. They'd already convinced Emmanuel Meafou to switch his allegiance and they had hoped to do the same for Amatosero.
However, his heart never waived.
“I’m not putting on a French jersey…I see myself as Australian," he reinforced.
“I’m Australian and I want to play for Australia. I was looking to be a Wallaby before looking for a key player. I was looking up to the team and the power of being a Wallaby as a kid.
“In the early days, there was a little bit of discussion because when I went there at 18, I was there as a JIFF (an academy-trained player) in the Top 14 and you can only have so many foreign...You need five years to do so in France and I was approaching four and there was definitely some chatter on that but I shut it down straight away."
The Waratahs knew Amatosero's intentions all along, keeping in touch with the lock throughout his stint.
As more and more family milestones passed, the pull on Amatosero's emotions to come home won out.
“It’s been four years now since I’ve been back home. I left when I was 17 but the things I missed the most was definitely my family," he said.
“There’s a lot of little things I didn’t think about going over there ahead of time like my brother’s 18th, my sister had two kids who were born while I was over there. A lot of those little things really add up where I didn’t really predict it.
“…Ever since leaving, I’ve been in contact with the Tahs because I can’t see myself playing for anyone else. Leaving wasn’t expected nor desired. I was in chats with the Tahs throughout my entire time to come back home and towards the end of my contract, things were heating up a lot and I got lucky to get the contract I needed (to return)."
Amatosero has already won plenty of fans at the Waratahs, marvelling at his size and skill at such a young age.
"There are not that many guys running around in Super Rugby, in other Australian teams, with that size,” Waratahs forwards coach Pauli Taumoepeau said.
“We want him to bring his physicality around his set-piece. He has to scrum well, he has to maul well and he has to lift and jump well and do those jobs to an elite level.”
“He hits hard. He’s a big body so he’s good in the mauls," number eight Langi Gleeson added.
Waratahs remains the focus for Amatosero but there are broader goals on the horizon.
The dream of representing the Wallabies is now closer than ever, with Amatosero still hurt by the World Cup exit.
“It’s a burn but it’s a good burn now," he said on last year's result.
"It’s a pretty low level and the boys have hit a hard stage, the only way is up and that makes me really excited to hopefully one day be a part of it and my contribution to the team to get there."
