Wallabies captain Allan Alaalatoa is excited by the return of prop Angus Bell as he recovers from a foot injury.
Bell went under the knife in May to reshape his foot to quell his ongoing toe injuries, working his way back into the starting side to face the Springboks on Saturday at Optus Stadium.
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It was a similar issue that plagued his 2023 season, with his performance at the World Cup showcasing the talent and skills that captain Alaalatoa was pleased to have back in the squad.
"(It's) massive and he's a big body that we all know what the talent he is and things he's done in this gold jersey. It's great to have him back," Alaalatoa said about his fellow front-rower.
"He's gone through a tough time throughout his rehab but he's training really hard to give himself this opportunity.
"All the boys are going to be excited and making sure he goes out there and most importantly just enjoys himself."
It comes after a tough afternoon at scrum time, with the Wallabies giving up four penalties to the powerful Springboks pack in the 33-7 defeat at Suncorp Stadium.
Bell's return and the inclusion of prop-turned-hooker Josh Nasser for his debut start indicates the importance of shoring up the area if the Wallabies are to take down the back-to-back World Cup champions.
"I think for us it's a great challenge and it was a tough learning for us last weekend and we didn't go out there and execute the plan that we wanted," Alaalatoa admits.
"As a front-row, we've spoken about being technically better...there were glimpses where we were good but you can't have one moment and miss a lot throughout the game, especially against the world's best.
"We're making sure that we're challenging ourselves at training and bringing the focus back on us to make sure we're building to where we want to.
"...For us as a front-row, it was more around our technique. We want to transfer the weight from behind and to do that you have to be in the best shape possible.
"It was a tough learning for us in the set piece but we're looking forward to that."
