Waratahs flanker Rocky Elsom capped a meteoric rise to international rugby yesterday when he was named to make his run-on debut at Telstra Stadium in Sydney on Saturday.
Little more than a month ago, Elsom could barely get a look-in at Super 12 level, the 22-year-old stranded on the New
South Wales bench behind starting flankers Stephen Hoiles and Wycliff Palu.
But the Melbourne-born, Brisbane-raised, Sydney-based flanker hasn't looked back since producing a man-of-the-match display for the Waratahs after finally being given a starting role against the Highlanders in Dunedin on April 30.
Elsom started every match for the Waratahs from then on until the Super 12 final, and came into calculations for a run-on spot for the Wallabies when NSW team-mate Phil Waugh was forced out on Monday with a knee injury.
But even Elsom couldn't believe how quickly his fortune could change when Hoiles also broke down with a knee injury at Wallabies training in Coffs Harbour yesterday.
Hoiles' rotten luck prompted national coach Eddie Jones to immediately call on Elsom, who he had earmarked for another bench role against Samoa.
"It's pretty exciting. It's all happened at a rapid pace," Elsom said after arriving back in Sydney this afternoon.
"I was a little bit surprised. Stephen seemed pretty down, as you would be when you get some pretty bad news from the doc.
"I was surprised at how quick the diagnosis came. He seemed to go down and a couple of minutes later he was out."
Elsom admitted starting for the Wallabies wasn't on his agenda when was stuck on the Waratahs' bench.
"It was probably the furthest thing on my mind at that point," he said. "I was locked behind a couple of blokes for a while and it was looking pretty grim."
Elsom's promotion should also improve his bargaining power.
The 22-year-old former Bulldogs lower-grade league player is weighing up offers for next year's new Super 14 from the Waratahs and the Western Force.
Elsom said he hoped to settle his future "sooner rather than later".
