Wallabies debutants buoyed by Lions tour

Half a ring. That’s how long Ben Mowen says he let his phone sound before hastily answering Wallabies coach Robbie Deans’ phone call on Sunday.

Having just come off the back of a 28-22 loss to the Waratahs on Saturday night, Mowen’s long-awaited inclusion in the 25-man Wallabies squad for the upcoming British and Irish Lions series was a soothing moment.

“You wake up Sunday morning and you’re feeling pretty dark about a pretty ordinary performance and then to obviously get a call like that is a great experience,” the Brumbies captain said.

“It was bottom rung to top.”

Mowen says he’s moving forward from his side’s horrid second-half performance against the Waratahs to focus purely on getting the stuttering Brumbies back on track.

“I tried to watch the game when I got home and I just couldn’t get through that second half, so I deleted it off (Foxtel) IQ. It’s gone forever,” he said.

“This weekend’s game (against the Blues) is absolutely massive for us. They’re a side that essentially ended our season last year.”

Mowen is one of just two players picked in the Wallabies squad never to have played rugby union or rugby league for Australia.

Fellow Brumbies teammate Christian Lealiifano is the other.

“It’s been a long road, one of my goals for a long time,” Lealiifano said.

There was hot competition for both the five-eighth and inside centre spots, yet the 25-year-old goalkicking playmaker said he wasn’t worried that high-quality players such as Queensland five-eighth Quade Cooper had missed out.

He said he was more concerned a few of his Brumbies teammates had fallen just short of selection, as well as George Smith and Pat McCabe missing out with knee injuries.

“I didn’t feel as much excitement because I really felt for a lot of those guys,” Lealiifano said.

Despite the Brumbies being six points clear of the Waratahs on the Super Rugby ladder, they only have half as many players in the 25-man squad.

But Brumbies coach Jake White said he didn’t think having just five players in the squad was disproportionate and that players like fullback Jesse Mogg would get their opportunities in due course.

“Robbie has made it quite clear that he wants experience for this campaign,” White said.

“It is a massive campaign not only because the Lions come once every 12 years but Robbie knows his contract comes up for renewal and he’s got to win Test matches.

“He’s picking teams and players he believes he can trust in.”