Len Ikitau's affirmation: Nic White backs ACT Brumbies young gun to shine

But Brumbies scrumhalf Nic White has backed Len Ikitau to rise to the challenge, and if his stint in Wallabies camp is anything to go by, this 22-year-old will be just fine.

Ikitau has emerged as the front-runner for the Brumbies' No. 13 jersey vacated by Tevita Kuridrani following his defection to the Western Force.

Now the pair find themselves on a collision course ahead of their Super Rugby AU season opener with the Brumbies to meet the Force on February 19.

Ikitau was a shock inclusion in the Wallabies' squad last year while Kuridrani was overlooked in a nod to the future which showed the Brumbies young gun one thing.

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"That he is good enough," White said.

"There is a real chance for that 13 jersey down here now. Being a part of the Wallabies squad is probably the confidence booster he needed to be able to back himself and know he is certainly more than good enough to lock down that jersey long-term.

"It's exciting for him."

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie may have undersold it when he said the kid with "a big future" was "probably the bolter" in the Australian squad ahead of the Bledisloe Cup.

It was clear from the outset any minutes for Ikitau in Australia's Bledisloe Cup games or the ensuing Tri Nations would have been something of a minor miracle.

But the taste of life as a Wallaby could work wonders for the rising star who has long been tipped as one of the Brumbies' building blocks for a successful future.

Brumbies coach Dan McKellar had challenged Ikitau with home truths about work ethic and those tough conversations laid the platform for his sudden leap to the Wallabies squad - and with that came a bundle of nerves and a sense of belonging.

"Everyone is nervous their first time, and if they say they weren't, they're lying," White said of Ikitau's call up to the Wallabies squad.

"He hit it pretty well, he's a pretty cool customer. Anyone who knows Lenny will tell you. He took it all in his stride.

"That Wallabies squad is young as well, all those guys came through the ages together so a lot of them knew each other. He certainly grew into his position and I'm looking forward to him stepping up a little bit more this year.

"That affirmation you are good enough to play for your country and be picked in that squad, it does a lot for your confidence. Confidence is a funny thing, when you've got it, it feels good."

Ikitau was one of 13 Brumbies named in Rennie's original Wallabies squad late last year with Noah Lolesio, Irae Simone and Tom Wright earning their maiden international caps.

It means all bar two members of the Brumbies' likely starting back line will have played for the Wallabies come round one.

"They'll get a lot of confidence from that. Hopefully their game just builds off that. Another year older, more experience for them, more games, and that experience you can't buy," White said.

"These are very exciting times for where this young group is at, over the next few years if we can keep them together, we can certainly build something on top of that confidence and that experience."