![Wallabies loose forward Pete Samu is looking forward to playing in his home town of Melbourne on Thursday night. Picture by Andrew Phan/Wallabies Media Wallabies loose forward Pete Samu is looking forward to playing in his home town of Melbourne on Thursday night. Picture by Andrew Phan/Wallabies Media](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GzY3iczng7SLWqVgHSV78t/e36e7202-f249-4413-a928-c6fb93ed0b33.jpg/r0_144_3815_2289_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Weeks rarely come bigger than this for Wallabies star Pete Samu.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
With the Australian players handed a few days off following last Saturday's loss to South Africa, the ACT Brumbies flanker returned to Canberra.
The visit was timed to perfection, Samu's partner giving birth to the couple's second child before he was required to jet off back to the Gold Coast to link up with his Wallabies teammates.
That ensured he didn't miss any of the team's preparations for Thursday's Bledisloe Cup clash with the All Blacks.
The Test will be played in Samu's home town of Melbourne, the 30-year-old spending his formative years playing for the Moorabbin Rams in the city's south-east.
So when Samu runs on to Marvel Stadium, he will have plenty of extra motivation to lead Australia to a memorable victory.
"Becoming a father has definitely changed me as a person and as a footy player," Samu said. "I've got a lot more to play for.
"I still want to play for my family, but I've got a little family of my own now. They motivate me to do what I do week in, week out."
Thursday's Test provides a golden opportunity for the Wallabies on and off the field.
With New Zealand struggling this season, the upcoming two-match series looms as a genuine chance for Australia to hoist the Bledisloe Cup for the first time since 2002.
The timing of a Thursday match has also been strategically placed to avoid competition with the AFL and NRL finals.
A good performance will go a long way to selling the code to a new market in Victoria.
Rugby has made steady progress in Victoria in the time since Samu played for the Rams, the Melbourne Rebels slowly making inroads in the AFL-mad state.
The investment has produced results, current Wallabies Rob Valetini and Rob Leota also hailing from Melbourne.
Despite the steady gains, all parties recognise there is still a long way to go to bridge the gap between the AFL and NRL.
"Growing up it was always AFL," Samu said. "I went to a public school and played AFL in school and rugby on the weekends.
"It wasn't very big at the time but it's definitely growing and hopefully having more games down there will grow the sport down in Melbourne."
Samu and Leota have formed a powerful bench combination for the Wallabies this season.
Two physical loose forwards, the pair have the capacity to change the game when injected in the second half.
It's a role Samu has enjoyed and he's determined to make an instant impact on Thursday night.
"I'm quite comfortable on the bench, coming on and adding value to the game.
"I'm trying to make a difference on the field. Whether I'm starting or not, that doesn't change."
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark canberratimes.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram