ACT Brumbies star Cadeyrn Neville chasing World Cup dream with Wallabies

Ten long years after he first featured in a Wallabies squad, the ACT Brumbies lock made his Test debut.

Perth, July 2, a 14-man Australia claiming a famous 30-28 victory over fierce rivals England.

The journey to the Test arena only added to the moment for Neville and he left the ground determined to represent his country on every possible occasion before his playing days are over.

The ACT Brumbies veteran finds himself at an interesting place in his career. Fresh off his international debut, Neville feels he's at the top of his game and only continuing to get better. But he's been around long enough to know that could change in an instant.

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So the 34-year-old recognises how important 2023 will be, likely his only chance to play in a World Cup.

He's determined to do everything he can to make it to France.

"I'm still hungry for more," Neville said. "I still think I'm getting better and I'm keen to put that on the field.

"I probably need a bit of luck but for some people things deteriorate at this age, everything is still working well for me. I haven't lost any speed, I'm putting in the work to make sure I don't stiffen up too much.

"As long as I feel alright, I'll put in the work with the team and coaches to make sure my rugby's pretty good and things keep improving."

Neville will open his year when injected off the bench in the Brumbies second and final trial against the Melbourne Rebels in Wagga on Saturday night.

The veteran is one of multiple Wallabies to receive their first taste of rugby this season in the clash, with Tom Wright named at fullback and James Slipper a finisher.

Neville is one of three locks at the Brumbies to play for Australia last year, with Darcy Swain and Nick Frost to start in the second row on Saturday.

Depth in the position across the board is strong, with Will Skelton and Rory Arnold plying their trade overseas, while Izack Rodda, Jed Holloway and Ned Hannigan are looking to have big Super Rugby campaigns.

While Swain and Frost featured in last week's win over the NSW Waratahs, Neville was handed the week off and he's eager to hit the ground running in Wagga.

"You're always a little bit anxious to see how rusty things are," Neville said.

"I take a lot of confidence from the work I've been putting in here, there's been some solid work.

"I haven't got any game minutes under my belt yet but I'm moving pretty well and I should get a decent hit out on the weekend. I'll see how I perform under pressure and fatigue.

"If things aren't quite where they need to be, I'm confident I'll be able to fix it coming into round one."

Neville is one of numerous Brumbies players off contract at the end of the year, the end of a World Cup cycle triggering the four-yearly player movement carousel.

The lock's immediate focus is on the upcoming Super Rugby campaign, with the World Cup his intermediate goal, but he is yet to map out his long-term plans.

The 2025 British and Irish Lions tour is an alluring option but given the uncertainty over his future, Neville is out to make the most of the year ahead before deciding on the path forward.

"There's a fair chance things could slow down with another four years," he said. "I'll do my best to try and get to this World Cup.

"I'm not considering retirement anytime soon. I'm not far down the process of deciding my next move, at this stage anything could happen."

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