Darcy Swain ready to repay the faith in return to Brumbies starting side

The lock will start in just his second game of a disrupted season. Swain has been named on the bench for five games this season while he missed three games with a foot injury.

Despite the disjointed year, Swain was still named in Eddie Jones' initial Wallabies training squad and is set to feature in a competitive battle for positions.

The lock is among the nation's best lineout operators and the set piece could be a point of difference when the final squad is picked.

MORE SPORT

The initial call up provided a confidence boost in a frustrating season and the 25-year-old is determined to hit the ground running in Sunday's clash against the Melbourne Rebels.

"Coming off the bench and not seeing much time, it shows a bit of faith in me and they like my game," Swain said. "I'm going to deliver on that and repay that faith this weekend."

Swain will partner Nick Frost in the second row, with Cadeyrn Neville ruled out and Tom Hooper selected on the bench after overcoming a rare foot injury.

While the Brumbies pride themselves on the set piece, Swain conceded they must improve their lineouts.

The locks have formed close bonds off the field and he said the friendship has allowed the players to have tough conversations.

"It means we can be genuinely honest with each other," Swain said.

"I'm not afraid to tell [Neville] if he's not doing his job in the lineout, scrum or maul. That's where we lean on each other a lot. That's the beauty of being so tight and so well connected, we can be honest with each other.

"I've grown over the last couple of years with [Frost] and [Neville] and those connections we have together off the field are pretty special. So when you're on the field I want to work dead hard for [Frost], I want to work dead hard for [Neville] and for Tommy Hooper as well."

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.