Wallabies prop Isaac Kailea is feeling at home in Argentina as he prepares for a special Test return.
Kailea's family hails from neighbouring Chile, with his grandpa and great-grandparents still living in the capital, Santiago.
Watch every second of the Wallabies' Tests against Argentina live and on demand via Stan Sport.
He will pull on the gold jersey for the first time in over 18 months after earning a spot in the starting side to face Los Pumas in Jujuy.
It comes as part of a brand-new pack for the opening Test, joining Brandon Paenga-Amosa and Allan Alaalatoa in the front row.
The Chilean-Tongan heritage prop was eager to represent his heritage on his return to the Wallabies.
"It's cool whether I play here in South America or if I get the chance to play in Tonga, representing both cultures is massive to me," he told reporters.
"My mum, who is the Chilean side, wasn't the biggest Rugby fan, but I think with my love of the game that grew from a young age, she definitely grew to love it as well.
"Any chance I get to represent my culture and play in similar close proximity to wherever I'm from or wherever my family's from is huge."
Kailea has started just twice for the Wallabies in 2026, but earned his chance at Test level after impressing coach Les Kiss during training, with the boss eager to test the depth.
"He's good over the ball, very good skills. He runs north, he's hard to handle as a ball carrier. He certainly is someone we want to see at this level, particularly in the set-piece and this is a good set-piece to see how he's growing in that area," Kiss notes.
"My initial reason to bring him in was to put him up against our boys and work hard in that space and we got a chance to look at him now.
"Building the necessary depth in that area is crucial for us. I think Aidan [Ross] has shown some real quality, another level to his footy in the opportunities he's had as well, so to leave him out was tough as well. However, I think it's a great opportunity for us and for Isaac to see himself there, and for us to see him in that position."
Kailea has started three times for the Wallabies after debuting in 2024 under Joe Schmidt.
This included a baptism of fire against South Africa in Brisbane, where he repaid the faith Kiss showed in him.
"You never really know when your next shot will be,so when I saw my name up on the team list, I was super excited. It's been a while, so hopefully I can repay the faith that Les and the rest of the coaching staff have put in me," he said.
"...It's a massive blessing, and I think Les has shown some confidence in me with selecting me not only for the game, but also in the initial squad.
"Any opportunity I have to put on the gold, I want to put my best foot forward and show why I should still be here."
