A Former Garbageman, Uber driver and the quiet Crusaders - The Wallabies debuts

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has named three debuts in his squad for the opening test of 2018. We take a look at the trios backgrounds before they run out at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday. 

Brandon Paenga-Amosa

Paenga-Amosa will become Wallaby 918 when he runs out in the starting line up on his debut, the Reds hooker has enjoyed a quick rise to test level after a stellar debut Super Rugby season. 

The hooker was playing for Southern Districts in Sydney’s Shute Shield this time last year.

Earlier in the week he also revealed that he and his fellow Wallaby teammate Folau Fainga’a worked together as garbage collectors in Sydney while looking for their big rugby break.

The Auckland born powerhouse says it’s been quite the journey since moving to Sydney as a four-year-old.

The Reds hooker, who played rugby league until he was 15, also spent time studying theology, landscaping, labouring and scaffolding as he plied his true trade with club rugby outfit Southern Districts.

Caleb Timu

A hard-worker on and off the field, Reds and now Wallabies loose forward was double-jobbing as an Uber driver two years ago to supplement his rugby earnings as a fringe player with the Reds.

The 24-year-old has been in fine form under new Reds coach Brad Thorn this season and has forced his way into the Wallabies squad.

Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Timu started out playing Union and was good enough to make the Australian Schoolboys squad in 2011, only to switch codes to League two years later, when he signed for the Brisbane Broncos as a U20.

Dovetailing the 13-man code with work as a Mormon missionary in New Zealand and Samoa, Timu got an early release from his contract to join the Reds in April 2016.

“I’d just got married, was 21, my wife was pregnant, expecting our first child, and I did my ACL just after moving to the Reds and, so, Ubering came about, because I’d tried to do some work on the side as a teacher aid, but because of the scheduling, I couldn’t really commit to it. So I had to think of something that could be flexible, which was why I signed up as an Uber driver, because there were bills to pay and things to do around the house." Timu said in an interview with irishexaminer

Pete Samu

Melbourne born Pete Samu is reasonably well travelled already at the age of 26 and is set to make his debut off the bench against Ireland this weekend.

Samu made his way in rugby playing for New South Wales' Shute Shield side Randwick. Two spells in Sydney bookended a two-year stint in England playing local club rugby for St.Ives.

He later moved to New Zealand in 2014 and began playing for Waimea Old Boys is the Tasman club rugby competition.

In 2014 he made his debut for Tasman and was called into the Crusaders squad the following year.

The Crusaders man goes about his work quietly off the field with fellow uncapped Wallaby Paenga-Amosa claiming he is the man who can get Samu out of his shell.

Samu is set make a splash on the test stage with David Pocock holding him in high regard saying: 

"He's certainly a player we talked about before we played the Crusaders earlier in the year," 

"Him coming across, that's exciting for Australian rugby and for the Brumbies next year."